Joey Sturgis (born January 3, 1985) is an American record producer and owner of The Foundation Recording Studio in Connersville, Indiana. Sturgis started recording in 2004 including producing the Asking Alexandria single "The Final Episode" which has gone on to earn an RIAA certified Gold Record. He also received RIAA-certified Gold Records for Asking Alexandria's "Not the American Average", "Moving On" and Of Mice & Men's "Second and Sebring". He has recorded over 100 albums in his career, and was known for doing a majority of the workload by himself in his early years, including engineering, mixing, mastering, and production.
Sturgis is also the founder and president of Joey Sturgis Tones, which are his own line of audio recording plugins. In 2015, he co-founded URM Academy, an online school for rock and metal mixing and production. He also co-founded Drumforge, a drum software program, and Riffhard, which is an online school for guitarists. He also started the Joey Sturgis Forum Podcast, which is now known as the URM Podcast.
Production discography
Studio albums 2000s Album Released Artist CreditPatterns of a Horizon The Devil Wears Prada Engineer, mixing, producerDear Love: A Beautiful Discord The Devil Wears Prada Engineer, mixing, producerWhy Are We So Dead? Kiss the Gunner Audio productionBefore Their Eyes Before Their Eyes Audio engineer, audio productionAgainst the Rest Never Again Audio engineer, engineer, mastering, mixingDear Brothers Death Virginia Mastering, mixingThe Arcanum Order At the Throne of Judgment Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerPlagues The Devil Wears Prada Audio engineer, audio production, engineer, mastering, mixing, producerAun Aprendo Every Bridge Burned Mastering, mixing, producerChanges For the Fallen Dreams Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerUnbreakable MyChildren MyBride Audio production, orchestra production, piano programming, producerBlessed Be Our Ever After Burden of a Day Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerArmada on Mercury Kingston Falls Audio engineer, audio production, composer, mastering, mixing, producerAt Dagger's Drawn Sea of Treachery Engineer, keyboards, mastering, mixing, producerCan't Fight Robots Take It Back! Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerThe Dawn of My Death Before Their Eyes Audio production, mastering, mixing, producerSomeday Came Suddenly Attack Attack! Audio engineer, audio production, drum programming, engineer, guitar, mastering, mixing, orchestra production, producer, sound effectsKingdom of Might Woe of Tyrants Audio engineer, audio production, composer, engineer, guest artist, mastering, producerDepravity A Plea for Purging Engineer, guest artist, mastering, mixing, producer, programming, vocalsDepthsOceano Engineer, keyboards, mastering, mixing, producer, programmingWith Roots Above and Branches Below The Devil Wears Prada Audio engineer, audio production, engineer, mastering, mixing, producerApologies Are for the Weak Miss May I Audio production, composer, engineer, mastering, mixing, producerGuardians The Crimson Armada Audio engineer, audio production, engineer, guest artist, mixing, producer, programming, remastering, sound effects, vocalsA Constant North Rosaline ProducerRelentless For the Fallen Dreams Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerWe All Have Demons The Color Morale Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerStand Up and Scream Asking Alexandria Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerTo Plant a Seed We Came as Romans Engineer, keyboards, mastering, mixing, producer, programming
2010s Album Released Artist CreditUntouchable Before Their Eyes Composer, engineer, instrumentation, mastering, mixing, producerOf Mice & Men Of Mice & Men Mastering, mixing, producerInspired by the Threat of Failure Us, From Outside Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerTo Our Forefathers I Am Abomination Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerRecover Confide Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerAttack Attack! Attack Attack! Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerMonument Miss May I Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerNo Secret Revealed Affiance MasteringSpeaker of the Dead Emmure Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerThe End of the World Party I See Stars MasteringMy Devil in Your Eyes The Color Morale Engineer, mastering, mixing, producer, vocalsTruth Is... Ten After Two MasteringReckless & Relentless Asking Alexandria Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerGreat Faith in Fools The Air I Breathe Mastering, mixingThe Flood Of Mice & Men Mastering, mixing, producerDead Throne The Devil Wears Prada Keyboards, synthesizer producerUnderstanding What We've Grown to Be We Came as Romans Engineer, keyboards, mastering, mixing, producer, programmingDigital Renegade I See Stars Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerRedemption Before Their Eyes MasteringSlave to the Game Emmure Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerThe Future Again A Hero A Fake Mastering, mixing, producerPolarities Everyone Dies in Utah MasteringDeath Is the Only Mortal The Acacia Strain MasteringPardon My French Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerTwo-Faced Charade Famous Last Words Foley artists, keyboard engineer, keyboards, mastering, mixing, percussion, percussion engineer, producerAbout That Life Attila Engineer, mastering, mixing, producer, programming, sound design, vocal editing, vocal producerYours To Take These Hearts MasteringFrom Death to Destiny Asking Alexandria Engineer, producer, programming, sound design, vocal engineer, vocal producerHollow Bodies Blessthefall ProducerTomorrow We Die Alive Born of Osiris Mastering, mixingCollapse Dangerkids Mastering, mixingWhat It Means to Be Defeated Dayseeker MasteringNew Demons I See Stars ProducerFaceless Buried in Verona Producer, engineer, mixing, mastering, vocalsEternal Enemies Emmure ProducerThe Resistance: Rise of The Runaways Crown the Empire MasteringExotype Exotype Producer, engineer, mixing, masteringBeating a Dead Horse Jarrod Alonge MasteringMetanoia For All Eternity MasteringConquer Divide Conquer Divide ProducerFearlessRichy NixMixingDeathless Miss May I ProducerTo Those Left Behind Blessthefall ProducerThe Devil Blue Stahli Mixing, producerThe Young Souls Myka Relocate ProducerThe Black Asking Alexandria Producer
EPs Album Released Artist CreditThis Is Your Way Out Emarosa Composer, engineer, lyricist, mastering, mixing, producerBeyond the Unknown From the Shallows Audio productionThe Second Coming Eli ProducerFace The Day Callahan ProducerDon't Even Say A Word Run into The Shadows ProducerDreams We Came As Romans ProducerJaw Dropper I Am Abomination ProducerDigital Spaces Let's Get It Audio production, engineer, mastering, mixing, producerNow That We're Waiting Settle The Sky Engineer, mastering, mixingZombie The Devil Wears Prada Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerThe March Ahead The March Ahead ProducerThis Is Just The Beginning… Through Arteries ProducerProceedings Tides Will Turn Mastering
Compilations Album Released Artist CreditPunk Goes Crunk Punk Goes... Engineer, producerPunk Goes Pop 2 Punk Goes... Engineer, producerPunk Goes Pop 3 Punk Goes... Engineer, mixing, producerTotal Breakdown Various artists Engineer, keyboards, mastering, mixing, producer, programmingThe Filthiest Hits...So Far Borgore Engineer, mastering, mixing, producerRise 200 Various artists Engineer
Remix Album Released Artist CreditStepped Up and Scratched Asking Alexandria Engineer, mastering, mixing, producer
Entrepreneurship
Joey Sturgis Tones Joey Sturgis Tones are audio plugins launched and created by Joey Sturgis. Sturgis began his journey with a background in computer science during high school combined with his ability to pick up any instrument he could get his hands on. This eventually became the catalyst for his passion in audio software creation. He programmed and designed his first plugin, "Gain Reduction" a compression plugin that was praised by producer Chris Lord-Alge at the NAMM Show in 2018. He has also released plugins in collaboration with Howard Benson, Rex Brown of Pantera, Misha Mansoor of Periphery, Jeff Loomis of Arch Enemy, Ben Bruce of Asking Alexandria, multi-platinum country producer Billy Decker and others. His plugins have been used on everything from metal, to country, to pop songs such as 10,000 hours by Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber. Unstoppable Recording Machine URM Academy is an online audio school created by Joey Sturgis, Joel Wanasek and Eyal Levi, which describes itself as "the world's best online music school for rock & metal producers". Through its program Nail The Mix, the platform offers monthly mixing sessions with professionally-recorded songs and livestream commentary from the producer who originally mixed them. The program has featured bands such as Lamb of God, Asking Alexandria, The Devil Wears Prada, Chelsea Grin, Born of Osiris, A Day to Remember, Opeth, Neck Deep, Papa Roach, Meshuggah, Periphery, Gojira, Spiritbox, Angels and Airwaves, Conquer Divide, Knocked Loose, Animals As Leaders etc. and producers such as Tom Lord-Alge, Andrew Wade, Tue Madsen, Devin Townsend, Logan Mader, Jens Bogren, Kane Churko, Machine, Daniel Braunstein, Dave Otero, Will Putney among others. Nail the Mix has won two "2 Comma Club" Awards from ClickFunnels for "entrepreneurs who have used ClickFunnels to grow their business to the 7-figure mark". The platform also offers a podcast, Q&As, lessons ("Fast Track") and, as part of its Enhanced subscription, "Mix Rescue", where students submit their own mixes to be critiqued and cleaned-up during a live broadcast.
Drumforge Drumforge is a music software company founded by Joey Sturgis, Joel Wanasek and Joe Wohlitz that provides drum sample libraries and audio plug-ins. The company has released libraries by Taylor Larson, Luke Holland, Daniel Bergstrand, Matt Greiner and others.
Riffhard
Riffhard is an online guitar school created by Monuments guitarist John Browne, in partnership with URM Academy, and co-owned by Eyal Levi and Joel Wanasek, mainly dedicated to rhythm guitar.
Other projects
He also started the Joey Sturgis Forums Podcast, now known as the URM Podcast, which was said to "cover a range of music industry topics such as marketing, touring, mixing and producing"
Sturgis has been an active member of The Recording Academy since 2017, advocating for improving the rock and metal categories and encouraging more people to participate.
Mentorship
Over the years, prior to starting URM Academy, Sturgis mentored a handful of up-and-coming producers who eventually gained notoriety, such as Nick Sampson, Nick Scott, Nick Matzkows, Landon Tewers, Johnny Franck and Caleb Shomo of Beartooth. He also mentored two-time Grammy-Nominated Tyler Smyth in his early days. Smyth started the band DangerKids and is now known for his work with I Prevail and Falling in Reverse.
References
External links Allmusic Production Credits Artist Direct Production Credits Foundation Foundation Recording Studio