After two decades working in Auckland’s music scene as a sound engineer and producer Dave Rhodes returned to his hometown of Whitianga, established his own professional recording studio and went freelance. NZM talked with the acclaimed producer (and rock drummer) about his diverse career and what’s up next.

With waves crashing in the near distance and sea salt on the breeze, there’s a sense of tranquillity at Dave Rhodes’ boutique recording studio in Whitianga. While not a typical location for a studio Dave’s return to his hometown was intentional. He describes it as a conscious return to his roots.

“Building my own studio has been a lifelong dream. I was keen for a change of pace, and it made sense to return to where I first fell in love with music.”

His parents moved from Hamilton to Whenuakite (25km outside of Whitianga) when he was just one. His father Alan Rhodes is one of the founders of the renowned Hamilton County Bluegrass Band. After HCBB disbanded he took up pottery but continued to play music.

“Dad met other local musicians and joined a cover band. Mum joined too! There were always instruments around the house and I would go to sleep with the band rehearsing in the next room. I taught myself how to play drums and when I was 15 I joined as the drummer.”

Throughout high school he immersed himself in music, playing gigs around the Coromandel Peninsula and getting his first taste of recording at Aerial Railway studio.

“I was totally fascinated by the equipment,” he recalls. “Someone lent me a cassette 4-track machine and I started recording anything I could! From then my interest in drumming and recording grew in parallel.”

The grunge explosion of the ‘90s had a profound impact on him, especially heavier bands like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Rage Against The Machine and Tool, Dave saying he was drawn to their rawness and power. Same with later nu metal bands like Korn, Deftones and HedPE. After high school all he wanted to do was play and record music, so he moved to the big smoke.

“With the generosity of my uncle Chris I enrolled at SAE in 1993 and it changed my life. Living in Auckland was a bit of an adjustment at first, but I loved it, surrounded by like-minded people, playing and recording music and soaking up the live gig scene.”

Following SAE he was straight into gaining work experience at studios.

“I got an intern runner job at Mandrill Audio Post in Parnell, where I also worked in the tape dubbing room, transferring ads from a master ¼ inch tape to multiple ¼ inch dubs to be sent out to radio stations.”

At the same time he worked in the studio at Deepgrooves Entertainment, where he mostly recorded vocals and overdubs for RnB and hip hop acts produced by Phil Fuemana. It was here that he recorded the overdubs and vocals for The New Loungehead album ‘Came A Weird Way’, which earned critical acclaim, winning Best Jazz Album at the NZ Music Awards in 1998.

With a recommendation from Mandrill Dave was offered a part-time gig creating NZ On Air funded music radio programmes at Media Music which shared an office with Pagan/Antenna Records.

“I would help out with all sorts of audio odd jobs for Pagan too, from recording demos, interviews and radio ads, editing music videos for Pluto, Dub Asylum and Voom, to eventually working on releases for Voom, Crumb and Darcy Clay. It was an exciting time for NZ rock music, I learned so much there,” he reflects.

During that period he also recorded bands at York Street Studios and The Lab, and mixed Blindspott’s multi-platinum self-titled album, which earned himself and fellow engineer Clint Murphy, Engineer of Year accolades at the NZ Music Awards in 2002. He also joined nu metal rock band Stylus as their drummer. Both Stylus albums were co-produced and mixed by Dave and bass player Paul Matthews. After Stylus he continued with the dual drummer/producer roles for 29 Blackbirds and Static Era.

The next eight years were spent at Stebbing Recording Centre, the iconic studio in Auckland’s Herne Bay founded by Eldred Stebbing. Here Dave continued to hone his engineering and producing skills, learning from talented engineers Tony Moan, Steve McGough and Simon Lynch, and working with Six60, The Topp Twins, Hollie Smith and John Rowles. He also started to learn how to manage a recording studio, which prepared him for his next role as studio manager of Depot Sound in Devonport.

“I loved my time at the Depot. It was just me and one other junior engineer, so I had to wear all the hats – recording and engineering, producing, mentoring, and running a profitable recording studio business. It was around then that building and running my own studio became a more achievable goal.”

In a full circle moment at Depot Sound, Dave recorded a reunion album for Hamilton County Bluegrass Band, ‘These Old Hands’, which was a nominee for Best Country Music album at the 2017 NZ Music Awards.

In 2019 he moved to Whitianga with his partner and began the intensive process of designing and building his studio. He did the majority of the building work, investing considerable time in selecting the most effective materials and gear to create a good sounding room. It’s a comfortable creative space with a control room and live room that reflects the relaxed Coromandel vibe. A custom-built desk hosts two carefully curated racks of outboard gear that revolve around two Apollo x8p interfaces.

“I have some key mic pres (Avedis, CAPI) and compressors (1176, LA-2a, LA-3a), and a good selection of mics so I can capture high quality sounds, then I mix 100% in the box. I’ve also accumulated some great instruments, amps and drums to make sure we get great sounds even if the artist doesn’t have the gear.”

In the studio, sessions strike a balance between productivity and a relaxed atmosphere, fostering an environment where musicians are gently inspired to perform at their best. He dedicates himself to understanding the sound the artist aims to create, and applies his trained ear and technical expertise to realise that vision. Dave’s well aware of the need for flexibility and cost effectiveness for musicians, while not compromising on quality. It can be tricky, but most of the time he makes it work.

“One of the reasons I built my studio in Whitianga was to lower overheads so that we could spend more time enjoying the process and being creative, and less time worrying about the budget. On the other hand I’m also happy to travel to the artist, and use a studio local to them, or I can bring a mobile recording rig and set it up in a house or practice room. It’s important to me that musicians can work where they are comfortable and keep their recording costs down, while also capturing and producing a high-quality sound.”

Dave splits his time between recording and mixing local, national and international emerging and established artists. His discography is an eclectic mix of genres, from The Topp Twins, The Warratahs, grim!, O.R.A and John Rowles to Devilskin, Beckoned, Shepherds Reign, Head Like A Hole and Bleeders. As a freelancer he offers studio recording, mixing, mastering, mobile recording, and more recently mentoring. For the last three years he’s been a Creatives in Schools mentor at Mercury Bay Area School, skill sharing with music students and teaching them how to write and produce original music.

Dave’s commitment to deliver high-quality work drives him to draw inspiration from other producers and keep tabs on music production trends.

“I’m always interested in new production ideas, so along with the greats from the ‘90s/2000s like Rick Rubin, Brendan O’Brian, Terry Date, Andy Wallace and Joe Barresi, I’m also loving more recent productions from Nick Raskulinecz, John Feldmann, Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood, Eric Valentine and Zakk Cervini.”

Like his career, Whitianga has evolved since Dave last lived there. There’s a thriving music scene, a tight network of musos and the local arts venue the Monkey House Lounge & Cabaret hosts gigs on a regular basis featuring local artists and established performers like Jon Toogood, Hollie Smith and Tiki Taane. Dave does live sound for the venue, and enjoys the chance to jump behind the drums and jam with local musicians.

Looking ahead, he’s clear about where he wants to focus his efforts.

“I’ve worked on a lot of different projects, but rock and metal bands are what I enjoy recording and producing the most, and where I think I do my best work. That’s what I want to do more of.”

You only need to listen to the latest Devilskin EP ‘Surfacing’ to hear what he’s talking about, co-produced with the band and mixed at his studio.

“I’ve made music my life, and I’m stoked that I’m able to do what I love for a living.”