Student hopes to have his own record label
Paul Simon(son) has used him.
So has Nobody Special, Sara Cox and Alei.
They all have recorded music in Utah State University student Matt Gause’s recording studio, Ear Full Studios.
Gause, a junior majoring in business, is a full-time student who also owns his own studio, which he runs out of his basement in Logan.
Gause’s passion for music has helped many local talents jump start their career. One client, Tamera, was in the top three of American Idol contestants for Utah.
Because he charges $15 an hour, Gause said his hobby covers most of his expenses.
“Between the studio and giving plasma, it just about covers it,” Gause said.
Most of those who use Gause’s recording studio like punk sound. He said he has recorded a lot of punk for girl bands. He also gets a lot of business from basketball and football players who want to record their own rap songs.
“The creation is the cool part of my job,” Gause said. “People are out there pouring out their heart, and I get to capture it.”
The band Nobody Special has used Ear Full Studios several times. Lead singer Mike Chidsey said they choose to use the studio because of the low prices and high quality equipment.
“They treated me real fancy and the entire experience was wicked slick,” Chidsey said.
The band started three years ago, all by USU students. All band members got dumped by their girlfriends at the same time and started writing bitter punk songs. Their second CD, “Love and Misery” will be out in two weeks, and they are thankful for Gause’s help.
Gause’s love of music developed in junior high after he bought he first set of drums. At Payson High School his musical talents developed and he started his own band. After high school, he went to Dixie State before leaving on a mission to Calagry, Canada.
After his mission, he continued his passion and education in music when he went Utah Valley State College and took classes in recording engineering.
One class was taught by one of his idols, Cliff Magg. He taught Gause many things, such as how to get the best sound from the music and also how to learn from teaching his students. Magg has had his own platinum record and has recorded for the Osmond’s and one of Faith Hill’s earlier records. Gause was impressed by how humble he was.
Aside from getting married this summer, Gause is going to work at a wilderness camp for troubled youth and work at his studio on the weekends. He plans to return to USU next fall and graduate. His major in business is just a safeguard he said, because art or music is always fickle.
Gause said he hopes to one day have his own record label. He said it’s okay if his name is the only one on the label, just as long as he makes it that far. Presently, he has thought about starting his own radio station here in Logan. He is also working on his own Web site, www.local435.com, which is a public service site that announces when and where local bands will be playing. It should be available on the Internet next fall.
Gause’s favorite bands include Weezer, Bob Dylan and the Beastie Boys.
“Weezer is cool, because when you go to one of their concerts all of the songs are good,” Gause said. “When they’re playing the crowd gets louder than the band.”
-acbailey@cc.usu.edu
USU Student Matt Gause watches the audio levels on his computer as his roommate Casey records a vocal track in Gause’s basement studio Thursday night. (Photos by Cory Hill)