Marshall Altman
Encyclopedia
Marshall Noah Altman is a Nashville-based record producer
and songwriter
who owns the Galt Line studio in Nashville, Tennessee
. He was formerly an A&R
person for such labels as Capitol Records
, Hollywood Records
and Columbia Records
, as well as the former frontman for the alternative band Farmer. As a record producer, he has worked for a variety of artists, including Natasha Bedingfield
, Matt Nathanson
, Kate Voegele
, Matt Duke
, Audrey Assad
and Marc Broussard
.
and raised in Pomona
, a city in Rockland County, New York
. He moved to the Los Angeles, California
area for high school and stayed in the area until the summer of 2010, when he moved his studio and family to Nashville.
School of Music in Los Angeles. After finishing at Grove, he went onto perform a series of odd and side jobs such pizza delivery, waiter, and swim teacher while also working for free as a music programmer
. Eventually he started a recording career with a studio as a second engineer
. When that studio went out of business, he borrowed money to set up his own small recording studio in Hollywood. While running his own studio he did work writing software, which then lead to software work with Capitol/EMI. He quit his studio and left for a job at Capitol, working in sales and eventually moving to the A&R department as a scout.
During this time he formed a band called Farmer in 1995 that was signed by Aware Records
and later released an eponymous album in 1997. While on the road touring with Farmer he served as an A&R scout for Capitol, while also listening to demo submissions. One of those submissions was for the artist Citizen Cope (Clarence Greenwood)
, which he helped develop and was able to get signed a record deal to Capitol. Following the signing, Altman was awarded with an executive A&R job. He quit his band and focused on A&R, keeping the career for ten years. During this time he moved from Capitol Records, to Hollywood Records and to finally Columbia Records.
first two albums, Momentary Setback and Carencro
, as well as an album for the band Jupiter Sunrise. He eventually left Columbia to pursue being a full time record producer in 2005, starting the Galt Line Music label and a studio in Burbank, California. During the production of Todd Carey's
album Watching Waiting
he was introduced to engineer Eric Robinson by Carey, and Altman and Robinson would continue a working partnership at the Galt Line for years afterward. At the Galt Line he would go on to produce for a variety of artists, achieving commercial success with albums such as Kate Voegele's
Don't Look Away
and Matt Nathanson's
Some Mad Hope
. His other producer credits include albums for: Bethany Dillon
, Natasha Bedingfield
, Gabe Dixon, Walker Hayes
, Rosi Golan
, Adema
, Matt Wertz
, Trevor Hall, Caitlin Crosby
, Kimberly Caldwell
, and Tom Morello
and others.
Marshall founded the label Galt Line Music in 2007, and its first release, the eponymous album by Curtis Peoples, came out in August 2008.
In 2010, Altman had a top 10 hit in the UK of his co-write "Parachute
" with Ingrid Michaelson
for British pop singer Cheryl Cole
's debut solo album 3 Words
.
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
who owns the Galt Line studio in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. He was formerly an A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
person for such labels as Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
and Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, as well as the former frontman for the alternative band Farmer. As a record producer, he has worked for a variety of artists, including Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Anne Bedingfield is a British pop singer and songwriter. Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle...
, Matt Nathanson
Matt Nathanson
Matt Nathanson is an American singer-songwriter whose work is a blend of folk and rock music. In addition to singing, he plays acoustic and electric guitar, and has played both solo and with a full band. His work includes the platinum-selling song "Come On Get Higher".-Early life and college...
, Kate Voegele
Kate Voegele
Kate Elizabeth Voegele is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is signed to Interscope Records. She is also known for her part as Mia Catalano in the CW TV series One Tree Hill.-Career:...
, Matt Duke
Matt Duke (musician)
Matthew Thomas Duke is an American musician and singer-songwriter who was born in Reston, Virginia and raised in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey. He released an independent album, Winter Child, through the student-run Mad Dragon Records at Drexel University in Philadelphia...
, Audrey Assad
Audrey Assad
Audrey Assad is an American singer-songwriter and contemporary Christian music artist of Catholic faith. Her debut album, The House You're Building, was released through Sparrow Records in July 2010 and went to be named Christian Album of 2010 on Amazon.com and the Christian Breakthrough Album of...
and Marc Broussard
Marc Broussard
Marc Broussard is an American singer/songwriter. His style is best described as "Bayou Soul," a mix of funk, blues, R&B, rock, and pop, matched with distinct Southern roots...
.
Personal life
Altman was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and raised in Pomona
Pomona, New York
Pomona is a village partly in the Town of Ramapo and partly in the Town of Haverstraw in Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of New Hempstead, east of Harriman State Park, north of Monsey and west of Mount Ivy. According to the 2010 Census, the population was 3,103, a 13 percent...
, a city in Rockland County, New York
Rockland County, New York
Rockland County is a suburban county 15 miles to the northwest of Manhattan and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area, in the U.S. state of New York. It is the southernmost county in New York west of the Hudson River, and the smallest county in New York outside of New York City. The...
. He moved to the Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
area for high school and stayed in the area until the summer of 2010, when he moved his studio and family to Nashville.
Early career, A&R work
After graduating high school in Huntington Beach, California Altman attended college at UC Santa Barbara, for a major in business and a minor in music. He left UC Santa Barbara before finishing his degree to attend the GroveDick Grove
Richard Dean "Dick" Grove was an American musician, composer, arranger and award-winning music educator. He performed with Alvino Rey, and worked with Paul Horn, Buddy Rich, and Nancy Wilson....
School of Music in Los Angeles. After finishing at Grove, he went onto perform a series of odd and side jobs such pizza delivery, waiter, and swim teacher while also working for free as a music programmer
Programming (music)
Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
. Eventually he started a recording career with a studio as a second engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
. When that studio went out of business, he borrowed money to set up his own small recording studio in Hollywood. While running his own studio he did work writing software, which then lead to software work with Capitol/EMI. He quit his studio and left for a job at Capitol, working in sales and eventually moving to the A&R department as a scout.
During this time he formed a band called Farmer in 1995 that was signed by Aware Records
Aware Records
Aware Records is an American record label, existent to seek unsigned musical artists and expose them to the mainstream media. The label has had success with a range of artists, including John Mayer, Train, Five For Fighting, Mat Kearney and Guster....
and later released an eponymous album in 1997. While on the road touring with Farmer he served as an A&R scout for Capitol, while also listening to demo submissions. One of those submissions was for the artist Citizen Cope (Clarence Greenwood)
Citizen Cope
Clarence Greenwood is an American songwriter and producer. His eclectic mix of blues, laid-back rock, soul, and folk has a large and profoundly dedicated following, built over the past decade of touring due to solid word of mouth....
, which he helped develop and was able to get signed a record deal to Capitol. Following the signing, Altman was awarded with an executive A&R job. He quit his band and focused on A&R, keeping the career for ten years. During this time he moved from Capitol Records, to Hollywood Records and to finally Columbia Records.
Record Producer
During his last years as an A&R executive at Columbia, he also began actively working as a record producer. Some of his early work includes producing Marc Broussard'sMarc Broussard
Marc Broussard is an American singer/songwriter. His style is best described as "Bayou Soul," a mix of funk, blues, R&B, rock, and pop, matched with distinct Southern roots...
first two albums, Momentary Setback and Carencro
Carencro (album)
Carencro is the major label debut of Louisiana musician Marc Broussard. The album was released by Island Records on August 3, 2004. The album title pays tribute to the musician's hometown of Carencro, Louisiana....
, as well as an album for the band Jupiter Sunrise. He eventually left Columbia to pursue being a full time record producer in 2005, starting the Galt Line Music label and a studio in Burbank, California. During the production of Todd Carey's
Todd Carey
Todd Carey is an American musician and singer-songwriter currently signed to Rock Ridge Music. Born and raised near Chicago, Illinois, he later relocated to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California for a degree in music. At USC, Carey formed a band, Telepathy, with other students...
album Watching Waiting
Watching Waiting
Watching Waiting is the third studio solo album of singer/songwriter Todd Carey. It was distributed by High Wire Music/Fontana in the US on March 27th, 2007.-History:...
he was introduced to engineer Eric Robinson by Carey, and Altman and Robinson would continue a working partnership at the Galt Line for years afterward. At the Galt Line he would go on to produce for a variety of artists, achieving commercial success with albums such as Kate Voegele's
Kate Voegele
Kate Elizabeth Voegele is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is signed to Interscope Records. She is also known for her part as Mia Catalano in the CW TV series One Tree Hill.-Career:...
Don't Look Away
Don't Look Away (album)
-Singles:"Only Fooling Myelf" was released as the album's lead single. The song won first prize in the Pop category of the 2005 USA Songwriting Competition, making her the youngest winner in the history of the competition at that time. She later showcased her song at Borders Books & Music in...
and Matt Nathanson's
Matt Nathanson
Matt Nathanson is an American singer-songwriter whose work is a blend of folk and rock music. In addition to singing, he plays acoustic and electric guitar, and has played both solo and with a full band. His work includes the platinum-selling song "Come On Get Higher".-Early life and college...
Some Mad Hope
Some Mad Hope
Some Mad Hope is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson, released on August 14, 2007 on Vanguard Records. It peaked on the Billboard 200 at #60, and peaked at 3 on the Top Independent Albums. Some Mad Hope was Nathanson's first album for Vanguard Records, and contained...
. His other producer credits include albums for: Bethany Dillon
Bethany Dillon
Bethany Dillon is a Contemporary Christian music artist. She is now married to contemporary Christian recording artist Shane Barnard of Shane & Shane.-Childhood:...
, Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Anne Bedingfield is a British pop singer and songwriter. Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle...
, Gabe Dixon, Walker Hayes
Walker Hayes
-Early life:Hayes was born on December 27, 1979 in Mobile, Alabama. His father, Charles Hayes is a realtor.-Musical career:Hayes and his wife moved to Nashville in 2005, hoping to get in the country music business. He landed a job writing songs for a Nashville publishing company and then signed a...
, Rosi Golan
Rosi Golan
Rosi Golan is an Israeli-born singer songwriter. She now lives in Brooklyn, New York. Her songs have been placed in TV shows such as Grey's Anatomy and Ghost Whisperer and used in various commercials...
, Adema
Adema
-2003–2004: Unstable, Mark Chavez's and Mike Ransom's departure:Adema's second album, Unstable, was released by Arista in August 2003. It was produced by Howard Benson, whose credits also include producing albums with P.O.D., Hoobastank and Cold....
, Matt Wertz
Matt Wertz
Matt Wertz is a singer/songwriter. Originally from LaVale, MD he now calls Nashville, Tennessee, home. Wertz's interest in music started when he was young, but it was his interest in visual art that led him to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he graduated with a degree in...
, Trevor Hall, Caitlin Crosby
Caitlin Crosby
Caitlin Crosby is an American singer-songwriter and actress.-Life and career:While in junior high school, Crosby began playing music in church bands. During her teenage years, she was accepted into Beverly Hills High School theater program, where she first began her acting career...
, Kimberly Caldwell
Kimberly Caldwell
Kimberly Ann Caldwell is an American singer, actress, and television hostess, from Katy, Texas who was the seventh place finalist on the second season of American Idol. She used to work as an entertainment correspondent and hosted various shows on the TV Guide Network...
, and Tom Morello
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
and others.
Marshall founded the label Galt Line Music in 2007, and its first release, the eponymous album by Curtis Peoples, came out in August 2008.
In 2010, Altman had a top 10 hit in the UK of his co-write "Parachute
Parachute (song)
"Parachute" is a song by American recording artist Ingrid Michaelson. It was co-written with Marshall Altman & Cheryl Cole and was later recorded by British artist Cheryl Cole on Cole's debut studio album 3 Words . The song was released on 11 March 2010 as the album's third and final single...
" with Ingrid Michaelson
Ingrid Michaelson
Ingrid Ellen Egbert Michaelson is a New York-based indie-pop singer-songwriter. Her music has been featured in episodes of several popular television shows, including Scrubs, Bones, Grey's Anatomy The Big C and One Tree Hill, as well as in Old Navy's Fall 2007 Fair Isle and Opel's/Vauxhall's...
for British pop singer Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls...
's debut solo album 3 Words
3 Words
3 Words is the debut studio album from British pop singer Cheryl Cole, released on 23 October 2009 by Fascination Records. The project is Cole's first solo release following a break from releasing material with her band Girls Aloud whom after seven years have enjoyed five successful albums and...
.
Selected production works
- Audrey AssadAudrey AssadAudrey Assad is an American singer-songwriter and contemporary Christian music artist of Catholic faith. Her debut album, The House You're Building, was released through Sparrow Records in July 2010 and went to be named Christian Album of 2010 on Amazon.com and the Christian Breakthrough Album of...
- The House You're BuildingThe House You're BuildingThe House that You're Building is the debut album by Christian artist Audrey Assad. It has been met with positive reviews by critics. In late 2010, it was re-released for Christmas with two extra tracks.-Track listing:- Critical Reception :...
(2010) - Alexa WilkinsonAlexa WilkinsonAlexa Wilkinson is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and trumpet player with two albums to her name: 2007's Lullaby Appetite, partly co-written by Josh Kelley, and Lions, released in 2008. She has toured with a number of indie musicians, including Josh Kelley, Todd Carey, Jonathan Clay,...
— Lions (2009) - AdemaAdema-2003–2004: Unstable, Mark Chavez's and Mike Ransom's departure:Adema's second album, Unstable, was released by Arista in August 2003. It was produced by Howard Benson, whose credits also include producing albums with P.O.D., Hoobastank and Cold....
— Kill the HeadlightsKill the HeadlightsKill the Headlights is the fourth studio album by Adema, released on August 21, 2007.The album is the only to feature vocalist Bobby Reeves, and guitarist Ed Faris, from the Los Angeles band LEVEL....
(2007) - Brooke FraserBrooke FraserBrooke Gabrielle Fraser Ligertwood, better known as Brooke Fraser is a New Zealand award-winning folk-pop and Christian music artist...
— AlbertineAlbertine (album)Albertine is the second album by New Zealand singer-songwriter, Brooke Fraser. It was released in New Zealand and in the Oceanic region's iTunes store on 4 December 2006. The album was released in Australia on 31 March 2007, where it peaked at #29. The album's lead single is "Deciphering Me". The...
(2007) - Bethany DillonBethany DillonBethany Dillon is a Contemporary Christian music artist. She is now married to contemporary Christian recording artist Shane Barnard of Shane & Shane.-Childhood:...
— Stop & ListenStop & Listen (Bethany Dillon album)Stop & Listen is the 4th studio solo album by Bethany Dillon. It reached number 29 in the US Christian Album Charts the song 'Everyone To Know' reached number 44 in the US Charts.- Critical Reception :Stop & Listen has received the following reviews:...
(2009) - Caitlin CrosbyCaitlin CrosbyCaitlin Crosby is an American singer-songwriter and actress.-Life and career:While in junior high school, Crosby began playing music in church bands. During her teenage years, she was accepted into Beverly Hills High School theater program, where she first began her acting career...
— Flawz (2009) - Curtis Peoples — Curtis Peoples (2008)
- Josh WilsonJosh Wilson (musician)Josh Wilson is a contemporary Christian musician from El Dorado, Arkansas. He is best known for the radio singles "Savior, Please" from his 2008 album Trying to Fit the Ocean In a Cup and "Before the Morning" from his 2009 EP, Life is Not a Snapshot....
— Life Is Not a Snapshot (2009) - Josh Hoge — Everything She Was (2008)
- Kimberly CaldwellKimberly CaldwellKimberly Ann Caldwell is an American singer, actress, and television hostess, from Katy, Texas who was the seventh place finalist on the second season of American Idol. She used to work as an entertainment correspondent and hosted various shows on the TV Guide Network...
— Without RegretWithout RegretWithout Regret is the debut album from American Idol season two seventh place finalist, Kimberly Caldwell. The album was supposed to be released on April 6, 2010 by Vanguard Records and Capitol Records, but according to Caldwell's website and YouTube channel, the album was pushed back to a July...
(2011) - Kate VoegeleKate VoegeleKate Elizabeth Voegele is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is signed to Interscope Records. She is also known for her part as Mia Catalano in the CW TV series One Tree Hill.-Career:...
— Don't Look AwayDon't Look Away (album)-Singles:"Only Fooling Myelf" was released as the album's lead single. The song won first prize in the Pop category of the 2005 USA Songwriting Competition, making her the youngest winner in the history of the competition at that time. She later showcased her song at Borders Books & Music in...
(2007) - Matt NathansonMatt NathansonMatt Nathanson is an American singer-songwriter whose work is a blend of folk and rock music. In addition to singing, he plays acoustic and electric guitar, and has played both solo and with a full band. His work includes the platinum-selling song "Come On Get Higher".-Early life and college...
- Some Mad HopeSome Mad HopeSome Mad Hope is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson, released on August 14, 2007 on Vanguard Records. It peaked on the Billboard 200 at #60, and peaked at 3 on the Top Independent Albums. Some Mad Hope was Nathanson's first album for Vanguard Records, and contained...
(2007) - Matt DukeMatt Duke (musician)Matthew Thomas Duke is an American musician and singer-songwriter who was born in Reston, Virginia and raised in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey. He released an independent album, Winter Child, through the student-run Mad Dragon Records at Drexel University in Philadelphia...
- Kingdom UndergroundKingdom UndergroundKingdom Underground is the second studio album of singer/songwriter Matt Duke and his first major-label record. It was released by Rykodisc in the US on September 22nd, 2008, and featured the single "The Father, The Son and The Harlot's Ghost".-History:...
(2008) - Marc BroussardMarc BroussardMarc Broussard is an American singer/songwriter. His style is best described as "Bayou Soul," a mix of funk, blues, R&B, rock, and pop, matched with distinct Southern roots...
- Momentary Setback (2002) - Marc BroussardMarc BroussardMarc Broussard is an American singer/songwriter. His style is best described as "Bayou Soul," a mix of funk, blues, R&B, rock, and pop, matched with distinct Southern roots...
- CarencroCarencro (album)Carencro is the major label debut of Louisiana musician Marc Broussard. The album was released by Island Records on August 3, 2004. The album title pays tribute to the musician's hometown of Carencro, Louisiana....
(2003) - Todd CareyTodd CareyTodd Carey is an American musician and singer-songwriter currently signed to Rock Ridge Music. Born and raised near Chicago, Illinois, he later relocated to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California for a degree in music. At USC, Carey formed a band, Telepathy, with other students...
- Watching WaitingWatching WaitingWatching Waiting is the third studio solo album of singer/songwriter Todd Carey. It was distributed by High Wire Music/Fontana in the US on March 27th, 2007.-History:...
(2007) - Trevor Hall - Trevor Hall (2009)
- Walker HayesWalker Hayes-Early life:Hayes was born on December 27, 1979 in Mobile, Alabama. His father, Charles Hayes is a realtor.-Musical career:Hayes and his wife moved to Nashville in 2005, hoping to get in the country music business. He landed a job writing songs for a Nashville publishing company and then signed a...
- Reason To Rhyme (2009) - William FitzsimmonsWilliam Fitzsimmons (musician)William Fitzsimmons is an American singer-songwriter, based in Illinois, perhaps best known for his songs "Passion Play" and "Please Don't Go", which aired during pivotal scenes in ABC's medical drama Grey's Anatomy...
- The Sparrow & The Crow (2008)
External links
- http://www.marshallaltman.com
- [ Marshall Altman on allmusic.com]
- Marshall Altman discography