Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia” and Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar” dominated the charts and their respective categories of the 2021 Grammys, but both works are an extra bit special to the Blackbird community. Two of our very own alumni – Michael Freeman and Matt Wolach – played a part in bringing these tracks to life!
Currently, the dynamic duo work under acclaimed producer Mike ‘Spike’ Stent as assistant engineers working out of Los Angeles, CA. Both completed The Blackbird Academy’s Studio Engineering Program (Michael in 2014 and Matt in 2015) and then transitioned to working at EastWest Studios after graduation.
In their current roles, Michael and Matt served as mixing assistants for the tracks “Cool” and “Break My Heart” on Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia” album, which won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2021 Grammy Awards.
Matt additionally assisted on The “Future Nostalgia” hit bonus track “If It Ain’t Me.” Meanwhile, Michael worked on another 2021 Grammy-winning song. He assistant engineered Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar,” which won Best Pop Solo Performance.
These are amazing achievements for two young producers who already have other incredible credits under their belts. Michael has also worked as a mixing assistant on tracks for Ed Sheeran, Keith Urban, and Paul McCartney. Similarly, Matt has previously been a mixing assistant on projects for Lorde, Coldplay, and Shawn Mendes.
Congrats to these two on their hard work, and we can’t wait to see what’s to come! Be sure to check out Michael’s previous alumni feature and Matt’s credits playlist. Want to carve out your own career in the music biz? Apply now for The Blackbird Academy’s 2021 and 2022 classes!
