About

“Don makes magic and at the same time makes you feel like you’re the magician.”
– Jared Cortese (Electric NoNo, Warren Dunes)

Don Farwell’s recording/producing philosophy is simple: be a thoughtful listener, create a comfortable recording environment, and then get out of the way. In each session, Farwell prioritizes trust and empowerment. He has deep empathy for how difficult it is to be a musician and when artists walk into Earwig, he wants them to feel they can drop their guard and pour themselves into recording. Though his focus is on chemistry and vibe, Farwell is a technical wizard and master editor. During his years working on analog tape, he learned to work very fast. This continued into the digital realm. You don’t have to look far to find evidence of this in glowing reviews on the internet and social media.

“Don Farwell is one of the most beloved Seattle engineers the city has seen over the past decade. He has worked in the Emerald City for years, most recently at Earwig Studio in Wallingford recording bands like the Black Tones, Warren Dunes, Tres Leches, Sloucher and Black Ends. He has also provided engineering work for the multi-time Grammy Award-winner Ryan Lewis. In that capacity, songs Farwell has tracked have been released via Sub Pop Records, played dozens of times on KEXP and been featured in outlets like Guitar World and American Songwriter. The former assistant at Bear Creek Studios who once got Dave Grohl coffee is all grown up!

Now, though, Farwell is changing his practice in the Pacific Northwest. He’s moving from Seattle to the burgeoning music community in Tacoma, where he will be working out of Chris Blount’s On Purpose recording studios as well as working via a mobile basis. Bands and artists can come to Don or Don can come to you. Your choice!” [excerpt from The Monarch Review interview]