TOM DONOVAN
producer | song writer | musician
mix engineer | sound designer
As a producer, an audio engineer, and the founder and owner of both Tom Donovan Studio and Goldbar Records, Tom Donovan is dedicated to providing music artists with innovative, forward-thinking routes to exposure and success. Since beginning to produce and make music more than a decade ago, Tom has worked with many of the UK's most promising artists, making waves in the industry through his role in facilitating the creation of award-winning songs.
Like many before him, Tom first delved into the music business by joining a band in his adolescence. Soon after, he began recording in his parent's shed, incorporating guitar feedback and power tools into his music. Years later, Tom took his experience in DIY music production to Westminster College, where he furthered his love of music and experience in production by studying Sound and Audio Engineering.
After moving to London in 2001, Tom set up his first studio, recording two SOS CD of the month tracks. In 2008, to better serve his clients and pursue his passion, Tom setup his next studio—in an abandoned chicken shed. From his second studio, Tom worked with countless talent from the UK and recorded several albums which went on to receive glowing reviews in NME, Kerrang, Rock Sound, and Metal Hammer. In the years following the set-up of his second studio, Tom has opened a new, expanded studio and active production room—which now average over 280 recordings each year.
Tom’s well-stocked studio combines his fascination with vintage audio equipment and love of modern technologies, creating one environment to boast an impressive assortment of microphones, pre-amps, compressors, guitar pedals, and amplifiers—old and new. With access to cutting edge tools and golden throwbacks, Tom’s clients have an unparalleled ability to personalise their experience and recording. As a producer passionate about experimental effects and unusual audio, Tom’s array of tools allow him to create unique—even bizarre—sounds to meld perfectly with each artist's vibe.
Whether working with a large band or single artist, Tom brings out the beauty and feeling in music of all genres. His own diverse taste and appreciation for music have freed Tom of any restriction by genre. Diverse Artists—alternative to folk, hip-hop to heavy metal—have visited Tom and his studio to sharpen their sound and produce quality recordings that they are involved with every step of the way. As in his studio, Tom loves fusing analog and digital technologies to help promote his clients—with his most recent creation being live streams of performances and studio sessions via Facebook, with his most popular live stream having been viewed over 10,000 times.
Over his career in music production and engineering, Tom has been privileged to work with a variety of talented acts, from Foreign Beggars to Dani Filth (of Cradle of Filth), Mike Vennart (Biffy Clyro/Oceansize), Dream McLean, Animal Noise, and Superglu. Regardless of his clients’ genre, Tom brings out the beauty in each group.
Recently, Tom has collaborated with Amazon to craft the sound design for their Mr. Robot campaign. In the past, Tom’s commercial clients have included Sky, Microsoft, British Gas, and Territory Studios (makers of Guardians of the Galaxy, Prometheus, and Avengers Assemble).Tom’s work has also recently helped to secure his clients slots in major music festivals and media outlets, including BBC Radio 1 and 6, Radio X, BBC, IT, and Channel 4. Additionally, Tom’s career accomplishments have been recognized and celebrated by Sound on Sound, who awarded him “CD Production of the Month” in both May 2007 and June 2008; in an appearance in PSN magazine; and in his participation in October 2013’s “Mix with the Masters” seminar, where he was worked alongside Joe Barresi (Tool, QOTSA, Soundgarden).
Aside from his passion for music production, Tom is a devoted family man, musician, and dedicated philanthropist. At home, Tom enjoys spending time with his wife and two young boys. With his hip-hop band, Monster Florence, Tom is a songwriter, musician, and producer; has performed alongside legends KRS-one, Foreign Beggars, and Gold Panda; and reached number five on iTunes’ hip-hop chart with Monster Florence’s debut EP, The Groove.Internationally, Tom’s charitable project “Paix” supports fundraising efforts for the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in the 2015 terror attacks on Paris by providing a cost-free way for emerging acts to record their own professional covers of the EODM song “I Love You All the Time” to be sold with proceeds going towards the families of those who lost their lives.
