Atrium Audio
Carson Slovak & Grant McFarland
Since 2012, producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland have become known for their consistent quality output and super-efficient workflow among regional, national and international artists. The two opened a boutique recording studio in Lancaster, PA under the name Atrium Audio and spent years establishing their reputation as a powerful production team, particularly in the rock and metal genres. In 2018, Carson and Grant relocated operations to Think Loud Studios in York, PA, owned by members of the multi-platinum rock band Live. The duo ran Think Loud for two years before deciding to pursue building their own new facility from the ground up within PA’s Rock Lititz campus. The new Atrium Audio is expected to open in early 2021.
Carson and Grant have engineered, produced, and mixed music for many artists, including August Burns Red, Polaris, Erra, Like Moths To Flames, Everclear, Candlebox, Live, From Ashes To New, KillRobBailey, Black Crown Initiate, Rivers of Nihil, The Last Ten Seconds of Life, Carousel Kings, Don’t Sleep, Texas In July, This or the Apocalypse, Lorna Shore, Signs of the Swarm, I The Breather, and many more. They have worked with labels including Fearless Records, Eleven Seven, Equal Vision, Century Media, SharpTone, Resist, UNFD, eOne Music, Bullet Tooth, Trustkill Records, Artery, Razor & Tie, Sumerian, SolidState, Victory Records, Prosthetic Records, The End Records, Pavement, Eulogy, Outerloop Records, Metal Blade, Tragic Hero, In Vogue, and Rise Records.
Accolades
The August Burns Red album “Found In Far Away Places” – which Carson and Grant produced, engineered, and mixed – debuted in the Billboard 200 Top Ten and was nominated for Best Metal Performance in the 2016 Grammy Awards. August Burns Red was again nominated for a Grammy in 2018 for the song “Invisible Enemy” off the album Phantom Anthem, which Carson and Grant also produced, engineered and mixed. Carson and Grant traveled to Australia to record the debut album “The Mortal Coil” by Polaris, which was nominated for Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album in the 2018 ARIAs. Under the team’s management, Think Loud Studios received the award for Best Recording Studio in the 2019 Central Pennsylvania Music Awards.
Galactic Empire
Since 2016, Carson and Grant have also been touring as the galaxy’s foremost instrumental Star Wars cosplay heavy metal John Williams tribute band, Galactic Empire. Their joke music video was a viral hit, gaining over 10 million views with national press coverage including Huffington Post, Guitar World, Entertainment Weekly, and MSNBC, along with a live TV performance on E! Entertainment during their coverage of the 2016 Academy Awards. The band has since released two full-length albums with Rise Records (produced and mixed by Carson and Grant), along with four more music videos. They’ve toured extensively, headlining multiple national and overseas tours, including Canada, Europe, Japan, and Australia, along with appearances at major festivals, comic cons, sporting events, and supporting arena acts such as Ozzy Osbourne and Babymetal.
