“How Did I Get Here?” with Frenchie Smith, Kathy Valentine & Louis Black

Austin Music Foundation is proud to present ‘How Did I Get Here?’ Fireside Music Chats, a series of conversations with music industry trailblazers hosted by Johnny Goudie.

Chris “Frenchie” Smith is an Austin-based Grammy-nominated record producer and co-owner of The Bubble Recording Studio. He began as a guitar player in the Austin noise-pop band Sixteen Deluxe in 1994, and signed with Warner Bros. Records in ’96. Over time, production took more of Smith’s focus and he has since produced records for many well-known acts including The Toadies, Jet, Built to Spill, The Dandy Warhols and Wild Child.

Kathy Valentine made music history as a member of the Go-Go’s – the first all-female band to have a #1 album in the U.S. She has maintained a career in music through songwriting, recording and performing. In 2014, she was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame.

Louis Black co-founded the Austin Chronicle in 1981 and SXSW in 1987. He has written extensively on film, music, and politics. Recently, Black co-founded a new record label, Sex Hawke Black, with Ethan Hawke and Charlie Sexton. He is currently working on a number of projects with the team at Louis Black Productions.

Presented in partnership with VinylMnky and Native Hostel for On The Record | an ATX Music Marketplace.

This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin.

Subscribe and watch the interviews on YouTube.