Eric Michael Lichter is the creative force behind Dirt Floor Recording Studio and he’s been nominated in the New England Music Awards in the BEST PRODUCER category. Voting ends this March 1st and you can vote RIGHT HERE .

Nutmeg Chatter had the opportunity to discuss Dirt Floor Studios with Eric.

NUTMEG CHATTER: Eric, when did you first start Dirt Floor?

ERIC MICHAEL LICHTER: I started dirt floor officially in 2006 as a frustrated artist. I was not happy with any of the recordings I’d made up to that point including being signed to Mercury records in making a terrible record for them which cost a small fortune.  I was living in New York City at the time and a friend told me about Chester Connecticut in that there were a few really great spaces in which to put a studio. I really had no aspirations of being a producer, or even having a studio but I had made my first official record playing all the instruments, mixing, and engineering it myself. That record seem to get a lot of attention and soon folks were asking me to do their records, and that’s how that all started. I was smart enough to invest in some basic recording equipment early on,  storing much of it at my parents house while I still try to figure out my next move.

NC:  When you started it did you think you’d be nominated for the Best Producer in NE Music Awards?

EML: I never really gave thought to being nominated for best producer in the New England music awards, let alone any! I know what I do, and I know that it makes a big difference in the New England, and Northeast music scene,but I love the work so much I don’t really think about that. In fact, I got in some hot water with folks last year stating my opinion of such awards from the Dirt floor page. My feelings are still unchanged,but I am really honored. The thing that most struck me was getting a feature story in what is considered the world’s greatest recording magazine TapeOp(December 2012) when I started the studio officially it was a dream to maybe get into that magazine, because they come to you, and are inundated with people trying to get into it. So that was the moment a lot of things changed. John Dankosky from WNPR has now done to feature stories on Dirt floor and the music that comes out of it calling it Connecticut’s music sanctuary, and I absolutely love that!

NC: Who are some of the artists who record at Dirt Floor Records?

EML: One of the things I love most about this is that I get artists from all over the country, they are mostly from New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. A lot of them have careers, and have made great records before their experience with me, and many of them have gotten started and going on to great things after making a record with me. Parsonfield, Hannah fair, James Maple, Spirit Family Reunion, Kerri Powers, Jonah Tolchin, Ian Fitzgerald, Brown Bird, the list just goes on!

NC: What are you working on now?

EML: 2015 is shaping up to be an incredible year, judging by January alone. We have upcoming releases from Jonah Tolchin, Spirit family reunion, Krista Baroni, the honeycreepers, ian Fitzgerald, Dylan Sevey and the gentlemen, among others!

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To vote for Eric Michael Lichter in the New England Music Awards, vote HERE.