Five questions with Ed Stasium: The Ramones and Talking Heads producer who landed in Poway

A native of New Jersey, renowned producer/engineer/mixer Ed Stasium is most commonly associated with the cutting-edge rock music of New York City, where he helped to shape the early sounds of bands including the Ramones, the Talking Heads and Living Colour. He started out as a guitarist with the band Brandywine, whose only album came out in 1971, before a fateful session as engineer on Gladys Knight & the Pips’ iconic song “Midnight Train to Georgia” redirected his focus to the studio.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Stasium bounced back and forth between New York and Los Angeles, but eventually left those music-industry meccas behind. After a decade in Durango, Colorado, Stasium landed in Poway in 2014. From a house on the outskirts of town, he’s brought in bands for production projects and mixed dozens of records in his studio. We caught up with Stasium by Zoom recently for this inaugural “Five Questions” feature.

1. You’ve worked extensively as a producer, an engineer, and a mixer. How did you get started with it?

My background was playing in bands; that’s where my production chops came from. I had a tape recorder at home. If we were going to record a song — let’s say “Hanky Panky” by Tommy James & the Shondells — I’d write down all the words, the chords, and I’d even notate the drum beats. Then I would show the band the song: “This is what we’re going to do.” So it really comes from way back when I was a teenager, and I was the guy in the band with a tape recorder.

I work with bands on arrangements, on lyrics, on chord changes, on adding a bridge, cutting a chorus in half, cutting an intro in half. I suggest that kind of stuff within the arrangement. And then doing the backing track, making sure it’s right, splicing everything, getting it together. Well, no splicing anymore, but with tape, I used to splice drum takes together to get a good take out of three or four takes. Now it’s much easier with ProTools, and I enjoy doing that. I get to figure it out in mixing, which is a blast, really. I’m doing a lot of mixing these days for artists, and I’m doing a lot of catalog work for Rhino. Right now I’m doing stereo remixes and Dolby Atmos mixes of the first two Stooges records, which is a lot of fun and a real challenge.

2. What other projects have you worked on in 2025?

At the beginning of the year, I did Dolby Atmos mixes of the first three Ramones records that I worked on — Leave Home, Rocket to Russia and Road to Ruin. That came out a couple months ago as a box set. It’s called 1!2!3!4!, and it has the first four records with Dolby Atmos mixes. It’s a nice little box; I did liner notes for it as well. I did some Living Color Dolby Atmos this year also. I mixed the Minus Five record, Oar On, Penelope; I really enjoyed working with Scott (McCaughey, Minus Five leader).

I did an EP with Lori Garrote. I’ve known her since 2012; she’s a good songwriter with a very personable, cool vibe. That’s coming out in 2026;. it’s called Resilience. I mixed a record by the Black Sugar Band that they recorded at Rancho de la Luna in Joshua Tree. It’s called Straight Outta Rancho. It’s kind of a bluesy vibe; it’s really cool. There was a band in New York (in the late 1970s) that played Max’s and CBGB called the Rousers, and I mixed one of the songs, called “Bumblebee Rock.” That just came out; it’s called 1979 Sire Sessions.

I had the Long Ryders here in July four our fourth LP together. It’s called High Noon Hymns; I think it’s coming out March 2026. And I did the new Rosie Flores record (Impossible Frontiers). I’m a little more pop/rock, and her stuff that she did on her own is a little more traditional, but there’s a nice balance between them on the record. The vinyl sounds amazing; it’s one of the best pressings I’ve had in years.

I was brought into the Tearaways from my my good buddy Clem Burke (the late Blondie/Empty Hearts drummer), who I’ve known since ’76. I had worked with Clem on two Empty Hearts records over the years. Clem called up and said, hey, I’m doing work with the Tearaways. I hadn’t heard of them, but they’ve been around for 40 years. Clem is no longer with us, so they have a new drummer, and we have six tracks done. We’re going to do some more in January and February. So that’s a pretty full year. There’s probably something I forgot.

3. What San Diego acts have you worked with?

I worked with the Verigolds; I thought they were really good. I did two tracks with them. They won San Diego Music Awards the year I worked with them; I think it was 2015 or 2016. I’m not really ensconced in the local community; I don’t know many people here. Tamar Berk is really good; she just came out with a new record, and she does everything herself. I’d love to work with her. (San Diego Music Hall of Famer) Cindy Lee Berryhill is a good friend; I’ve known her for a long time.

4. When did you move to California after making a name for yourself in New York?

The first time I moved from the East Coast to L.A. was on March 12, 1981. I couch-surfed for months, got a car, had no money. I think I went there with $50 and a suitcase. I worked with a band called Burning Rome on A&M that was kind of a big deal. By November of 1983 I had a beautiful little guest house in Laurel Canyon on Green Valley Road.

When Peter Wolf left the J. Geils Band, he wanted Dave Jerden (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction, etc.) to work on the record. Dave couldn’t do it, but he recommended me. I talked to Peter on the phone, and I flew to Boston for a weekend. We met and chatted, and we got along, and I got hired. He was still signed to EMI, and we had pretty much an unlimited budget. I got a huge salary. At the time, I was kind of broke, so it was a great opportunity. And then he said, “Ed, do you think you could mix the record in New York?” So I said, sure, I could do that. And everybody I ran to said, “What are you doing in L.A.? Come back to New York.” So I moved back to New York in March of ’84. And then more things started coming along. Dave Jerden got me (the engineering job on) the Mick Jagger record, Primitive Cool.

I was still going to L.A. to do different projects. I really loved L.A. at that time. It was right after the success of Living Colour; when you see a royalty check for six figures, you’re like, this is finally paying off after all these years. So my girlfriend Francine and I started looking (in Los Angeles) and found a place in Sherman Oaks, and in August of ’89 we purchased a home there. That’s when I went to L.A. the second time. I kept an apartment in Manhattan until 1993, because I was still going back and forth a lot. We were bicoastal for about three or four years.

5. How did you end up in Poway?

I moved here with my ex-wife, Amy Hartman. She’s from San Diego. The reason we moved here is because Amy’s parents were elderly. They needed a family member nearby, so we searched and found the place that I’m in now, in April 2014. And then in October, we split up, so I’ve been here on my own for 11 years. I’m still in touch with her. She’s a very talented singer-songwriter, and she teaches voice and piano here in San Diego. Her dad passed away, and her mom is now in an assisted living facility. But she’s still here, and I’m still here.

I’m comfortable here. It’s a good space. I’m off the beaten path. It’s an equestrian neighborhood that I live in, and I’m on five acres. I know all my neighbors. I’ve had bands here making noise until late hours, and nobody seems to care. But I’m kind of retired from doing stuff here at the house, unless something really great comes up.