Mitch Easter

Mitch Easter
Mitch Easter in 1988 producing Game Theory's Two Steps from the Middle Ages
Background information
Birth name	Mitchell Blake Easter
Born	(1954-11-15) November 15, 1954 (age 62) Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Genres	Power pop, jangle pop
Occupation(s)	Record producer, musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1970–present
Associated acts	The Sneakers, Let's Active, Shalini
Website	Official website

Mitch Easter is a musician, songwriter, and record producer. Frequently associated with the jangle pop style of guitar music, Easter is known as producer of R.E.M.'s early albums from 1981 through 1984, and as frontman of the 1980s band Let's Active.

Mitchell Blake Easter was born November 15, 1954, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Easter was deeply involved in music from an early age. He attended the University of North Carolina, from 1974 to his graduation in 1978. He played in a number of school bands, some of them with his childhood friend Chris Stamey (later of The dB's).

In 1980, Easter started the Drive-In Studio, a professional recording studio located in what was originally his parents' garage. One of his earliest recording sessions was the debut single by R.E.M., "Radio Free Europe." Drive-In Studio became an integral part of the local indie-rock scene of Winston-Salem, recording a number of bands at low "knock-down" rates. Easter closed the Drive-In Studio in 1994, and moved from Winston-Salem to Kernersville, North Carolina, where he opened his current recording studio, Fidelitorium Recordings.

As a record producer, Easter is probably best known for his work with R.E.M. from 1981 through 1984. Since 1981, Easter has produced, engineered, and often made musical contributions to albums from many other recording artists, including Mary Prankster, Ex Hex, Ben Folds Five, Pylon, Helium, Pavement, Suzanne Vega, Game Theory, The Loud Family, Marshall Crenshaw, The Connells, Velvet Crush, Ken Stringfellow (of The Posies), and Birds of Avalon.