Natalie & The Damn Shandys Join Forces With Black Lion Audio And Avantone Pro To Record Lay Eyes On You

Natalie & The Damn Shandys will deliver a sizzling, sultry summer single with Lay Eyes on You premiering this Friday, August 13 on all major online retailers. The New York-based Country/Americana trio teamed up with VuDu Studios’ producer Mike Watts to compose the single that portrays a budding workplace romance between two coworkers pining for a connection. Lay Eyes on You features Natalie Anne on vocals and guitar, Ben Gorham on vocals and piano, and Rob Wagner on lead guitar and backing vocals.

“Who hasn’t had even the slightest crush on someone in the workplace?” says Natalie. “Lay Eyes on You tells the story from both his and her point of view, revealing just how those subtle hints can unravel into an undeniable love.”

Natalie & The Damn Shandys newest single Lay Eyes on You showcases the group’s anecdotal style paired with their strong harmonic melodies. Listeners will be flushed with excitement for what could be with their current crush as they sway to the warm beat. The trio started working together back in 2016 and have since released their debut EP Overlook Trail and several singles including 48 Polaroid and Homebody. In the live performance arena, they have performed alongside Chely Wright, Trace Adkins, Joe Nichols, and more.

Most recently, Natalie & The Damn Shandys joined forces with Black Lion Audio and Avantone Pro when they went in the studio with Watts to record Lay Eyes on You. Watts captured all vocals and instruments on the Black Lion Audio Revolution 2×2 Portable Recording Interface and two Avantone Pro CV-12BLA microphones.

“Mike Watts and I decided to do a project together featuring the Black Lion Revolution and the Avantone Pro CV-12BLA. When I received back the initial track on Natalie & The Damn Shandys, the great sound quality was only overshadowed by how great the song was! I was floored. It’s a special song created by special people. I love it.” Jon Haber, President of Black Lion Audio

The latest single, Lay Eyes on You, will be available on all streaming platforms August 13, followed by the single’s forthcoming music video making a national debut across the broadcast community starting August 23.

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About Natalie & The Damn Shandys

Originating in New York, Natalie and The Damn Shandys features Natalie Anne (vocals/guitar), Rob Wagner (guitar/mandolin/vocals), and Ben Gorham (piano/vocals). The trio has opened for Chely Wright, Trace Adkins, Joe Nichols, Marshall Tucker Band, and Corey Smith. Natalie & The Damn Shandys first connected in 2016, after Natalie moved from San Diego to New York pursuing her music career. She met Rob Wagner, the multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, and the two decided to take their talents to Mike Watts at VuDu Studios as Rob had previously worked at the studio and knew the quality that could be captured there. It was at the studio that they were introduced to Ben Gorham, who initially fell into a keys and backing vocalist role. However, they quickly realized Ben’s talents and today he shares lead vocals with Natalie on their projects. The trio released their debut Overlook Trail on Esque Records & VuDu recordings in May 2019. Since that EP, Natalie & the Damn Shandys have released several singles including 48 Polaroid and Homebody. In a review of their show with Chely Wright, The Daily Times wrote, “Chely Wright took the stage shortly after inviting Grunnan (Natalie) up to sing with her. Wright couldn’t say enough nicethings. In fact, she proclaimed Natalie & The Damn Shandys are destined for great things.”

About Black Lion Audio

Founded in 2006, Black Lion Audio is a boutique audio company based in Chicago. Collectively, it takes pride in providing customers with outstanding quality gear for its recording studios at prices that are ridiculously affordable. As such, the company has built a reputation for supplying superior quality sound in a cost-effective manner within the space of a few short years. Yet, given the current economic climate, it is no wonder that major labels, project studios, software companies and high-profile tracking and mix engineers make up a significant portion of the company’s client base. Indeed, its work can be heard in award-winning major motion picture scores and soundtracks, major television shows and commercials, as well as being used by prestigious organizations and major label acts alike.

About Avantone Pro

It is our belief that great audio products can be created without charging thousands of dollars for them. Our microphones and speakers are used in studios around the world — from home project studios to world-renowned multi-million-dollar facilities. We are very sensitive to the real-world operating budgets of studios as well as the struggling artists/songwriters who are very passionate about creating great music but have budget limitations based on common sense spending. Now, even those on a budget can get world-class sound in their studios. We strive to offer products that anyone would be proud to own and have long-term use of in the quest for creating great music. We believe in our products’ value and know the power of “word-of-mouth” advertising. When you see how good our products are, we know you will tell others! 

Bonzo Bundle Pairs Kick and MONDO Microphones

Avantone Pro is proud to announce the availability of Bonzo™ Bundle — bundling Kick, an aptly-named sub-frequency kick drum microphone that effectively brings back to life a well-known extinct example by utilizing the affordable high-quality audio products producer’s own reproduction ‘white cone’ low-frequency driver to capture lower frequencies than a standard dynamic microphone, giving kick drum sounds that still-sought-after subsonic signature, with MONDO, representing the very finest kick drum microphone available, both for live clubs and concerts, as well as serious studio recording projects, offering a very aggressive frequency contour that sounds huge right out of the box, so most engineers will find little need for EQ.

Released last year to widespread critical acclaim, Kick brings the boom from appropriate instruments out to the forefront, making large-sounding sources sound massive. Moreover, it neatly does so with a sub-frequency microphone that utilises its well-known reproduction ‘white cone’ low-frequency driver — not just any driver, though… the driver! After all, Avantone Pro’s AV-10 MLF low- frequency replacement driver used in its CLA-10 recreation of an iconic studio reference monitoring mainstay — and compatible with the Japanese original — is also at the beating heart of Kick.

Indeed, it has a single continuous press formed cone to match that classic sound and allows a much higher level of quality control and consistency during the manufacturing process as well as delivering strong bass reproduction. In Kick’s case, the AV-10 MLF’s distinctive 18cm cone acts as a microphone element. The microphone itself is of a moving coil dynamic type, with a 50Hz to 2kHz frequency response, 6.3 Ω output impedance, and figure-eight pattern, plus a male XLR connector. All are housed in a birch plywood drum shell with a 10-inch mesh drum head. Having said all that, to then mount Kick on a standard mic stand simply would not do the job justice — which is exactly why Avantone Pro provides a stage-ready, double-braced drum stand. Studio-bound or on the road, the comprehensive Kick package is really ready to deliver!

Meanwhile, MONDO is die cast from zinc as Avantone Pro’s second-generation kick drum microphone with no breakable plastic parts, thanks to its brass and steel grill assembly. Aesthetically, it looks the part, with a cabernet wine-red finish accented with polished nickel trim and a black grill assembly. All components are designed and manufactured using the finest materials, yielding a seriously solid feel, superb structural integrity, and rugged reliability. ‘Rumble’ transmission from physical vibrations is prevented by internal shock-mounting on the capsule assembly.

As is the case with all Avantone Pro drum mics, MONDO features a pair of machined insets on its barrel body that allows the O-rings of the included SSM shock-mount to ‘lock’ the mic into place, preventing shifting and slippage. Said SSM shock-mount is as rugged as can be found anywhere, allowing for a superb decoupling of the mic from unwanted low-frequency transfer and rumble, resulting in a much tighter, less muddy sound than other brands of drum mics, while those O-rings are manufactured using a world-class custom Ethylene Propylene formula providing resistance to breakage and surface nicks, yet remaining supple and effective even against dry, hot temperatures. It is resistant to ozone and weathering, which makes it great for use around electronics devices, and maintains its physical properties — even in a stretched condition. Also, all SSMs are constructed of heavy-duty die-cast zinc, which is not only incredibly durable but also adds mass, contributing to vibration dampening/ decoupling. As a cardioid polar pattern dynamic microphone weighing in at 5 kg (16 oz), MONDO’s specifications are equally enticing: 20Hz to 15kHz frequency response, 6.3 Ω output impedance, and 145dB maximum SPL, to quote some notable examples.

Perfectly paired as the Bonzo™ Bundle at an attractive price point, anyone with a vested interest in flexibly reproducing kick drum sounds to the highest possible standard without breaking the bank — or, indeed, breaking microphones not necessarily so suited to the task — should seriously consider taking this opportunity to simultaneously add Kick and MONDO to their microphone locker. Loud and proud can be a beautiful combination, captured beautifully by Avantone Pro’s latest offering!

About Avantone Pro

As a producer of affordable high-quality studio monitors, reference headphones, microphones, and accessories, Avantone Pro is a different kind of audio company — a creative vehicle, in effect, enabling its core team to bring to market the things viewed as missing in the industry. Indeed, this could be anything as simple as meeting a particular price point to give excellent quality for reasonable pricing to a product that simply does not exist until built by that team. Far from using the shotgun approach to creating a product line, however, each and every product produced has passion and purpose driving it forward. Regardless of whether attracting a two- or four-figure price tag, attention to design is consistent throughout all Avantone Pro products. Performance comes first, of course, but a great deal of design time is spent creating visually attractive products. Put it this way: the company collectively enjoys classic, timeless designs itself; it is convinced, therefore, that others feel the same way! With its microphones and monitors used in studios around the world — whether, within home-based project setups or world-renowned multi-million-dollar facilities, Avantone Pro is sensitive to the real-world operating budgets of bigger and smaller studios alike but also appreciates struggling songwriters/artists who are passionate about creating great music yet must adhere to budget limitations based on common sense spending. Since it strives to offer products that anyone would be proud to own and have long-term use of in the quest for creating great music, even those on a budget can comfortably access Avantone Pro’s world-class sound.

Pricing and Availability

Bonzo™ Bundle is available at Avantone Pro’s US Dealers with a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of $399.00 USD. (European SSP — Suggested Selling Price — is €399.00 EUR, including VAT, with worldwide Distributors,

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Avantone Kick Sub-Frequency Kick Drum Microphone

Avantone Pro brings back bygone classic as aptly-named sub-frequency kick drum microphone. It is an aptly-named sub-frequency kick drum microphone that effectively brings back to life a well-known extinct example by utilizing the affordable high-quality audio products producer’s own reproduction ‘white cone’ low-frequency driver to capture lower frequencies than a standard dynamic microphone, giving kick drum sounds that still-sought-after subsonic signature.

While using a speaker as a low-frequency capture microphone is nothing new — after all, The Beatles used this technique on their chart-topping ‘Paperback Writer’ way back in May 1966, watching people dangling a speaker from a makeshift stand, rewiring a monitor driver, or hot-wiring a combo amp to try and capture those lows is far from a pretty experience with results not necessarily assured.

Kick ably addresses this by bringing the boom from appropriate instruments out to the forefront, making large-sounding sources sound massive. Moreover, it neatly does so with a sub-frequency microphone that utilizes its well-known reproduction ‘white cone’ low-frequency driver — not just any driver, though… the driver!

Kick Sub-Frequency Kick Drum Microphone Specs

• Type: Moving Coil Dynamic
• Frequency Response: 50Hz-2,000Hz
• Output Impedance: 6.3 Ω
• Pattern: Figure 8
• Element: AV10-MLF 18cm cone
• Connector: Male XLR
• Shell: Birch Ply
• Drum Head: Mesh 10”
• Size: 11.375” W; 11.375” H; 5.5” D (without stand)
• Weight: 3.1kg; 6.8Lbs (without stand) / 4.6kg;10.1 lbs (with stand)

Avantone Pro’s AV-10 MLF low-frequency replacement driver used in its CLA-10 recreation of an iconic studio reference monitoring mainstay — and compatible with the Japanese original — is also at the beating heart of Kick.

It has a single continuous press-formed cone to match that classic sound and allows a much higher level of quality control and consistency during the manufacturing process as well as delivering strong bass reproduction. In Kick’s case, the AV-10 MLF’s distinctive 18cm cone acts as a microphone element. The microphone itself is of a moving coil dynamic type, with a 50Hz to 2kHz frequency response, 6.3 Ω output impedance, and figure-eight pattern, plus a male XLR connector. All are housed in a birch plywood drum shell with a 10-inch mesh drum head.

Having said all that, to then mount Kick on a standard mic stand simply would not do the job justice — which is exactly why Avantone Pro provides a stage- ready, double-braced drum stand. Studio-bound or on the road, the comprehensive Kick package is really ready to deliver!

Pricing and Availability

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Kick is available at Avantone Pro’s US Dealers with a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of $349.00 USD. European SSP (Suggested Selling Price) is €399.00 EUR, including VAT, with worldwide Distributors listed by country here.