Joe Barresi - Biography

Biography

Joe Barresi started playing guitar when he was 7, and played in local bands in and around his home in New York and in Florida. He studied classical guitar and music theory at the University of South Florida, and transferred to the University of Miami where he also studied piano and music engineering. While there he logged a prodigious number of hours recording and developing local bands in Miami.

After completing college, Barresi moved to Los Angeles and began working his way up the ladder by working at numerous local studios—a move that helped him gain an understanding of the different consoles, rooms and clientele at the various studios. His first big break came when he engineered a demo for producer GGGarth Richardson. He went on to work with a number of well-respected producers including David Kahne, Michael Beinhorn, Rob Cavallo and Sylvia Massy. He also engineered some guitars for Lostprophets on the album Start Something.

As a mixer, Barresi has mixed tracks for Monster Magnet, Hole, Veruca Salt, Weezer, Rancid, Bauhaus, Anthrax, Skunk Anansie, and Alpha Galates.

Eventually Barresi gained enough experience and insight that he began producing records. He has produced or co-produced tracks for Clutch, Buckcherry, Fu Manchu, Loudmouth, The Melvins, L7 and others. He also produced the debut album by Queens of the Stone Age which, at the time, did not have a record deal. That album was eventually released by indie label Loose Groove. The self-titled album garnered attention from press (Rolling Stone named Queens of the Stone Age one of the ten most important hard and heavy bands of the year) and alternative radio (including KROQ) -- all of which landed the band a deal with Interscope Records. He has recently finished recording the band Stam1na and is currently working with former Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe.