Jerry Finn

Jermone Gregory Finn (March 31, 1969 – August 21, 2008), sometimes credited as "Huckle" Jerry Finn, was an American record producer and mix engineer. He worked with numerous punk rock and pop-punk artists such as Blink-182, AFI, Sum 41, Alkaline Trio, Green Day, MxPx, and Rancid. Finn was known for the warm guitar tone present on albums he produced as well as the "punchy" sound of his mixes. He was instrumental in developing the polished sound of pop-punk in its second wave of popularity between the mid-1990s and early 2000s.

A graduate of the Dick Grove School of Music, Finn began his career in the early 1990s as an assistant engineer at various Hollywood-based studios. He began an association with producer Rob Cavallo, with whom he engineered and mixed Green Day's Dookie (1994). Finn's career subsequently prospered, as he moved from being an engineer to producing albums with the likes of Pennywise and Rancid. Finn forged a strong bond with Blink-182, producing four albums with them, beginning with Enema of the State (1999). He also worked extensively with Sum 41 and Alkaline Trio, and over the course of the 2000s, worked on several albums with Morrissey.

Known for his kind manner and technical expertise, Finn was valued by engineers and musicians alike. Scott Heisel of Alternative Press wrote that Finn often "helped rough punk bands refine their sound, and helped them discover the power of a good vocal hook." He became a "right-hand man" to Cavallo, who at the time was producing Green Day's major-label debut, Dookie (1994). When the band declared themselves dissatisfied with the original mix, Finn and Cavallo set to work again and came up with a brighter mix. "Anyone who heard Green Day's first two records knew the breakout potential was there, but it took Cavallo and Finn to draw it out," wrote Alternative Press.

Afterwards, Finn worked as an assistant at Conway Recording Studios, which he regarded as his favorite studio to work in. He left the job after several months to pursue work independently because of the success of Dookie. "Being realistic about the music business, I thought I'd have a red[-]hot career for six months and then be back assisting, so when I left I made them promise that when my career fell apart they'd hire me back as an assistant," Finn joked in 2006. According to engineer Ed Cherney, Dookie 's success made Finn "the great hope of every assistant engineer everywhere." When recording sessions became contentious, Finn would often smooth over differences with humor, advice, and a new perspective, according to bassist Mark Hoppus. "Recording can get pretty monotonous, but at least we could laugh with Jerry. A pretty typical day would involve multiple takes for one part of one song, and then everyone would get naked and jump on Jerry," he said. He subsequently returned to produce The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (2000), Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001) and Blink-182 (2003). He also produced the 2002 self-titled debut album by Box Car Racer, which featured guitarist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker, and co-produced and mixed When Your Heart Stops Beating (2006) by +44, which featured Hoppus and Barker. A memorial service was held several weeks later in the parking lot of Conway Recording Studios, his favorite recording location. The gathering featured a photo montage set to "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys, which played on repeat throughout the service.

Following Finn's death, Dexter Holland of The Offspring posted a statement on their website regarding his death: "We would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the family of Jerry Finn. We worked with Jerry in the studio many times over the years, and he produced the songs "Can't Repeat" and "Next To You" for our Greatest Hits album. He was a pleasure to be around and we are thankful for the time we were able to spend with him. Jerry left his mark on countless great records, and he will be missed. RIP, my friend. Dexter".

In February 2017, more than 200 pieces of Finn’s recording equipment were made available to the public through a special online shop hosted by Reverb.com in partnership with the Los Angeles–based gear reseller Techno Empire. The collection included a wide range of professional audio gear—such as amplifiers, studio effects, microphones, and outboard processors. A portion of the proceeds were donated to the Recording Academy's MusiCares Foundation.

Recording style and influences Finn's recording equipment at Conway Recording Studios in September 2003.

Finn was known for his methodical, technically focused approach to recording. Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus called Finn "meticulous in getting great sounds". Finn achieved the sound by recording instruments through more than one amplifier at the same time.

Legacy Finn was known for his genial demeanor and technical prowess. According to Pierre Perrone of The Independent, "He could act as a sounding board or confidant and push musicians and singers to perform at their best. He would order food and shoot the breeze with his clients and generally create a relaxed atmosphere." "Every day I spent with Jerry over the past 10 years, I feel like he taught me something new about music, or recording, or life," he wrote after his death. Ill Repute Big Rusty Balls Engineer and mixing León Gieco Mensajes del Alma Assistant Lea Salonga Lea Salonga Assistant engineer

Taj Mahal Dancing the Blues Engineer

Alvin and the Chipmunks A Very Merry Chipmunk Assistant engineer Body Count Born Dead Assistant engineer Front Page Front Page Second engineer

Woodstock '94 Mixing ("When I Come Around")

Maria Muldaur Meet Me at Midnite Engineer, assistant engineer Patrice Rushen Anything But Ordinary Assistant engineer Peter Rodgers Melnick Arctic Blue Engineer