Peter Katis

Peter Katis is a Grammy Award-winning record producer, audio engineer, mixer, and musician.

He is noted for his long-standing collaborations with The National, Interpol, Frightened Rabbit, Jónsi of Sigur Rós, Guster, Trey Anastasio, Tokyo Police Club, We Were Promised Jetpacks, and The Head and the Heart. In recent years, he has also worked with Hozier, Moby, Death Cab for Cutie, Gang of Youths, Kurt Vile, Stars, Middle Kids, The Paper Kites, and PUP. (See Discography).

Katis works primarily out of his residential studio, Tarquin Studios, in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Personal life Katis was born in New York City in April 1966 to Dr. Lauma Katis and Dr. James Katis, both psychiatrists. His brothers are Tom Katis and Tarquin Katis. He grew up in Connecticut and attended New Canaan Country School and Greenwich High School. He earned a degree in Visual Arts from the University of Vermont. Katis lives with his family in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Career Peter Katis' music career began in the late 1980s with The Philistines Jr., an experimental pop band composed of Katis (vocals, guitar, keyboards), his brother Tarquin Katis (vocals, bass), and their friend Adam Pierce (drums). The band's first gig was an opening spot for Phish in front of a sparse crowd on the campus of the University of Vermont.

The Philistines Jr.'s early albums—Greenwich, CT (1991) and The Continuing Struggle of The Philistines Jr. (1993)—received critical acclaim and charted on college radio stations across North America. The band also received frequent airplay from John Peel on his BBC Radio 1 program. Upon hearing their first album, Peel telephoned the band “just to say how much he liked the record,” and invited them to record a Peel Session in London. They went on to record two more and toured the UK concurrently.

While continuing to write and perform with The Philistines Jr., Katis developed a reputation as a recording engineer and mixer, initially working on projects for friends and fellow independent musicians. His technical skills and production style gradually led to collaborations with a wider circle of artists, establishing him as a sought-after producer in the indie and alternative rock scenes.

In 1998, Katis opened Tarquin Studios—a dedicated production space—in a 7,000-square-foot Victorian home in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Working as a producer / audio engineer / mixer, his most notable collaborations include:

The National - Katis has worked with The National on all ten of their studio albums: Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (2003), Cherry Tree (2004), Alligator (2005), Boxer (2007), High Violet (2010), Trouble Will Find Me (2013), Sleep Well Beast (2017), I Am Easy to Find (2019), First Two Pages of Frankenstein (2023), and Laugh Track (2023). Trouble Will Find Me received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Alternative Music Album. Sleep Well Beast received the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

Interpol - Katis mixed Interpol’s debut album Turn On the Bright Lights (2002), which became a landmark release in the post-punk revival movement, as well as their follow-up Antics (2004). Both albums were critically acclaimed and played a key role in establishing the band’s international success. Katis subsequently worked with lead singer Paul Banks on Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper (2009) and Banks (2012).

Frightened Rabbit - Katis produced The Midnight Organ Fight (2008) and The Winter of Mixed Drinks (2010) for the Scottish band. The 10th-anniversary tribute album, Tiny Changes: A Celebration of Frightened Rabbit's The Midnight Organ Fight (2019) included a cover of "Bright Pink Bookmark" by The Philistines Jr. The release served not only as a celebration of the band's work but also as a tribute to Scott Hutchison's legacy. In addition, a portion of the proceeds from the album went to support Tiny Changes, a mental health charity established by Hutchison's family in his memory.

Discography