Meet Eli Smith

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eli Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eli, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I grew up on a farm in North Carolina and moved to LA in 2014. My parents are both insanely creative and active—like alien level. My mom’s an incredible artist, any medium she chooses, my dad’s a singer-songwriter and a horse trainer—so between them and constant farm work, I never really had a shot at being idle or normal. If I wasn’t hauling something around the farm, I was in the woods building forts or playing guitar. That environment pushed me to always stay active, learning, and creating—something that still drives me everyday. To this day, I’ve never owned a video game, I don’t have TV, and I don’t have social media. I trail run every week, and if you catch me staring at a screen, I’m probably just overthinking a snare sample in Ableton.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve built my career around making sure artists have what they need to succeed—whether that’s a studio, the right team, or just someone to keep things organized. I live on both sides of the fence: I can produce a record, but I’ll also get into the weeds with budgets, rollouts, file management etc. When I first started, I wasn’t great and the only artists who’d work with me were young and broke like me—so I literally had to teach them how to make/save money just so they could pay me!

I’m most proud of helping people realize their projects while also building systems that keep everything running smoothly in the industry. As much as I love making music, I love being a part of this community. The recording industry is a tiny community that makes all the music the world loves. Its the engineers, studios, cartage, rentals, techs and more, and its my family out here.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that relationships and trust are everything. Talent and ideas matter, but if you can’t collaborate and follow through, nothings gonna stick. That’s why I value being surrounded by hardworking people who push me, and why I’m grateful to be a part of the Paramount team. Mike and Adam, the owners, are two of the best people I’ve met in LA, and the fact that they’ve kept this place thriving for 40 years says it all. Paramount is a rare mix—laid back, open to EVERYONE, and the birthplace of more Grammys than anywhere else. Writers, artists, A&Rs, musicians, producers, engineers—everyone passes through and careers are constantly being launched just by being in the right room at the right time. It’s not hype, it’s just what happens here—when you keep your doors open, vacuum up all the opportunity and relentlessly take care of people.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Man, LA really has it all—that’s why I’m here. It’s expensive, and the traffic can be rough, but where else can you catch a Lakers game, get some of the most authentic Thai food at 2am, hit the mountains, and then the beach all in one weekend? Right now, my favorite Thai spot is Summer Buffalo in Burbank—killer food, the best staff, and a real neighborhood vibe.

One of my favorite Saturday routines is hitting the BBQ cookout early at the Handy Market on Magnolia—beef and pork ribs, fresh salads, and a cold beer. Then I’ll drive out to Malibu, run around Tri-Peaks, climb some mountains then head down to Zuma for a cold dip, crush the BBQ, and take a nap. By night, I’m usually in the studio. But if I have a friend in town, I’ll catch a show at the Echo, El Rey, Palladium, or Teragram—these midsized venues are a blast. And if there’s no music happening, there’s always something going on at the Comedy Store or Laugh Factory in WeHo. I’m a huge stand-up fan and LA has some of the best.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost, it’s my parents. They set the foundation for everything. Secondly, it’s Mike and Adam, the owners of Paramount Recording Studios. These guys have been part of more records than anyone I know, and over the years they’ve taught me a ton. I didn’t come up through the traditional studio system—intern, runner, assistant, engineer—so having two veterans who’ve seen it all has been an incredible resource.

Website: https://www.paramountrecording.com

Instagram: @paramountrecording