Studio Hotline 415-846-8745 Email: chris@wallyshydeout.com

A veteran of the Bay Area music scene as a drummer and bandleader since 1991, Chris has performed and/or recorded with a wide range of legends and luminaries, including RonKat Spearman, Eric McFadden, Jane Wiedlin, Michelle Shocked, Donald Bailey, Robert Randolph, Kevin Seal, Pamela Parker, John Vanderslice, Rich Armstrong, Bishop Norman Williams, and Curtis Lawson, and many others.

Check out his current band Seal Party, which brings together top musicians from a hand-picked collective of punk rock legends and jazz luminaries to create a fluid ensemble. The band delivers a mix of rock, soul and jazz driven by the songs written with long time collaborator Kevin Seal. Known for his versatility and range as a drummer, Chris has recently played on successful releases by doom metal darlings Dungeon Weed.

Chris has established himself as an in-demand studio engineer and producer, specializing in capturing world class drum sounds and live studio full band recording. As a co-owner of Wally’s HydeOut in San Francisco’s legendary Hyde Street Studio C, recording studio projects with The Headhunters, Theo Croker, Gary Bartz, Ben Williams, Etienne Charles, Keyon Harrold, Julius Rodrigues, Chris Rob, Karl Denson, Keyon Harrold, Kenneth Whalum, Donald Harrison and many more.

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“The Neverlutionaries track ‘Everybody’s Losing Their Minds’ is a huge funkified party propelled along by the shuffling bravado of drummer Chris McGrew. 

-Rock and Roll Fables 

“Dungeon Weed is a prime example of how to elevate a conventional sound. The funk emanating from the riffs on “Beholder Gonna Fuck You Up” is one of those crystallized, pure components that’s found on every good stoner/doom record. Drummer Chris McGrew backs it up with deliberate beats loaded with plenty of heavy-handed fills that would surely make Bill Ward proud.”  

-Jordan Jerabek

“‘Sorceror with the Skull Face’ features funereal bells that explicitly evoke Ozzy and his pals. The relentless lockstep approach of Mavra’s guitar and bass is solidly supported by McGrew’s drumming; he sounds like he and his kit are submerged in a vat of molasses.”   -Bill Kopp   SF Weekly

“Chris made it happen as engineer & producer on our very first album, He helped us organize our arrangements, stepped in on drums to drive our songs, and helped us find our signature sound. He framed our very eclectic sound with just the right choices and we just couldn't have done it without him. we are forever grateful.”

-Daniel Scharff Super Fantastics

“Chris is down to earth, and despite our project coming from Venus, we still managed to find the common ground.  The result was an excellent experiences getting live drums tracked remotely by a drummer who really could play, and knows his way around the studio. His drum tracks came out sounding big, beautiful, and rocking. Chris was game to give us several iterations, and worked with us until we were very happy with the result.”

-Jesse Walkershaw - Go Van Gogh/Blonde Toledo

“Recording drums for my latest venture (six songs for my band 50 Foot Wave) at Wally’s HydeOut was the ultimate experience for me. All the criteria I look for was covered and then some: killer room, drum tones for days, awesome cymbal selection and much attention to comfort & vibe. On top of this is the affable and supremely knowledgeable engineer Chris McGrew (who is also a badass drummer). The sessions I did flew by but by the time we were finished, I came home with some of the best tracks of my life. Affordable rates too. I gave the experience an A+ and will return in the future and am already referring Chris out to friends.”

-Rob Ahlers - 50 foot wave

"Chris brought an extensive body of knowledge and experience as a drummer, and also had energy and enthusiasm for helping us find our best possible sound"    

-Seth Shapiro - Uncle Rifkin

 

“Chris played drums on my latest album Greyscale, adding his own textures, expertise, and advice to bring my music to life. His drum tracks provided the perfect baseline to blend with my electronic beats. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a skilled drummer or engineer, no matter the genre!”     

 -Yara Kanaaneh    Singer/Songwriter

“Working with Chris has been a pleasure. He is extremely detail oriented and willing to go out of his way to produce the highest quality product. Chris not only helped with the recording and editing/mixing, he also provided valuable coaching and feedback to our voice actors. He works well in a team or independently, and I could rely on him to edit, mix, and do quality control without my involvement. I would gladly work with him again and recommend him to anybody seeking a reliable and highly skilled sound engineer.”

-Vlad Moskovski Head of Content at Core Wellness