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Michael J. Clouse (sometimes credited as Michael J. Clouse III), an American record producer and songwriter was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
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Michael Clouse is a seasoned producer, engineer, whose work bridges underground grit and timeless artistry. He is best known for producing early recordings with the legendary Jeff Buckley, capturing some of Buckley’s formative studio work before his rise to global acclaim. Clouse also produced cult rock act The Coma-Tones, whose raw, reverb-drenched sound helped define a corner of the Southern California underground. With a career rooted in analog precision and emotional authenticity, Clouse brings depth and character to every project.
Clouse graduated from Framingham North High School in Framingham, Massachusetts, and later earned a degree from the American College of Greece, where he also played basketball. His time in Europe exposed him to a range of musical styles, which later influenced his production work.
He began his music career in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s, collaborating with a wide range of artists, including the late Jeff Buckley, David Morgan (The Association, Three Dog Night), Marco Mendoza (Ted Nugent, Thin Lizzy, The Dead Daisies), Nicky Hopkins (The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Who), Shawn Lee (Monkeyboy), Jamie Carter (Jon Butcher (band)), Carl Young (Michael Franti & Spearhead (band)), Blues Traveler (band), seminal LA band The Coma-Tones (band) and rock/pop New Hollow (band).
In the early 1990s, Clouse expanded into film and television, working as a music supervisor and songwriter. He relocated to New York City in the mid-1990s, where he opened a recording studio on West 26th Street. There, he continued working with Jeff Buckley and other emerging artists, while also taking on projects in film scoring and supervision.
Following Buckley's passing in 1997, Clouse contributed to several posthumous releases from the Jeff Buckley Estate, including Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk. He collaborated with Chris Cornell, Buckley’s mother, and members of Buckley’s band during the process.
Throughout his career, Clouse has written and produced music featured in various film and television projects, maintaining a presence across both the music and visual media industries.
As of 2025, Clouse resides in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Terri Clouse.