Jon Brion · The Archive · Producer
The records he made for other people
Thirty-five years of production, arrangement and whatever instrument was nearest — from a David Byrne session in 1989 to finishing a record its author did not live to hear.
Jon Brion has produced, co-produced or played on records for more than a hundred artists since 1989. He produced Fiona Apple’s When the Pawn…, was co-executive producer of Kanye West’s Late Registration, completed Mac Miller’s Circles after Miller’s death, and has been a constant presence on records by Aimee Mann, Elliott Smith, Eels and Rhett Miller.
For the film work, see the filmography. For performances, see the live archive.
The long collaborations
Fiona Apple
- 1996TidalGuitar, keyboards, vibraphone, tack piano, marimba
- 1999When the Pawn…Producer. Guitars, bass, keyboards, vibraphone, drums, percussion
- 2005Extraordinary MachineCo-producer (two tracks), bass, marimba, orchestral arrangement
- 2011Rave On Buddy HollyProduction, vocals, guitars, percussion on “Everyday”
Aimee Mann
- 1993WhateverCo-producer, co-writer (three tracks), bass, guitar, drums, keyboards
- 1995I’m with StupidProducer. Co-writer (five tracks), bass, guitars, drums, percussion
- 1999Magnolia: Music from the Motion PictureCo-producer, co-writer of “Build That Wall”, composer of the score
- 1999Bachelor No. 2Co-producer, guitar, drums, percussion, keyboards, backing vocals
Elliott Smith
- 1998XOVibraphone and keyboards on two tracks
- 2000Figure 8Background vocals on “Happiness” / “The Gondola Man”
- 2004From a Basement on the HillAdditional recording
Kanye West
- 2005Late RegistrationCo-executive producer. Instrumentation, string and brass arrangements
- 2006Late OrchestrationProducer
- 2007GraduationCo-producer on “Drunk and Hot Girls”, keyboards on “I Wonder”
Mac Miller
- 2018SwimmingCo-producer, co-writer of “Come Back to Earth”, “Hurt Feelings” and others
- 2020CirclesCompleted production after Miller’s death.
He finished Circles after Mac Miller died. It is the only credit on this page that needed no negotiation about whose record it was.
Everything else, by decade
- 1989David Byrne — Rei MomoHarmonium
- 1993Jellyfish — Spilt MilkGuitar on eight tracks
- 1993Love Jones — Here’s to the LosersKeyboards, organ, vibraphone
- 1996Eels — Beautiful FreakCo-producer, guitar, keyboards, trombone, engineering
- 1996Cherry Twister — A Tribute to BadfingerProducer, instrumentation
- 1998Eels — Electro-Shock BluesChamberlin and organ on “Climbing to the Moon”
- 1998Eleni Mandell — WishboneCo-producer, multi-instrumentalist
- 1998Pleasantville soundtrackProduction, instrumentation, mixing on “Across the Universe”
- 1999Rufus Wainwright — Rufus WainwrightProducer. Engineering, vibraphone, marimba, keyboards
- 1999Robyn Hitchcock — Jewels for SophiaCo-producer, multi-instrumentalist
- 2000Robyn Hitchcock — A Star for BramProducer. Multi-instrumentalist
- 2001Miranda Lee Richards — The HerethereafterProducer, multi-instrumentalist
- 2002Brad Mehldau — LargoProducer. Guitar, prepared piano, Chamberlin
- 2002Rhett Miller — The InstigatorProducer. Bass, guitars, drums, piano, organ
- 2002Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — The Last DJOrchestral arrangements, conductor
- 2002Peter Gabriel — UpMandolin and Chamberlin on “More Than This”
- 2003Evan Dando — Baby I’m BoredCo-producer, co-writer (five tracks)
- 2004Finn Brothers — Everyone Is HereCo-producer, multi-instrumentalist
- 2006The Polyphonic Spree — WaitProducer
- 2006Rhymefest — Blue CollarProducer, additional instruments on “Bullet”
- 2007Spoon — Ga Ga Ga Ga GaProduction, bass, Chamberlin on “The Underdog”
- 2008Dido — Safe Trip HomeCo-producer, co-writer (five tracks)
- 2008Keane — Perfect SymmetryCo-producer on “You Haven’t Told Me Anything”
- 2009of Montreal — An Eluardian Instance (Remix EP)Producer, composer, instrumentation, mixing
- 2010Brad Mehldau — Highway RiderProducer. Mixing
- 2010of Montreal — False PriestCo-producer, drums, keyboards, synthesizers, mixing
- 2010Punch Brothers — AntifogmaticProducer. Mixing, engineering
- 2010Margaret Cho — Cho DependentCo-producer, co-writer, multi-instrumentalist
- 2012Best Coast — The Only PlaceProducer. Bass, guitars, keyboards, percussion
- 2012Katy Perry — Teenage Dream: The Complete ConfectionProducer, instrumentation on “The One That Got Away” (acoustic)
- 2012Sky Ferreira — GhostCo-producer and co-writer of “Ghost”
- 2013Dido — Girl Who Got AwayCo-producer, co-writer of “Lost”, orchestral arrangements
- 2013The Great Gatsby soundtrackProducer of “Crazy in Love” (Emeli Sandé & The Bryan Ferry Orchestra)
- 2016Frank Ocean — BlondeCo-producer, keyboards, orchestral arrangements, drum programming
- 2018Janelle Monáe — Dirty ComputerCo-producer, writer of “Jane’s Dream”, synthesizer, mallets
- 2024Billy Strings — Highway PrayersProducer. Bass, drums, percussion
- 2024Paige Stark — Good at LoveProducer
His own records
- The BatsHow Pop Can You Get? · 1982
- The GraysRo Sham Bo · 1994
- Jon BrionMeaningless · 2001 — his only solo album
Frequently asked
What albums has Jon Brion produced?
Among the best known: Fiona Apple’s When the Pawn… (1999), Aimee Mann’s I’m with Stupid (1995), Rufus Wainwright’s debut (1999), Brad Mehldau’s Largo (2002) and Highway Rider (2010), Punch Brothers’ Antifogmatic (2010), Best Coast’s The Only Place (2012) and Billy Strings’ Highway Prayers (2024).
Did Jon Brion produce Kanye West’s Late Registration?
He was co-executive producer, and also contributed instrumentation and string and brass arrangements. He went on to work on Late Orchestration (2006) and Graduation (2007).
What did Jon Brion do on Mac Miller’s Circles?
Brion completed production of Circles after Miller’s death in 2018. He had already co-produced and co-written parts of Swimming (2018), including “Come Back to Earth”.
How many Fiona Apple albums did Jon Brion work on?
Three studio albums — Tidal (1996), When the Pawn… (1999, as producer) and Extraordinary Machine (2005) — plus their “Everyday” collaboration on the 2011 Buddy Holly tribute Rave On Buddy Holly.
Does Jon Brion have a solo album?
One: Meaningless, released in 2001, which he produced and on which he played nearly every instrument.
Curated from published credits, September 2026. This page covers production, writing and significant instrumental roles; the full credit list runs considerably longer. Corrections welcome through the contact page.