Aaron Dessner operates Long Pond Studio in New York

What is Long Pond Studio and where is it located?

Situated in New York’s Hudson Valley, Long Pond is a simple timber structure that looks like an equestrian barn, framed by agricultural fields and massive willow trees. Dessner and his family moved to the property over a decade ago from Brooklyn. Inside, the studio features an open room with tall ceilings, cedar-paneled walls, and large windows overlooking the studio’s namesake pond out back.

Artists visiting to work with Dessner typically stay in a spare room on the same property as his family home. “I think this place reminds him of where he grew up. “You feel very far from the music industry. You feel very much in nature.”

How did the studio become a pop culture landmark?

Long Pond gained widespread fame in 2020 when Taylor Swift traveled to the secluded studio to record a live version of her album Folklore alongside a Disney+ documentary titled Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions. Swift and Dessner had previously worked on the album remotely during the pandemic, shifting away from the synthpop sound of 2019’s Lover. The release became one of the most celebrated of Swift’s career and established a multi-year creative partnership between the two.

That collaboration turned Dessner into a sought-after producer for a rising class of singer-songwriters. Abrams stayed on the property for weeks at a time to lean into the isolated, unplugged environment.

How does Dessner approach collaborations with burnt-out artists?

When Kahan arrived at Long Pond following the meteoric success of his 2022 breakthrough album, Stick Season, he was dealing with burnout from touring and press demands. Dessner aimed to provide breathing room, noting that many artists arrive in a fragile state. “I try to really let there be space for uncertainty,” Dessner stated. “I try not to come in with some big notion already, like, ‘Let’s make this kind of record.'”

The pair wrote the banjo-driven song “Porch Light” on Kahan’s first day at the studio. They later recorded the opening track for Kahan’s fourth studio album, The Great Divide, titled “End of August,” with the studio doors open to the sounds of the surrounding forest.

What brought Brandi Carlile to Long Pond?

In 2024, the day after hosting and performing in two concerts with Joni Mitchell at the Hollywood Bowl, Americana musician Brandi Carlile flew to Long Pond.

“The conversation wound up being a little bit of a therapy session for me,” Carlile told NPR. In 2025’s Returning to Myself, Carlile’s first solo record in years, they collaborated on the writing and recording process.

Dessner played Carlile a sketch built around an electric guitar riff that triggered memories of her first visit to New York City at age 21, inspiring the lyrics for the track “A War with Time.” Carlile noted that the production style allowed her to drop the weight of her career responsibilities and write freely.

This year, several albums featuring Dessner’s production—including works by Kahan, Abrams, and Carlile—are positioned for Grammy consideration, and Dessner may receive his first nomination for producer of the year, non-classical.