Folk Band I’m With Her won two Grammy Awards last week with their 2025 album Wild and Clear and Blue, which was recorded at The Outlier Inn in Woodridge. This is the first American Grammy win for a project recorded at Outlier Inn, a hidden gem of Sullivan County known for its heady gear and tranquil environment.

 I’m With Her, which formed in 2014, features singer/songwriters Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins, all seasoned artists steeped in the folk tradition. Their Wild and Clear and Blue, released on May 9, 2025, won Best Folk Album and the song “Ancient Light” won Best American Roots Song at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on February 1.

“Working on this record was really incredible,” said Outlier Inn Owner Josh Druckman. “I was a fan of the band before they arrived.” 

Druckman, who also served as Second Engineer on the sessions, said the project was somewhat unexpected because I’m With Her had already started working at another studio, but moved to Outlier at the last minute due to a scheduling conflict. When they arrived, Engineer Daniel James Goodwin and Producer Josh Kaufman were in tow.

“There was a little trepidation from the band,” Druckman said, “because they had started recording somewhere else. We had a tight scheduling window, but we quickly got them acclimated and by the end of the first day everyone was really relaxed, inspired and happy. Working with Dan and Josh was amazing, just a really good vibe; it was in the peak of summer and the surroundings were lush and green. It was a really positive experience.” 

In addition to engineering by Goodwin and Druckman, Mountaindale musician Greg Castro served as Assistant Engineer on the tracking of Wild and Clear and Blue, the bulk of which was recorded in Studio A at Outlier Inn.

This is the second project of Druckman’s to garner Grammy recognition, the first being Julieta Venegas’s Tu Historia, which won a Latin Grammy for Best Pop Vocal album in 2023.

“It feels awesome, after all the hard work that our team has been doing for a long time,” said Druckman, who has been audio engineering since 1997. 

After studying production at Computer Music Center at Columbia University, Druckman opened the first location of Outlier in New York City but moved operations to the Catskills in 2002. At first, it was just a small studio for Druckman to record his own music. 

“I never thought I’d have another commercial studio, but I started to invite friends from the city for writing and recording sessions in the country,” Druckman said.

He needed to make money, so he started to charge for sessions and eventually it became the commercial studio that it is today.

When Druckman spoke about the special allure of Outlier Inn, a key theme was the environment.

 “The location being in Sullivan County, the beauty, the nature, the relaxed atmosphere with tons of natural light,”  he said.

Druckman added that on-site accommodations, amazing equipment, and a big open space with no noise or time restrictions all added to the studio’s popularity. 

“We keep the machine well-oiled to be as efficient as possible so the musicians’ inspiration doesn’t get interrupted,”  he said.

As he celebrated the recent recognition, Druckman was forthcoming about the inspiration he draws from Sullivan County. 

“It permeates every aspect of my work and the musicians that come up to the studio,” he said.

Druckman praised the peaceful energy of the Catskills and identified why the region enjoys such a rich history of art and music.

 “It’s an absolutely beautiful place and it puts people in an inspired mood. Some records need the energy of the city, but the records that get made at my place benefit from the space and the nature,” he said.