archer avenue studio

This month I've had the privilege of working with several very talented bands and artists.  One of these bands is Southwood.  They are a four piece rock group out of Charleston SC.  We've spent three days together so far and will get a couple more at the end of the  month.  These dudes are great people and I've had a blast with them.  I really believe in their songs and I think they have a substantial future ahead of them.  We'll be wrapping u p this EP shortly and they will be releasing it in October.  But until then here's a small sneak peak of one of their songs and our time together.

Well I am now four days into making a great record with Shameka.  We really have gotten a ton done this week.  Today we mostly focused on vocals but spent some time working on electric guitars,  acoustic guitars, Rhodes and percussion.  My favorite part of the day was definitely recording Shameka's vocals.  She has a killer voice and each take we did was exciting and unique.  This made editing vocals fun and interesting.  Getting to choose between two or three great takes makes my job easy!  
   
Tomorrow we are looking to pretty much finish recording recording this record.  That will give me three days next week to mix this thing.  We have plenty more background vocals to record as well as one bass track, a little electric guitar, and some strings.  Pretty exciting!  

Here's a short video with some clips from our second day of recording.  Shameka's brother Alex came in and killed some drum tracks and then the always AMAZING Reggie Sullivan played upright bass on a couple songs.  

Enjoy!

Today I began working on a record I am very excited about.  You may have already heard of her but if not I'd like to introduce you to Shameka Dwight.  She is a VERY talented singer, songwriter, piano and guitar player!  We'll be working together for the next week and a half and I'm convinced we'll end up with a record we are both proud of.   Today we tracked the first round of drums and bass.  Fred (drums) and Joe (bass) totally killed it and we got off to a GREAT start.  Here's a very short video showing some of our day.

I'll be sure to blog more about her record this week.  Click here to find her on Facebook.

Here's her music video for a song she has previously recorded that should also make it on this record.  Check it out!

As you may (or may not) know last night was the FIRST Archer Avenue Studio showcase.  Four extremely talented bands were kind enough to join forces for this power house show.  Not only that but three of these bands were releasing records recently recorded at right here at Archer Ave. 

To start the night off right Emily McCollum and Cayla Fralick performed together and totally captivated the audience.  Both of the girls are great songwriters and excellent performers.  

Immediately following them Rejectioneers took the stage.  This band has been Ben Walker's brainchild for many years and has finally come together to record an EP and begin playing shows.  Ben has been an integral part of the columbia music scene for well over a decade and he hasn't lost a thing!  Their set was full of well crafted songs driven by  undeniable emotion.  It's good to see Ben on stage again!

Foley was the next band to take the stage.  These guys have been making  music in Columbia for a few years now and continue to churn out great songs with well thought out parts and melodies.  Jay Hendricks fronts this rock band and sells the whole show through his passionate performance.  Each of these guys performed perfectly and the set seemed flawless and powerful.

The Sea Wolf Mutiny closed the night out and we couldn't have asked for a better end for an incredible night.  These guys are quickly emerging as one of the most talked about bands in the columbia music scene.  Bobby Hatfield is at the helm of this band and it's almost impossible to take one's eyes off him as he blazes through their set with unabated energy and excitement.  

If you missed the show last night please check out each of these great bands!  Here's a few pictures from last night (pics provided by Steve Von Fange):

Today Eric and I had the privilege of working with the newest winner of WXRY's Tune-Up challenge, Phillip Strickland.  He is an immensely talented singer and songwriter.  We had a great day and got a ton done.  Started the morning off with Josh Kean on drums.  Moved on to the great Jimmy Gibson on upright bass; tracked Phillip on acoustic and then had the privilege of recording Joanne Lu on violin.  The song is really starting to take shape and should be done tomorrow.  Here's a quick look at our day.

Today I recorded the metal band Nephilim.  We had the tough task of tracking and mixing an entire song in one day.  This is a five piece band; drums, bass, 2 guitars and vocals.    All of these guys did an excellent job and we finished just a little over time.  One thing that you need to know about metal is that it's all about FAST, and Nephilim is fast! Check out this short video I put together and then head over to facebook to like these guys!

So here we go...  The launch of a new site and the launch of our first real blog. We make no promises to update this often or to be particularly funny, instead we do promise to feature Archer Avenue clients here regularly and discuss tricks of the trade.  Please comment on things you like or don't like.  We're doing this for you!