Redding is a hardscrabble town for musicians. There’s a small and enthusiastic music scene, but Redding is not often compared with cities that are more well-known for their music. In a way, that can be an advantage for the folks who know where to find musical places of power.
For instance, we can boast of having one of the absolutely coolest professional music project studios anywhere: After Hours Recorders. While you might not yet be into the big-name urban studios, After Hours Recorders prides itself on being very approachable and affordable, with no sacrifice in quality.
Situated in a light industrial complex in South Redding, After Hours is appropriately named. After hours, it’s quiet there, but you can get loud if you need.
Even more interesting is the man behind the console, Bruce Turgon. He is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist with long list of credits. Just last week, his new album debuted in Europe. A promotional video was produced locally by Craig Padilla Video.
Recently, I sat down with Bruce to talk about After Hours Recorders here in Redding, and about what he hopes to accomplish.
Bruce, you advertise After Hours Recorders mostly by word of mouth. When I have seen any advertising, you emphasize that you offer a “boutique, relaxed and artistic environment; a home to musical expression, and a singer songwriter’s sanctuary.” I can certainly attest to feeling very much at home when I’m here. How did you go about making the studio feel so comfortable for musicians?
It really came about very naturally and in a somewhat unexpected way. When I first came to Redding, I had already committed to an album project that would require me to have a space where I could work late and loud… I was fortunate to find a very nice location where the studio now exists. Previously, my recording setup had all been in my house for my personal use – I just transplanted my gear and myself and got to work. The studio really is just a reflection of the work environment I prefer, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that when other artists started working here, they felt the same. It’s a low key, no pressure environment – casual efficiency, I guess.
It seems like you have gone out of your way to make musicians and singers of every skill level feel like they can be their best when here. How can you add to their project?
I always tell clients that I can be as involved or not as they would like. My opinion is not what matters; making sure that I capture their best work is. However, I’ve found that most artists do ask for my input as my experience in the industry gives me an “educated outsider” perspective on their projects, which can be helpful. As an artist myself, I understand the effort and commitment that goes into each project and can work with the client from both a musical and technological point of view, and I feel a true responsibility to help them achieve their goals.
I think it’s important that people with musical ideas, or songs, get their ideas recorded. It doesn’t have to be too fancy or complicated, but it is important to get it captured. How do you go about making it easy for somebody to get recorded?
First of all, I remember very well what it took for me to find the time and money to record my first projects, so I’m trying to be as flexible as possible and approach each project individually, doing what I can to make it happen. When an artist has booked time and depending on the project, I try to minimize setup time so that the creative work becomes the focus of the session as quickly as possible. If I know or have worked with a client before, I will have all of the computer and microphone setup(s) ready to go when they walk in the door so we can get right to the music. With a new client, I try to get as much information as possible beforehand so that I’m aware of what we’ll be recording and what they want to accomplish. Every session is different, but one of my main goals is to make the artist as comfortable as possible from the start- this is when most people do their best work and I’ve found this to be particularly true with young, or first time performers. I understand the recording process can be somewhat intimidating in the beginning, so I try to make it a positive and exciting experience right away.
I’ve watched you at the console. You are totally dialed-in on your tools, and take complete advantage of the computer based recording now possible. Your setup here is totally state of the art. What does that offer to anyone needing to get their music recorded?
The digital world is an amazing place and most anything an artist can envision is possible. During both the recording and mixing process, I encourage all musical ideas and self expression- I enjoy helping people realize their musical dreams. In their own homes they may not have access to full orchestras, walls of amplifiers, or grand pianos, but in the digital world at After Hours, they do, and it sounds very good.
I’ve heard some of the work you’ve done for local artists. At least one project started out with a local woman simply singing her own songs at a piano. With your guidance, it was developed into a seriously complex and polished production, now potentially being shopped to labels. How did you go about doing that?
Holly Day (of Shingletown, Calif.) came to me with a vision for a truly ambitious and eclectic project that she had been nurturing for some time. I was impressed with not only her vocal and piano abilities, but also her unique approach to songwriting and arrangement. Not constrained by traditional pop format, she has written and performed a beautiful and exotic work which I truly enjoyed participating in, both from an artistic and a technological standpoint. This was a case where my being an artist was a plus as we were able to communicate very well from a musical perspective and she also experienced a new approach to recording, which helped provide a larger sonic landscape for her to create in. It was a lot of fun and yielded great results – I look forward to seeing where it takes her.
(Click triangle to listen.)
After Hours Recorders is located in South Redding, and can be reached at (530) 229 0703 , or at afterhoursrecorders@yahoo.com
All music presented here with permission from the artists.
Click here to read Part 2.
When Skip Murphy is not making electronic music, he can be found working alongside his daughter Erin, as the Peak Performer agent team at Coldwell Banker C&C Properties in Redding. His blog can be found here.