Cold Weather Studios
Cold Weather Studios is a music recording studio located in the deep South of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is owned and operated by Joey Roach, a veteran producer and engineer who has worked with some of the biggest local names in the industry. Partnered with Clay and his wife Mary they plan to continue the tradition of keeping punk and metal alive locally. I sat down with not only Joey, but was also joined by Terry from The Physics Lab.
Being a successful artist requires working with numerous disciplines of the industry. Producers, venue owners, promoters, and if your ready to take that step, a recording studio. Arriving to a back parking lot in the Southside of Edmonton I was led into an unmarked rear door that opened into absolutely stacked room. This is a full production studio and although I had no idea what any of the machinery did, I definitely recognized the names of local stars vinyl mounted on the walls. On My Side, Real Sickies, Ristrikt, some of the best in heavy Yeg music and punk had their albums mixed and mastered here. Mastering masters Rob and Terry not only started the studio but helped build the scene. Through word of mouth they have become one of the goto studios for recording harder music and have the experience to get the most out of a good scream track.
Getting into the history of the studio it began over twenty years ago with The Physics Lab with owner and sound engineersand founding members Terry and Rob Lawless. Cold Weather Studios is keeping the same feel with a specialization as well in the heavier side of Edmonton's music scene. Joey got his kickoff in show production and sound management in live events. Starting off with a new name Cold Weather Studios the vintage is felt all over the walls with reminders of local stars recording here. Being an established element of the metal musical culture; him and Terry were perfect to ask about what works, what doesn't, and what the local musicians need.
Its no surprise that being an artist is not only mentally and physically draining but the financial realities sometimes hit the hardest. The infrastructure is insufficient to support musicians in the city explained Terry; the profit from playing sometimes are minimal if any. While most shows will pay, even if only a little, being able to support yourself as an artist just isn't just tough anymore but nearly impossible. The both went on to explain the importance of showing support and coming to local shows but agreed that to do it right it needs to be looked at as not just being an artist, but a business and brand. A key piece of advice given is to be active on social media as much as possible and spend the time to build a following. Its easy to get lost among the algorithm of Spotify so take the time and engage with your fans, venue owners, producers and anyone you can to build real life connections.
What makes the difference between a good session and a great? Terry says that having fun and having a team mentality brings the best out of a band. What makes a session rough? Egos and impatience. The fact is not every band or artist is ready to record, people get nervous or high so he recommended to treat it like a jam session, take your time and have a good time. Like photography (something I do know) the more enjoyment your getting out of the experience will translate into your photos, or in this case, recording.
I really enjoyed my time with both Joey and Terry, they gave me an insight into an important part of the process I was pretty uneducated about. I can see why the studio is successful, if the state of the art equipment wast enough to record here the experience and great vibe from Joey or Clay should be. Ask around, chances are you already know a band that has. Much of my comfort with the metal scene is the vibe and sense of cooperation and this is an abundant feeling here. The people that work here are not just engineers or musicians themselves but fans and members of the community.
Cold Weather Studios has big plans coming up including the release of several new tracks from some well known local performers Teacup Romance and the Confusionaires. Want to stay current or get more information? Goto their site coldweatherstudios.com. Or follow them on instagram or facebook.
-Alternativejustin
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