Ottawa Music Spotlight: Shoebox Recording Studio
A music city is built on more than just bands playing live. Yes, live music is an integral feature of any city that contains a healthy music scene, but it’s certainly not the only one. I’ve been engaging in a lot of conversations about Ottawa’s potential to grow as a music city, and that had me thinking about all the different parts of a music community that need to be in place for the industry to thrive.
On the one hand, there are bands, venues, promoters, festivals, and more visible and create the basic infrastructure for music to be performed and consumed on a regular basis. On the other hand, there are components such as recording studios, managers, publicists, booking agents, rehearsal spaces, and more that exist behind the curtains but are no less important to the vitality of the community as a whole. As noted in the Connecting Ottawa Music report released last year, Ottawa has some of the essentials of a music city, but it is also missing some key infrastructure to fully realize the dream of becoming a “music city” (such as Austin, Texas – the case study used in the report).
One studio that is making its mark in Ottawa and opening its doors to local artists is Shoebox Recording Studio. The studio is Bryan Ruckstuhl and Jonathan Chandler, two guys that have been long-time members of the music scene here in town. I spoke with Bryan and Jonathan about how the studio came to be and what it’s like operating a business that is so versatile, offering musicians of all types an opportunity to record their material exactly the way they want it. Step inside the studio with us, and see what what the world of music recording in Ottawa is like.
Interview with Bryan Ruckstuhl and Jonathan Chandler
Opening a studio is a lot of work. What made you decide to take on this project?
We both had existing home studios and knew we brought different skill sets to the table as producers, engineers, musicians and songwriters. In return we could offer our combined experiences to our clients in a more accessible location. When we had originally started chatting, the plan was to start building in a few years, but we started 4 months later, three months after that we were open.
Can you talk about the process of building the studio?
We looked at many different spaces for a few months until we made the decision this was the right room. It took us about 2.5-3 months to build and it was.. insane. We built it ourselves along with the help of a few good friends. Many long days and nights were had. If there was a highlight during the process it would have to be the barn board. Getting it from the barn, and how it looks in the studio now. To get it, we had to take the Amos van to a farm house in Spencerville Ont, to a property of a client of ours. It was waiting in a barn, just 100 yards or so down a narrow path from the house.
We were to back the van down so we wouldn’t have to carry the wood all the way to the van. Well, three feet down the path we got stuck. No one around, and we both had to get home to pick up our kids. Panic set in. So we called our client who in turn called a local friend with a tractor to come get us out. Not 20 minutes later a tractor pulled up. We actually got ourselves free just before he got there but our kind new friend still drove his tractor up to the the barn 100 yards away through the snow and carried our boards on his bucket so we wouldn’t get stuck again. We couldn’t have done it without him. When we finally got the boards cut and mounted in the studio it was a thing of beauty. Looks great, and sounds great. We couldn’t be happier.
With so many artists recording music in their living rooms these days, what makes the studio experience special?
Living rooms are charming for sure but as musicians and songwriters we are still in love with the studio, secretly or publicly. The idea of having world class gear of all kinds, instruments of all kinds, and producers and engineers of all kinds leaves for endless creative possibilities. You just can’t beat that, or usually get it in a living room. There’s also something to be said about having an inspiring place to go and be creative. When recording at home is so easy to become distracted by the TV, the laundry or worrying about the neighbours. We often say that this is a room ‘built by musicians, for musicians’ so the vibe is here and we like to keep it ready for whatever needs to happen when the inspiration hits.
What kind of equipment are you working with in the studio?
The Shoebox is equipped with the latest world class analog and digital gear. From mic preamps, microphones, monitoring and mixing, to vintage organs and modern synths and everything in between we cover the full spectrum. Jon has a tendency to want to modify and build things so there’s a bunch of custom additions to the room as well.
Can you recall your favourite experience in the studio while recording with Amos the Transparent?
Nope! Amos is always fun to work with and every record and recording experience has been unique in its own right. We’ve recently started working on a follow up to “This Cold Escape” and I’m really excited that it’s all happening at The Shoebox. It’s like our little family finally has a home. Awwwwweee!! (insert cute kitten picture here)
Your studio is more than just recording. Can you talk about some of the packages you offer, and how they can fit various artists’ needs?
We are definitely more than just a place to “hit record.” From singles to albums, we work with artists from the ground up and arm them with the knowledge they need to take their project to the next level. We were there once too and we pride ourselves on being able to help artists out of the gate. From sending to radio, blogs, publishers, agents, festivals, labels to making websites and building a buzz in your home town and beyond. The consulting we do here during our sessions with artists is based off individual success and relationships we have built over the past 15 plus years.