Images by Billie Winter
What in the event you’re as broke as Rudy Giuliani, however you are burning to chop a few of your songs in a well-appointed studio? It is a widespread predicament in any music scene, however in high-rent Seattle, it is particularly fraught; getting into a studio can take a severe chew out of non-affluent/non-Trustafarian artists’ budgets.
Going through steep charges, unbiased musicians could discover themselves speeding the recording course of to be able to not incur exorbitant payments. That is no strategy to dwell. Ballard’s Pierced Ears Recording Co. may very well be the answer to this drawback.
Run by Seattle producer/engineer Aaron C. Schroeder, PERC has launched a brand new program known as No One Turned Away for Lack of Funds, aka NOTAFLOF. The thought had been percolating in Schroeder’s thoughts for years, but it surely was cemented by a session Schroeder had finished with Quilli Fin. Their singer-keyboardist holds three jobs; the bassist, two; they usually drive to PERC from Snohomish. Conversations about what they needed to do to offset value and time ensued. Schroeder’s altruistic instincts kicked in.
“I do not need anyone to sacrifice high quality due to value—particularly after they’re enthusiastic about it,” he says in an interview in PERC’s cozy confines. “As a result of it is fucking exhausting if you do not have a bunch of cash within the again finish. That is why I am in a basement and do not have a brick-and-mortar constructing of my very own.”
Schroeder launched NOTAFLOF in December when he realized that he’d been pricing out low-budget artists—”which is normally the place probably the most artistic shit exists. As a result of they’re working with nothing they usually gotta make it occur. Whereas when you begin getting your self right into a sure worth level, you are going to discover that the music’s very generic. Everyone’s attempting to do the very same factor. “
NOTAFLOF additionally arose attributable to Schroeder’s “whole disgust of company… every part. I hate subscription fashions. I feel it is among the largest methods we’re ripping off the artistic class in America. I simply need to battle for the little man—that is all I care about.”
PERC’s normal price is $500 per track. However Schroeder knew that that determine, whereas cheap, was past what many musicians may afford. “I am trying to assist as a lot as I can. You possibly can’t try this in at the moment’s local weather when there’s such an enormous wealth disparity. And we’ve got [a music industry] that point and time once more has instructed artists your artwork is price zero {dollars}. Something I get from the NOTAFLOF classes is bonus cash. Simply preserve me working, as a result of that is all I actually need to do.”
On PERC’s web site, you possibly can click on on NOTAFLOF Periods to get a kind that asks for fundamental data. In case you’re, say, a septet who can solely afford $100, it might take some time so that you can get studio time, but it surely will occur.
Earlier than discussing PERC’s perks, here is a fast historical past of Schroeder’s eventful musical profession. At age 19, he attended what he considers a recording commerce college in Austin, Texas, at Arlyn Studios, which was run by Willie Nelson’s nephew, Freddy Fletcher. Schroeder selected Arlyn as a result of that is the place his favourite band, Butthole Surfers, recorded Electriclarryland. Schroeder spent a lot time on the studio that Fletcher employed him proper out of the gate to be the studio’s watchdog. That led to Schroeder working as an assistant at Nelson’s studio, Pedernales, for 5 years. He parlayed this stint into recording dwell reveals for Willie, Matchbox Twenty, and a handful of different bands.
Fortuitously for Schroeder, Seattle band Two Loons for Tea had booked a while at Pedernales, for a session he was assistant engineering, serving to Seattle studio wizard Mell Dettmer for that challenge. “I beloved her talents a lot that I requested if I may end that report up right here,” Schroeder says.
Making that reference to Two Loons’ Jonathan Kochmer helped Schroeder to relocate to Seattle. Throughout a two-week break right here 17 years in the past, he was seduced by the town and established roots within the scene, discovering manufacturing work at Kotchmer’s studio, the place Timbre Room now sits. By means of the largesse of GGNZLA Data boss TV Coahran and one in every of his artists, Charles Leo Gebhardt IV, Schroeder grew to become GGNZLA’s de facto producer through the label’s temporary sizzling streak. Schroeder’s dedication to the job was such that he slept in a custom-made bunk above the lavatory in a crawlspace for about six years.
One night time when the band Welcome had been enjoying on the Blue Moon Tavern, Schroeder met the nice musician Matthew Ford (Dreamsalon, Yves/Son/Ace, and so on.), who was in search of a musically inclined individual to maneuver into his Ballard home and use a room he’d constructed out for recording. Schroeder and his associate Uli Larsson pounced on the chance and this month are celebrating eight years within the area.
Over the past 20 years, Schroeder has performed in a number of bands, the primary being Thunder Buffalo, who attained a modicum of success by dint of an in-studio session at KEXP. “Exterior of that, I used to be in a band known as Sharkie that did synth-pop stuff. There was a band known as Battlestations that was electro, actually driving and grinding.”
A few of Schroeder’s teams attained nationwide consideration by way of sync-licensing placements in Gilmore Ladies, the reboot of Beavis and Butt-Head, Jersey Shore, and the Want for Velocity online game. His solo work has additionally been featured in movies for Birdhouse Skateboards and Duncan Yo-Yo.
“The final band I used to be in, Gold Fronts, acquired the largest crowds. That was me writing country-western songs. However the band was a really raucous, dwell push, so we all the time known as it ‘punktry.’ That one ended on an enormous shebang with us opening for Mac DeMarco at Chop Suey.”
As for PERC, it might be small, but it surely’s loaded with gear—and its drum room includes a wall of VHS tapes used for isolation. (View studio pics right here.) Schroeder’s labored the boards for a lot of outstanding native indie teams, together with Wimps, Zen Mom, Rose Home windows, and Childbirth. He is at the moment enthusiastic about Tacoma singer-songwriter Arden Leas.
“The folks I like working with probably the most are those who’re in it it doesn’t matter what. No matter it takes, they’re going to determine it out and grind super-hard.” PERC’s base charges rely on what position Schroeder will play for his purchasers. He produces, engineers, mixes, or may also simply deal with getting your drum sound good, for instance. He is about to place a spreadsheet on his web site that may define his charges.
“Manufacturing in my world means I am engineering and mixing and serving to you to rearrange. I do a ton of labor with bands which are a hybrid of analog and digital. A whole lot of instances they may have a synth that is not one of the best sounding. So I recommend, what if we use my Nord Lead 2? I acquired cool sounds in there. Or we may use my [Moog] Grandmother or this little Juno factor. Pre-production, for me, is an important a part of any session. It teaches me persona sorts. It teaches me who’s the weakest hyperlink within the band and what I ought to do to offset that.”
One other method that Schroeder advantages musicians is thru his Pattern Packs. Recording artists looking for drums, keyboards, “textures,” and “edges” can partake of Schroeder’s studio wizardry to boost their very own tracks. “You could have the choice to obtain the packs at no cost or pay for them as a ‘donation’ to the NOTAFLOF idea.”
Schroeder additional helps his musical endeavors by engaged on two podcasts each Tuesday: Champagne Sharks, which offers with “politics from a Black perspective,” and Quack 12 (with co-host Adam Chimeo), which focuses on Oregon Geese soccer. Schroeder’s fast wit and gregariousness make him a pure for this format.
Yet one more manifestation of Schroeder’s generosity is Pierced Ears Data. He has a digital distribution cope with the Orchard and arrange the label to assist bands that report at PERC launch digital albums as a substitute for subscription-model distributors. “I do not cost additional for this, and artists preserve the grasp rights and 100% royalties of every part I launch by way of the studio label.”
Lastly, Schroeder hosts a Tuesday night time present on Hole Earth Radio (8 pm–10 pm, KHUH 104.9FM; hollowearthradio.org) known as Pierced Ears. “The radio present is one other promotional software. I am letting [musicians] know that I am being attentive to [them]. So if you wish to work with somebody you realize pays consideration to you, right here I’m.”
Pierced Ears, Schroeder says, focuses on Pacific Northwest artists which are principally ignored by KEXP. “It looks as if KEXP is enjoying favorites. I do know bands generally get harm when that occurs. So, I can play their music for them, and that makes them really feel good.” To be honest, each radio station not beholden to automated setlists performs favorites. However to Schroeder’s level, KEXP may stand to dig deeper into the Pacific Northwest’s expertise pool.
Schroeder himself is a part of that expertise pool, and his present deal with soundtracks has resulted in him composing the chilling rating for Carlos A.F. Lopez’s 2024 brief movie, Dream Creep, which premiered at Sundance Movie Competition. (Schroeder additionally designed sound and did the ultimate combine for it.) The movie’s at the moment streaming on MUBI and has a “For Your Consideration” marketing campaign for an Oscars bid.
About 18 months into his Seattle tenure, Schroeder was able to bail. Fellow musician Andrew Greager satisfied him to remain, and 18 years later, Schroeder is grateful he listened to his good friend. Schroeder has change into a precious facilitator of underground music, primarily within the Northwest, but additionally as far afield as Australia.
“I am assembly, simply now, a few of the coolest, most stunning human beings ever. It took me 18 years to get to that stage. It is like some sort of bizarre, Masonic upgrading, you realize? At this level, I am unable to afford to depart,” he says, laughing with gusto.
