IN STUDIO: Scott Warren, Andy Langmuir and Rockerie Records/Studio

Every day this week, I'm going to try and profile a different locally owned and operated studio and producer and show you some of the work they've done. This is just a tidbit of info to point you in a direction if you're planning on recording something this year and aren't sure who to turn to!

Scott Warren and Andy Langmuir
Rockerie Records
(519) 977-8544

Although these two may be the new kids on the proverbial block as far as local studios go, they are by no means recording rookies. Scott Warren and Andy Langmuir have been recording - and writing, producing and performing - together for years in local projects such as Bombast, Lone Locust and now Vultures! They've honed their style with their own music and are now turning over their studio and experience (almost fifteen years each) to the rest of the local music scene to offer a cheaper alternative for those just starting out or established bands looking to save some cash. They've done work for several Toronto bands, including Bare Trees and ex-Windsorites My October, as well as other diverse artists such as This Is Me As A Woman, Jesse Robert Cooke, Psycho and Luna Borealis.

What prompted you to start recording bands?
Scott: Necessity. We’ve both been in original working bands since our early teens and finding a place to do high quality recordings at an affordable (ahem, independent musician affordable) cost was an illusion. In hindsight, we’ve always been 100% DIY and original in our writing and performing, so undertaking the recording process as well was probably inevitable. The recording process itself became a great writing tool, as well. We’ve been producers since day one, so we just added the engineering along the way.

What is your niche? By that I mean, what do you specialize that sets you apart from the other producers?
Scott: We ARE our clientele. We are independent musicians who also happen to engineer and produce records. We love every minute of having the opportunity to do this, to work with fellow musicians to bring out the best sound possible, and to do it for an unbeatable cost. ‘Rockerie Records’ is a family, and you can’t understand fully what that means until you’ve worked with Andy and I on a project.

Who are you working with right now?
Brett: We begin tracking with Corrina Keeling, a singer-songwriter out of Toronto this weekend with more from Bare Trees and Vultures! soon to follow...

Is there anyone locally right now that you'd love to work with but haven't yet?
Scott: Oh, man, loaded question…short answer…hell yes! There are many, many inspiring bands, singer-songwriters, poets, you-name-it’s in this city that we’re dying to work with. I will refrain from naming them to avoid leaving anyone out, though. All I can say is this, spend a month or two doing the Phog/Coach/Milk/Whiskey circuit and you’ll know exactly who ‘Rockerie Records’ would love to work with.

How do you see the recording industry surviving with the increasing DIY recording that seems to be emerging of late?

Scott: The long-outmoded corporate model of the recording industry is already dead. We’re in the midst of a major paradigm shift in the mass outputting of creativity. With the ability of an artist to capture and distribute truly original, and truly independent art without the obstruction of an invasive, and creatively destructive corporate filter, you could call these artistically revolutionary times. ‘Rockerie Records’ serves as a conduit through which fellow artists can freely control this new empowerment, and we’re quite proud to do it.

A Sample of Rockerie Records' Discography:

• Bare Trees Blind Action EP (2009)
  
• My October My October EP (2009)
  
• Lone Locust Piece EP (2008)
• Luna Borealis
  
• This Is Me As A Woman various singles (2008)
  
• Vultures! The Very Best Of... EP (2009)

What Others Have To Say About Rockerie Records:

James Bennett, Bare Trees:

Andy and Scott love music, first and foremost. Great musicians in their own right, that's what seems to be their largest motivating factor when it came to recording our band. They wanted the songs to be captured right, and the recording to sound right both to our ears and to theirs, which it did. Although their music is completely different to ours and others they record, they produced a really nice sound for our band quite effortlessly. If you want a roomy, live, exciting sound, without the typical bullshit compression, look no further.

Chris Martin, Lodown:

I had a great time working at The Rockerie. It's a cool little studio with a great vibe. Andy and Scott are always a treat to work with and they get some really good sounds out of that room. I look forward to my next visit with them.