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FeedFeb 1, 2012 07:24 AM WV Sound
Keeping a beat in the Mountain State
Recording with Blues Alley Studios
Hidden beneath the overpass in Osage in Monongalia County, Blues Alley Studios goes unnoticed by speeding motorists of Interstate 79. Inside an old department store on a quiet street, the sounds of rock ’n’ roll, hip-hop, gospel, country, or bluegrass can be heard on any given night of the week.
Whether the artists are recording for their latest EP to take on the road, or cutting a demo hoping to make it big, Blues Alley plays host to the aspirations of many musicians from around West Virginia. “Name a style and we’ve done it,” says Josh Swiger, Blues Alley co-owner and house engineer. “In one week, I did rock, then the next night I was doing country. The third night I was doing hardcore rap, and the fourth night I was doing contemporary Christian.”
The studio has seen many notable acts come through its doors, such as the local pop-rockers The Argument, bluegrass act From the Hip, jazz artist Kevin Bryson, and country rockers, The New Relics (for which Josh plays bass.) Blues Alley once fit a 37-member southern gospel choir into its one-room studio. “As an engineer, you have to appreciate all types of music,” Josh says. “A country guitar is vastly different from a heavy metal guitar in the sound it is trying to achieve.”
Founded in 1999, the studio is the father-son endeavor of Harry and Josh Swiger. Harry was involved with music groups in the 1960s and wanted to help Josh when he became the bass player for The New Relics, a Morgantown-based group. It was around that time that Josh and his father decided to open a studio. “It was easier to build your own studio than to pay to go to someone else,” Josh says. “You can pay X amount of money and get a tape or you could own the studio.”
They chose an abandoned department store in Osage, a fading coal community on the outskirts of Morgantown. They chose the area because there wasn’t much going on, and the space could be easily transformed. Business started out slow at first, but that was OK. “At first we weren’t looking to make a lot of money, just trying to pay the bills,” Josh says. He started using his connections in the local music scene to get other acts in the booth to record. As word got out about Blues Alley, marketing became easier.
After nearly 10 years, the Blues Alley archive has amassed thousands of hours of recordings. Among the countless sessions, The New Relics’ 2010 album, Monongalia, and From the Hip’s bluegrass album, Closer to Home, stand out for Josh. “The recording is a snapshot of the performance on that day,” he says.
Josh Swiger looks over some of his prized recordings as an engineer for Blues Alley.
