Fredericton’s newest and most delicious recording studio has recently opened its doors to the public. Crow’s Nest Studio at 469 Needham St. is giving a new meaning to tasty tunes for the meager price of a bucket of fried chicken.
“It started on my buddy’s birthday. His girlfriend wanted to throw him a surprise party,” says Aaron Williams, founder of Crow’s Nest Studio. “I had just got this cool piece of recording equipment and I said, ‘Let’s make a mixtape with all of his friends on it.’”
The mixtape became the studio’s first 45-minute recording that included a 17- song collection entitled The Crow’s Nest Sessions Vol. 1. The album features a group of Fredericton artists including Ian Malcolm, Scott Cuzner and Laura Gallivan who are all members of Fredericton’s Elephants Gerald, Alex McCain from Pastel Skeleton as well as poetry readings from Brett Loughery.
“My job is really to make everyone feel comfortable and keep a good clean environment,” says Williams. “Play whatever you want to play, I just hit the orange button for record, sometimes I hop in and sometimes I don’t.”
All recordings at the Crow’s Nest Studio are done on a 1975 Sanyo model M 1300 cassette tape recorder, which Williams received as gift from a friend’s now-deceased grandfather. Also packed into the small upstairs loft is a late 1970s Hammond organ, a djembe, two acoustic guitars, a handful of harmonicas and a decorative wine bottle that doubles as a mic stand.
“You just do your thing and get it down,” he says. “We will sit down and listen to it after, have a beer, and if you don’t like it we’ll do it again.”
If bringing a large band to the recording session, the crew at Crow’s Nest recommends that you bring a sufficient amount of chicken.
“Ideally, if the band has over six members we suggest two buckets of chicken,” he says. “Sides of gravy are appreciated but not required.”
Crow’s Nest Studio also doubles as an intimate live entertainment venue called The Needham Nook, which has featured acts such as singer-songwriters Michael Dalton and Josh Bravener. Not to shy away from any form of entertainment, The Needham Nook has also been known to hold the occasional backyard-wrestling match, weather permitting.
