“Unfettered" sessions at Capitol Studios (Day One)
Capitol Studios and the Capitol Records building are things of legend in the music industry. The building is an icon of the Hollywood skyline and a literal monument to the history of recorded music. We were so excited when our producer Niko Bolas arranged to have our debut record recorded there. We were even more excited when we were told it would be in Studio A. Studio A is where Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Nat King Cole, and countless others recorded making is sacred ground. Now it's our turn!
Al positioning the newly reissued Neumann U67 microphones before our first take
Our recording sessions for the "Unfettered" record began with a nice surprise. Al Schmitt, the legendary recording engineer and 22-time Grammy winner, suggested we be the first at Capitol to use the recently reissued Neumann U67 microphones that had just arrived from Germany. Al made the U67 famous calling it is "favorite all-around studio microphone" for decades and using it on one legendary session after the next.
One of the first things you notice at Capitol is that it is filled with dozens of interns eager to assist in whatever the producer, engineer or artist asks, but this was something Al wanted to do on his own. He walked into Studio A with mics in hand and set them up himself. Our producer Niko Bolas reminded me that Al really never does this and was enthusiastically snapping photographs to document the moment. Al also insisted on setting up the acoustic divider between us to minimize the sound bleed.
We recorded a few takes of Schubert as a test an went into the control room to hear the sound. We were completely blow away and immediately headed back out to begin recording in earnest. The first piece we recorded was Schubert's wonderful "Ave Maria". This piece is like a meditation for us and seemed like an excellent way to set the tone of the session. Niko did not sit in the control room for the recording like most producers, instead he stood directly in front of us for every minute of each session. It definitely set an intimate vibe.
We ended up recording some Schubert and the Mozart "Adagio" that first day and almost couldn't wait for the next morning to keep playing. Everything was now set for the most magical recording experience either one of us have ever been involved in. Over the next few weeks we would hear many stories from Al and Niko about their years in the music business and welcome a number of surprise guests that would make their own mark on the record. Stay tuned for more stories from Studio A!
