Alex Hay, Colin Christian and Jeromy Ainsworth love making great records.
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Shared space inspires musicians, sound engineers and other creatives
s Reno grows, so does its ability to produce its own music. Local recording artists have gotten used to traveling to the Bay Area, Southern California, or even farther, to produce quality albums. It’s been a given for some time that for all of the positive things that can be said about Reno, it’s sparse in terms of recording options. Enter the three prominent members of Reno’s Sound Saloon– Colin Christian, Alex Hay and Jeromy Ainsworth. The guys have been around town for a while and have been on each other’s radar for just as long. Together, they’ve been able to sustain themselves as lone recording engineers. If one of them was lacking a piece of equipment, inevitably another could lend it to them. Recently, they came to the conclusion that it’d be much easier to house all of their equipment, as well as their diverse perspectives, within one studio space. When it comes to supplementing one another’s shortcomings, the trio’s different recording styles come in handy just as much as the types of microphones they wield. Ainsworth, of local band Drag Me Under, leans toward the heavier end of the spectrum, feeling most comfortable with gravelly, atonal vocals, distorted guitars, and pounding drums. Hay works with the spacier, experimental side of music, specializing in post-rock and indie. Christian is an expert in the cleaner, melodic stylings of pop and rock. They all agree that working together has broadened their boundaries. “Sometimes I find myself with a band that has a singer—you know, one that actually sings notes,” laughed Ainsworth. “I have to talk to Colin for advice.” That’s a courtesy that extends in all directions. Whenever one partner needs a fresh pair of ears, one that’s unbiased toward his particular style, he consults with the others. The collaborative feel of the Sound Saloon is a way to circumvent the walls that many engineers, up late hours at night, often run into.
STORY & PHOTO BY KENT IRWIN Sound Saloon is at 420 Valley Road in Reno. More info can be had at www.facebook.com/ TheSoundSaloon.
22 | RN&R |
NOVEMBER 26, 2014
Sound Saloon is located at the artist’s co-op commonly referred to by its address—420 Valley Road. Shawn Carney and other longtime managers built the room as an art gallery and office, separated by a wall. The result is a long hall with wooden floors, decorated with professional instruments and amps. The aesthetic is lovingly referred to as having a “busted warehouse vibe.” It’s a fitting description, equally appropriate for the earthy, western sound of the title. 420 Valley has developed a reputation for being a fluid element of Reno’s artistic community. Walking through the building, you could find a sculpture studio sharing a room with a painter, with a band’s rehearsal space on the other side of the door. Christian feels that some of 420 Valley’s signature chaos has been pared down into more of a professional outfit. There’s a photography and promotional company, and a few band rehearsal rooms. For the most part, the loose ends have been tied up, the remaining projects preparing to spread roots there. However, Christian doesn’t believe all of the building’s unconventional charm is gone. In fact, he sees it as one of the Sound Saloon’s strengths, in the casual, stylish setting that it provides for its artists. “With recording, you usually get one of two options,” explained Christian. “On one end of the spectrum you get a guy’s bedroom. On the other, is a big, stuffy spaceship. Artists spend a lot of time in a box. That can give you a closed-off mentality, but we try to keep things positive, and approach it from different angles.” Christian and Hay continually experiment with ways to get the best music from their artists. For Ainsworth, most of his artists have a vision as soon as they enter the studio, and the question is how to get sonically to point B. Whenever he’s feeling adventurous, he walks into a session with one of his comrades. “Sometimes I’ll just watch these guys get weird,” said Ainsworth. Part of Hay and Christian’s
