Listing out musicians that have recently recorded with Norman based Blackwatch Studios is pretty much the same thing as listing out my favorite local musicians. The amount of talent involved in their endeavors is a little bit humbling. I am, and will continue to be, excited to see what new work they produce.

Who and what is Blackwatch?
Blackwatch, officially, is a recording studio in downtown Norman, OK. If there was a mission statement for Blackwatch, it would probably go something like this… Blackwatch is a community of local artists. In our aim to help our local art scene be exciting and progressive, we strive to support and expose a wealth of local talent and create a community where collaboration and new ideas are always exploited.

What have you been involved with in the past?
We’ve been involved in lots of records… many local, many not. A list of our favorites would look something like this:

Ryan Lindsey (White Paper Beds)
Bishop Allen (The Broken String)
Jacob Abello (Nothing But Gold)
Sherree Chamberlain (The Wasp in the Room)
The NON (Tadaima)
Vandevander (The Great State of Emotion)
Chase Pagan (Bells and Whistles)
Umbrellas (Illuminare)
Dead Sea Choir (Thin One the Red One)
The Workweek (Untitled, Unreleased)
Brine Webb (Untitled, Unreleased)

When did Blackwatch get started and how has it progressed?
The creation of what is now Blackwatch was a slow evolution. The building was initially utilized as a rehearsal space for a few local bands. Over time, some of those bands were writing records and the space was a great spot to set up recording gear and get the job done on a low budget. One thing led to another and we started picking out small construction projects to do one at a time. Over the course of 2005-2007 we remodeled most of the building ourselves to the specifications that made it a comfortable and efficient creative environment to make records in.

In the early days the studio was super vibey, but also had lots of problems (leaks, little to no isolation between the control room and tracking room, and fluorescent lights that buzzed and had to be turned off everytime you hit record). Our main objective in the renovation process was not to lose the cool and comfortable vibe that makes you feel relaxed and creative while working. We’re quite pleased with the current blend of vibe and professional or commercial quality. The renovation definitely opened up the doors to a whole new clientele.

Why did you choose Norman, of all places?
The short answer would be, we all grew up and went to college here. It just happened to be the place where we lived when we started putting the studio together. That being said, I don’t think either of us would change the location right now even if we had the choice. We love our friends here and believe greatly in this surprisingly talented and creative midwestern music scene.

What exactly are your thoughts on the Oklahoma music and creative scene / community?
Being from Norman, the Flaming Lips have clearly paved the way for local artists to be optimistic about working on innovative and abstract art. Its cool that there is a conscious thought process among artists here to expose this music scene on a national level. Its exciting to think about any given local artist getting a big break and pulling others from this community in the the national spotlight… I don’t think its a stretch to think that way either.

Do you focus mostly on local artists or is there a wider spectrum than that?
We love working with local artists, but don’t focus on it exclusively. At the end of the day, I think we just want to be a part of the best music that we can be a part of… no matter where it comes from. I’d say about half of our business would be considered local.

Favorite Blackwatch project so far?
I don’t think we could list a favorite. We’re just really excited to be involved with lots of talented artists all the time.

Any future goals or projects in the works?
We are planning on doing some more renovation to Studio B this year. We recently bought another vintage yamaha console that is really gonna help make Studio B another very legitimate room. We just teamed up with News OK for their Static series. They shot a few segments at Blackwatch that will be airing within the next couple of months.

Is there anyone in Oklahoma that you would like to work with but haven’t had a chance to yet?
Yes. Mike Hosty.

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