Grey Willow Studios has expanded their services to Aberdeen. Their new studio opened in the basement of the Alonzo Ward Hotel on April 7.
Xavier Archambault, Alex Maunu, and Chad Voight will be providing automated dialogue replacement (ADR), sound mixing and recording, and other audio services.
“It’s a professional recording studio that anyone can use,” Archambault said.
Setup for their new studio space began in March.
“We were lucky getting a space that was ready for us to move in,” Archambault said.
Archambault started working at Grey Willow in 2022 and made frequent visits to their Fort Yates, North Dakota studio. While cutting down on commute time was one reason for opening a new studio, Archambault said that offering their services in Aberdeen was also a deciding factor.
“We don’t have many places in town for professional recording,” he said. “This is probably the only commercial recording space.”
“There are lots of bands in town, and I’m sure they want to record,” Maunu said. “It’s important to put out music and make good recordings. We can do the tech stuff and let them focus on the music.”
All three of the Grey Willow staff members are involved in Aberdeen’s music scene, and they’re also passionate about providing opportunities to musicians in town.
“A place like this can motivate people,” Archambault said. “I remember being a new musician and thinking ‘How do I get the music out there?’ It can be daunting and scary getting into it. I want to do what I can to help young musicians knowing what I know now.”
Opening a studio in town can also help musicians find networking opportunities with each other.
“There are a thousand and one ways to get into the scene and get music out there,” Maunu said, “but working with people can help more, as opposed to just going online. When I was starting out as a DJ, I didn’t know how to get in contact with the right people.”
“In any field, you just need to get your foot in the door. That’s all you need. Getting work and referrals is the hardest part of being a musician,” Archambault said. “It’s easy to get discouraged, and it’s happened to me. We want musicians to be able to focus on being creative.”
They also hope that their studio can bring musicians from surrounding areas to Aberdeen. Archambault said that they’re willing to work with people on budgets and can help provide musicians with the equipment they might need for recording.
“Aberdeen is a larger market than Fort Yates, and we want to hit the market well,” Archambault said. “I hope people will come here for this instead of local bands going to Sioux Falls or Fargo. They can stay here and still get a quality product.”
In the future, they’ve talked about opening up the studio for other projects including podcast recording, music lessons, and as a rehearsal space.
Grey Willow Studios also provides sound systems for live events and has worked with local musicians to put on concerts.
For more information about their services, visit their website at www.bygreywillow.com or call 605-262-0169.
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