Downtown Asheville music studio to relocate; recorded award-winning musicians, artists
ASHEVILLE - Echo Mountain Recording, a downtown music studio that has recorded critically acclaimed musicians since opening in 2003, announced plans to move to a new, 68-acre property north of Asheville in a March 13 news release, leaving their historic 14 N French Broad St. church location.
In the news release, the new property is said to be an "eco-conscious music studio" that "will be a sanctuary that will accommodate artists, songwriters, large scale recording sessions, audiobooks, and television/film projects to do their best creative work."
“I’m really excited about this new chapter for Echo Mountain,” Owner of Echo Mountain Steve Wilmans said in the news release. “We have loved being downtown, but this gives us an opportunity to create a different experience for artists where they can immerse themselves in a great space surrounded by nature. There are some things I want to do differently this time, like using as much renewable energy as possible to power the studio."
The downtown studio was founded in 2003, where Wilmans, alongside other studio partners, reconfigured the 14 N French Broad church into an active studio. The studio has been host to notable and Grammy-nominated musicians, including The Avett Brothers, War on Drugs, Chris Cornell, Fitz and the Tantrums and Band of Horses.
The studio is not limited to music. Audio recordings for The Hunger Games movie and of famed tennis player Serena Williams have also been held in the studio.
In December, GBX Group LLC purchased the property. GBX Group President of Community Development Antonin Robert told the Citizen Times in February that they placed a historical easement on the church building, which is located within the 2011 extension of Asheville's Downtown Historic District.
Before officially moving to the new location north of Asheville, Echo Mountain intends to stay open downtown and continue to serve clients in Western North Carolina.
"Our commitment to provide exceptional service and foster an environment for artists to be their most creative remains the same, along with the familiar faces you’ve known for the past 18 years.” studio manager Jessica Tomasin said in the news release.
“Our team loves being an integral part of the music community here and our new studio will definitely continue to support and be a resource for artists and music organizations in WNC.”
Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Echo Mountain Recording to relocate studio from downtown Asheville
