Lexington, KY - The love of rock and roll has influenced many and even inspired some to enter into musical careers. Duane Lundy, producer and musician, stands as an example of one who has channeled his initial inspirations into some rock-and-roll success of his own.
Chico Fellini
Shangri-la Productions
Lundy, guitar-slinger with local power pop stompers since 2006, followed his musical inclinations fully into the recording and production profession and the creation of his own studio. His on National Avenue is a collision of vintage gear and state-of-the art studio equipment that aims not only to capture music but also to invoke inspired and organic performances from visiting musicians via its earthy, ambient atmosphere and commitment to the purity of sound.
Although Lundy came to the music world at a decidedly late age (he was 22 when he began playing), he believed from the outset that recording his own music early on was the key to keeping pace with his more experienced contemporaries.
"My way of nourishing my love of music was to record it," he explained. The idea of being a musician and a recording professional "went hand in hand." Even from the outset, Lundy said, he not only wanted to create music but also desired "complete creative control."
Although the voices of rock and roll had begun to creep into his psyche around age 13 via the Led Zeppelin I album, Lundy's original calling was the tennis court. A one-time tennis pro, he relocated to Lexington from Ohio, eventually coming to own and operate Kentucky Tennis Academy.
Ironically, the tennis racket serves as one of the best air guitar props and, even though Lundy's parents were skeptical of his desire to pick up an instrument, his "oddly natural transition" into music was only a matter of time.
"I just loved rock and roll, but my parents thought the guitar would distract me from playing tennis," Lundy said.
Those doubts ultimately were overcome as he continued to play while also forming firmly rooted notions of how music should sound and be recorded; the goal was always "to be recorded very honestly," he said.
Inspired by seminal studio albums like the Rolling Stones' jagged, gritty Exile On Main Street and Led Zeppelin's sound collage Physical Graffiti, as well as other trailblazing record producers such as Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno (known for their work with U2 and David Bowie respectively), Lundy began putting theory into practice and gaining footing in the world of pop and rock production.
Noting the inconsistencies and harshness of production techniques rampant in the 1980s, his focus turned to capturing musicians with "present and dry" recording methods that engendered more authentic tracks. With this dedication to catching naturalistic performance, Lundy firmly established his modus operandi and began setting up Shangri-la Studios with these core ideas in tow.
Though very dependent upon firm sonic laws and guidelines, Lundy champions the simplicity at the heart of his approach.
"My goal has always been to find good musicians and set up an atmosphere for them to record in," he said.
Lundy and Shangri-la take cues from legendary studio ideas utilized by other production heavyweights like Barry Gordy and Phil Spector, with their "boutique rooms" and studied dedication to studio vibe and "nurturing" ambience. Candles, rugs and draperies all serve to concoct a warmth and spirit that simultaneously puts musicians at ease while coaxing charged and/or emotionally vibrant performances from them.
The Scourge of the Sea
Coralee and the Townies
Palisades
Ben Sollee
Working on commercial projects in studios in Nashville, Los Angeles and New York has provided Lundy with a body of knowledge, experience and production values that he now brings to Shangri-la. He has worked with artists from all over the country, stretching from Seattle, Wash., to Minneapolis, Minn., and Brooklyn, N.Y. Kentucky artists who have called upon Lundy's expertise include , , , Candidate and Louisville cellist/pop stalwart .
"There are a ton of talented bands in Lexington, and many of them are known more outside of Lexington," Lundy said. "This had me thinking, 'Wouldn't it be nice to do a compilation?'"
10 in 20 project
This inkling served as the impetus for Lundy's , which features 10 established Lexington acts spending two days to produce on an original track at Shangri-la Studios for an eventual compilation. Again, Lundy's insistence is that the music be recorded with minimal studio overdubs and that as much come via the "live floor as possible."
Designed to display the artists' "distinctive songwriting and musical roots," 10 in 20 provides exposure to artists populating Lexington's fertile and ever-expanding music community, Lundy said. Songs from various artists will debut monthly, eventually building toward a full vinyl album release of the compilation in 2012.
Making the journey from early rock awakenings to manning the soundboard controls at his own studio - via a detour to the tennis court - Lundy has followed an atypical path to the present. For those to whom quality, authentic sound truly matters, his arrival on the Lexington music scene is welcome indeed.