Located just 40 minutes east of Music Row in Lebanon, TN, Spellbound Recorders is one of greater Nashville’s newest creative facilities. Spellbound Recorders is designed to offer an immersive creative experience with a state-of-the-art recording facility and an exclusive rustic cabin for extended stays and lodging all nestled on five acres of tranquil tree-lined property.
Spellbound Recorders was conceived and built by Nettie Freed, who quite literally grew up in the music industry. I recently had the opportunity to meet with Nettie and learn more about her extensive background in the industry and her motivation to build Spellbound.
“I was born in Los Angeles to an old-school music industry family. My grandfather is Alan Freed, the disc-jockey personality credited by many music historians as having coined the phrase ‘Rock & Roll.' My father is the renowned music publisher Lance Freed. I consider myself a third generation disruptor within the music business.
“I grew up in Santa Monica, California. When I was growing up, the studio was my safe place. I started recording original demos when I was around eight years old.” My father Lance was at that time president of Rondor Music, the publishing company owned by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, founders of A&M Records. As a result, while I was growing up, I had a unique opportunity to interact with, and learn from, some of the most iconic names in the music business.
“I learned guitar from the renowned multi-instrumentalist and author, Fred Sokolow, who is my mentor and a long-time collaborator who was instrumental in helping me on my creative journey in music industry.
“Working in professional studios in Los Angeles, and my intimate knowledge of the music business, drove my passion to nurture the working creative process. My years of experience in studios, on set production and working in business management all helped to inspire the construction of Spellbound Recorders. I always loved the recording process, and the fact that I have spent most of my life in and around recording studios, as well as my background as a songwriter, has given me a unique understanding of what works—and what does not.
“My professional work as a singer-songwriter and producer ultimately led me to spend more and more time in Nashville. After almost a decade of traveling back and forth between Los Angeles and Nashville for my work as a songwriter and producer, I finally decided to move to Tennessee permanently in 2020.
“After I moved to Nashville, I needed a place to live and work, and after a long search found and brought the property here in Lebanon, Tennessee. When I first bought the property, I was just using it as a personal retreat and space to collaborate. As I began to spend more and more time on the property, I came to realize there was something unique and tranquil, almost magical, about the property. It’s hard to describe, you really have to be here to experience it.
“When I finally decided to take the next step and build the studio, I was determined to use my experience in the Music Industry to create an escape for artists and producers where their creative talents were nurtured, supported, and truly valued. I built Spellbound Recorders specifically for that purpose.
“In building Spellbound Recorders, I was able to put together a truly impressive team to develop the studio. The construction team included the incredibly talented acoustician Steven Durr, whose work has been sought after by the likes of companies including Disney and Sony, our amazing architect and engineer Matt Schlachter whose client roster has included Nick Jonas and The Black Keys, and Joe Kaplan, the lighting architect who helped light up some of the biggest Las Vegas icons and beyond.
“The studio space utilizes natural light, textures, and colors found in nature. We have a variety of custom pre-programmed LED lighting options that helps give the artist control over the creative environment. The studio was wired by SkinnyFish Audio, who have done wiring for some of the biggest recording studios in our industry.
“Our studio mission statement here at Spellbound Recorders is “within the realm, but outside the box” which points to our strongly held belief that a beautiful work environment does not need to sacrifice acoustical quality. We feel that Spellbound Recorders offers the creative professional much more than a traditional recording studio and breaks the mold on how the traditional Nashville studio is experienced. Spellbound Recorders is designed to offer the creative professional a new kind of creative space we believe you will not find anywhere else. We would love to discuss your next project and work with you to help bring your creative potential to the next level.
Find out more about Spellbound Recorders at spellboundrecorders.com or email the studio at [email protected] for a personalized quote on your next project.
