Studio Manager
EastWest Studios
Years with Company: 25
Address: 6000 West Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, CA
Phone: 323-957-6969
Web: eastweststudios.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Clients: Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga, Foo Fighters, Paul Williams, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Madonna, Justin Timberlake
BACKGROUND
Which recording studio a musician chooses is critical, not just in terms of the technical elements but also the personalized service they receive. Candace Stewart recognizes this better than anyone. With more than three decades of experience, including an extensive stint at EastWest Studios, she knows precisely how to help artists bring their visions to life.
Oh, Brother
I have three older brothers. They were recording engineers at The Record Plant in the early '70s. During high school, I would visit them. I met all these people that ended up being my clients. Then, I went to work for my second oldest brother, Steve [Smith.] When he went independent, he leased a room at what had been Kendun. It’s Glenwood Place now. He leased a room on the right-hand side called Take One. I had bartended, so I got a bartending gig at night. I said to Steve one day, “I don’t think I have the aptitude to be an engineer. I’ve worked in hotels and I bartend. I think I could help with sales.”
Appetite for Management
One of the first calls we got was from Mike Clink. He said, “I’ve got this band, and we need to rerecord their whole record.” That was for Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction. That was my first major booking as a manager. That gave way to Richie Zito, who was a producer. Richie Zito was also a guitar player for Elton John; he became a manager later. Those early experiences working for my brother at Take One helped me become a better manager, because I understood the language and the process.
In the Zone
The other studio in that complex was Red Zone. Steve left for Seattle in the early '90s and closed down the studio. I walked across the breezeway and asked the owner of that studio, Denis Degher, for a job. He has a winery in Pasa Robles now, but I went to work for him until ’93.
A First-Hand Education
I ended up going to Soundcastle [Studios] in Silver Lake. The studio had been known for a lot of rock. I get there, and it was a gangsta rap studio. I’m a 31-year-old white woman from South Carolina. I didn’t know much about hip-hop or rap at that time. But I met all these people I fell in love with. I got to meet Snoop Dogg when he was really young. I got to meet Tupac. And RZA. Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony… The guys you see in Straight Outta Compton. That’s the L.A. scene, but there was the New York scene, too. The Alkaholiks. Easy-E. E-Swift. All those guys educated me about rap and hip-hop.
A Beautiful Sunset
I was at Soundcastle and got a call from John Porter. He said, “I’m working for this guy who wants to buy a studio at 6000 West Sunset [Boulevard, future home of EastWest].” If you were a studio manager in L.A., you knew what 6000 Sunset was. You knew that it was Frank Sinatra’s place. It’s one of the most historic studios in the world. I went to work for John at Cello [Studios] in 1998. I worked there until 2005 when it closed.
Giving Artists What They Want
You have to be protective of your staff and gear. I wouldn’t let [a client] damage the equipment or be rude. Throwing TVs out the window, I wouldn’t allow that. But artists are sensitive. I’m aware of what they’re going through to create. My raison d’etre is to facilitate artists. Working in the rap studio was educational in that I learned about what I wouldn’t do. I would not let people bring guns into the room. I had certain ethics and criteria. And if I was straight and honest, they were respectful.
Hospitality and Business Fundamentals
When I’m interviewing runners, if I see food service or any kind of customer service, it’s a positive. There is no school for studio managers. Recording schools are awesome, and they sometimes have music business courses, but there isn’t one that teaches you this job. You have to understand overhead, what a fixed expense is versus a variable expense. In that sense, it doesn’t differ from any other business.
Playing Psychologist
Being a psych major really helped me. I ended up not graduating, but the psychology degree, has been invaluable. I can’t stress enough how important that is.
C’mon, Get Happy
People are different when they come into the studio. They’re excited; they’re where they want to be. They’ve done part of my job for me, because they’re already happy to be here.
The Technical Side
I’m not an engineer anymore. I couldn’t run a Pro Tools session. But I do understand the difference between tracking a rhythm section and recording a rhythm section, what overdubbing is, and then mixing and mastering. I understand the processes. Anyone who wants to do this should understand what a microphone does, what a compressor is, what a delay is. Have basic knowledge of what a console is and why they have different sounds.
Having a variety of equipment is crucial—vintage, but also cutting edge. You can’t buy everything, because a lot of it’s really expensive. But you try to be well-rounded.
Support Your Local Studio
There are studios owned by Universal and other labels, which are great. But 99% of the studios in the world are independent. It’s important that record companies and artists support these studios, because they won’t be here otherwise.
No Substitute for a Real Studio
If you’re a young band and want to make a record, save your money and go to as good a studio as you can. Spend money on a real engineer. Everyone’s available for hire. It’s just a matter of getting to them. If you’re doing a demo and don’t have much money, do drums for one day. Then go back and work on it at your house.
One thing you can’t do at your house is a 72-piece orchestra. Can you do vocals in your house? Probably. Would it sound better if you did it on a wonderful microphone in a designed room? It probably would. I don’t want any artist to think you can’t make good music in your house.
Can You Manage?
Become an assistant manager. Get your foot in the door of a studio. If you don’t want to be an engineer, work in reception or at the front desk. Let the manager know you’re interested in helping. And be on the case with details. Be that person that says, “I noticed the client likes Red Bull. Can we get some?” Or, “This client likes oat milk with their coffee.” People need to feel welcome and like they’re being treated with respect. You have to have that service mentality.
