The Echo Lab

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:13:07 +0000

After a blissfully cool start, summer has now finally rolled in, in all its humid majesty. Or something. Anyhow!

People who visited the Lab in July:

Cocky Americans worked with Matt Pence
Paul Slavens’ Chameleon Chamber Group worked with Justin Collins
Shiny Around The Edges, White Drugs, The Angelus, and Tre Orsi worked with Matthew Barnhart
Honeybutton worked with guest engineer, Mark Elliott (of Leaning House Records)

Also, our very dear friend Pat Ferguson (of Deep Snapper, Birth to Burial, Raised by Tigers, and a million other groups) was deployed to Afghanistan with his Navy Reserves unit. He left a good chunk of his personal instrument and amp collection with us for safe-keeping, including an Ampeg V-4 head, several Gretsch, Fender, and G&L guitars, and a Keeley-modified Ibanez delay pedal. We wish our friend a quick, safe, and speedy return home.

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:30:02 +0000

We’ve added a small photo gallery to the web site. Expect more stuff there soon.

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:22:27 +0000

May had a lot of great sessions in between the new furniture construction and spring-time plant-potting:

Glossary and Bridges and Blinking Lights finished up new albums with Matt Pence.
UNT’s Fred Hamilton and Ed Soph recorded a new album with Dave Willingham. The Band Formerly Known As Transona Five also worked with Dave on some recordings, as did History at our Disposal and Chris Blanton.
Glen Farris did some tracking with Justin Collins.
The Me-Thinks, Tre Orsi, White Drugs and Slow Rewind all spent time with Matthew Barnhart on their various projects.

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:48:33 +0000

We’ve been doing some cleaning and remodeling here at the studio as of late, in between sessions with Grassfight, The Me-Thinks, Will Johnson, Deep Snapper, and UNT’s Fred Hamilton.

We also added a Top Hat Ambassador 50 guitar head and 2 x 12″ cabinet, and a custom Rosewood Jazzmaster guitar to our equipment list.

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 03:57:38 +0000

Our good friends, Bridges and Blinking Lights, recorded their new album here with Matt Pence a few months ago. Here’s a great video they made of their time at the Lab.

Bridges & Blinking Lights in the Studio from Jake Wilganowski on Vimeo.

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:40:55 +0000

We’ve just installed two new bunk beds in the studio apartment, allowing up to four people to sleep in luxurious, hostel-level comfort (minus the drum circles and stoned American backpackers, unless that’s your sort of thing). There’s also a futon in the room, which can be folded out to sleep up to two more people who are comfortable with each other. All this for $25/night, and you don’t even have to rent towels!

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:41:42 +0000

It’s a freezing, miserable day here in Denton, so now’s as good a time as any to stay inside and update the web site.

Since our last update, a lot of us have been in and out of the studio, on tour. Matt Pence was out with Centro-matic and South San Gabriel, while Matthew Barnhart spent time with both The New Year and Tre Orsi. David Willingham and Justin Collins got to actually enjoy the Fall in Texas.

In the studio with Matt Pence: Bridges and Blinking Lights, Rob Gomez, Jason Isbell, and The King Bucks.

With David Willingham: Raised by Tigers, US Mail Band (with Dave Palmer producing), among others I’m forgetting (sorry!)

With Matthew Barnhart: Les Americains, Naptime Shake, Tre Orsi, and Sean Kirkpatrick’s new band, Nervous Curtains.

With Justin Collins: RTB2, 100 Damned Guns, Spitfire Tumbleweeds.

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:42:15 +0000

Recent happenings at The ‘Lab:

Two Cow Garage, Robert Gomez, and The King Bucks working with Matt Pence
You and Me and Tre Orsi recording with Matthew Barnhart. Bubba Kadane of The New Year was also around, co-producing the Tre Orsi sessions.
Adam Wood recording with Dave Willingham.
100 Damned Guns and The Make Believers working with Justin Collins

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:44:26 +0000

We finally have a new website up, the old one being, well, old and a bother to keep up with. Many thanks to Kirk Miles of the Distant Seconds for the use of his photos. Also, thanks to Mark Sonnabaum for his immense technical assistance. In the (hopefully near) future, we’ll be adding a photo gallery, discography, and other useful information. But for now, we get back to the business of making records.

Recent sessions: David Willingham with Transona Five, Matt Pence with Two Cow Garage, Matthew Barnhart tracking with the Naptime Shake, Handbrake, and The Distant Seconds, Justin Collins with Fishboy and the Om Nom Noms.

Thu, 01 May 2008 15:45:44 +0000

Recent projects: Matt Pence recording with True Window, Two Cow Garage, Will Johnson, Seth Rothschild, and a few zillion others

Matthew Barnhart working with The Great Tyrant, The Distant Seconds, American Werewolf Academy, The New Year, Shiny Around The Edges, Notes From Underground, Last Men, plus more

Justin Collins in with Daniel Folmer, Psyhic Rattlers, and Burntsienna Trio.

Dave was on tour all Spring with St. Vincent, then John Vanderslice