After 27-years, Smart Studios, the Madison, Wisconsin recording facility owned by Butch Vig and Steve Marker of Garbage, is to close.
Vig, who produced classic albums such as Nirvana ‘Nevermind’ and Smashing Pumpkins ‘Siamese Dream’ at Smart Studios, puts the reasons for the closure down to the current ease of accessibility of recording technology."You can look at the closing of Smart as a direct reflection of what's been happening in the music business and the technology changes that have happened over the last 10 years," Vig told Madison newspaper Isthmus. "Now anyone can get a laptop and make recordings in their basement for next to nothing. I know Grammy-winning engineers in L.A. who are struggling to find work."
Vig and Marker recorded all of their Garbage albums at Smart. Other albums recorded there were Smashing Pumpkins ‘Gish’, L7 ‘Bricks Are Heavy’, Everclear ‘Sparkle and Fade’, Soul Asylum ‘Let Your Dim Light Shine’, Fall Out Boy ‘Take This To The Grave’ and Death Cab For Cutie ‘Plans’.
While the big names recorded at Smart, Vig and Marker were most proud of the fact that 75% of sessions done within the studios were from local acts. "Two-thirds of our client list was local and regional bands, and Steve and [chief engineer] Mike [Zirkel] and I are probably even prouder of those projects than the [Smashing] Pumpkins and Sparklehorse and Freedy Johnston. We tried to help as many local bands and labels as we could," Vig told Isthmus.
A Facebook fan page titled Smart Studios Appreciation Society has been set up for fans and bands to post photos and comments about the Smart Studios era.
