5 Bands You Didn’t Know Recorded in Fort Collins
Former punk rock drummer Bill Stevenson has put Fort Collins on the recording studio map for the past two decades.
He opened Blasting Room Studios in 1994 and is now partnered with sound engineer Justin Livermore, who according to the studio’s website, decided after college that “recording was going to be cooler than selling beer for Miller.” Choosing a career behind the mixing board proved to be a lucrative move. The cost for one day of recording in their large studio is $650 — not including engineer or mastering fees. But the price comes with access to the 4,000 square foot facility, which includes a lounge, full kitchen and artist lodging.
Here are a handful of artists who have recorded in the Fort Collins studio:
1. Anti-Flag
The Blasting Room often stays true to its anti-establishment roots, providing Pittsburgh punk rock band Anti-Flag with a proper setting to record 2003’s “The Terror State” album and the 2011 “Complete Control Recording Sessions” EP. Known for their social activism and anti-nationalist stance, the band which supports PETA and Greenpeace, has also teamed up with Occupy Together, protesting corporations and 1-percenters.
“Post-War Breakout” from their 2003 release is chalk-full of anti-war sentiment.
2. Rise Against
The Chicago quartet has recorded five of their seven studio albums at the Blasting Room since forming in 1999. Their 2006 album “Sufferer and the Witness” was recorded in Fort Collins and reached the 10-spot on the Billboard 200. The album, along with their 2008 release “Appeal to Reason,” were both recorded at the Fort Collins studio and eventually reached RIAA gold-certification, selling 500 thousand-plus units each, respectively.
3. Alkaline Trio
Like Rise Against, this punk rock group traveled from the Windy City to record their eighth studio album “My Shame is True” in the 970 area code. Their 2013 release peaked at 24 on the Billboard 200. According to an interview on The Grammy’s YouTube page, the inspiration for this album was derived from a failed relationship.
“I Wanna be a Warhol” from their 2013 project “My Shame is True.”
4. As I Lay Dying
The metalcore band recorded their most recent studio album “Awakened” at the Blasting Room studios in 2012. It was their last release before going on hiatus. In 2013 lead singer Tim Lambesis was arrested after hiring an undercover detective to kill his wife. In 2014 he was sentenced to six years in prison and the band has since moved on to other projects.
“A Greater Foundation” from their 2012 release.
5. Flobots
Rock and hip-hop collective Flobots made the trip north from Denver in 2010 to record “Survival Story” and then again in 2012 for “The Circle in the Square.” The group came to the Blasting Room following their mainstream ascent in the late 2000s. Started by Denver local Jonny 5 in 2000, the band rose to critical acclaim in 2008, led by their single “Handlebars” which reached the 3 spot on the Billboard Modern Rock charts. The Flobots recently headlined Bohemian Nights alongside the Steve Miller Band and Rodrigo y Gabriela.
