Steve Butler put together “The Smash Palace” recording studio in 1999. After years of total frustration working in very expensive recording studios and never really being happy with the final result. It was not unusual to spend $150,000 making a major label recording and hating the finished product. He never understood how so much money could be spent, having all of the best recording equipment at your disposal, only to come up with a product after months of recording sessions that you just didn’t like.

"I had no idea what I was doing when I put the studio together... but I figured I’d give it a try. My brother Brian and I wrote a bunch of songs and recorded on the new gear I had bought. I played the guitars and keys and Brian quickly learned how to play drums out of necessity." From those sessions came the Smash Palace CD “Fast Long Loud” which was picked up by an indie label. This CD, recorded on an 8-track, is not an audiofiles dream but it definitely has a vibe.

"The second Smash Palace CD “Unlocked” was recorded with 16 tracks. It has, to my ears, a bit more polish to it. More tracks helped the sound, and I was getting better at learning the craft of recording. Since then, everything I’ve done at the studio has been 16-track recordings.

According to Steve Butler, the main mantra when recording is vibe. "Vibe is everything. Of course having very good songs helps too. If the recording you’re making resonates with people, then you’ve succeeded. So many recordings are completed by seasoned professionals but the vibe is often times sorely missing. Without capturing the feel, the recording is a failure…no matter how good the song."

Contact the Studio:

If you are interested in recording at the "Smash Palace" with Steve Butler, please contact him at stephenguitar@yahoo.com