Nightbird Studios, Where Hollywood Records

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Aug 8th 2010 at 8:01AM

Sometimes it seems that Los Angeles has nearly as many recording studios as it has pools but Nightbird Studios is one of the most intriguing. The studio is located in the base of the Sunset Marquis hotel in West Hollywood. Billboard ran a recent story on the studio which began in 1993 when a late night recording session caused hotel complaints forcing a move to the parking area. What began as a temporary fix became calling for Nightbird founder/owner Jed Leiber.

Since that one night over a decade ago Nightbird has transformed into a studio that draws popular music's top talents including Eminem, Drake and Lil Wayne. There are now two main suites, Studio A and B with mahogany wall coverings and a 120-inch projector screen. The space was configured by acoustician George Augspurger for maximum sound benefit.

Perhaps the best part for acts is that they don't have to go home after a session. They can enjoy the hotel amenities, get 24-hour room service or a massage to work out the tension. And even though the music industry is in a state of flux, Leiber plans to expand, adding a video editing room, production rooms and maybe even lounges for artists who don't want to upstairs to the hotel. Not bad for a former parking garage.

Nightbird Studio has gotten so popular that they even sell branded t-shirts. Check out the Facebook page for more info and shots of the studio gear.

Tags: nightbird studios, Sunset marquis hotel