Known for it’s specialty boutiques, unique bars and nightlife, Montreal’s Quartier Latin has become a true hotspot over the years. Of course, we can’t forget the bordering UQAM student population, the sometimes questionable characters that mingle around Emilie Gamelin Park and the comings and goings from the nearby bus station. It seems like there is never a dull moment in the area. The only thing missing… a recording studio and jam space for local artist. Enter Seb Black and his low key Emery Street Studio!
Before I continue, I should preface this post by explaining how I first heard about this unique project. A slow week was afoot and a good acquaintance happened to call with an invite to a listening party and BBQ. The location of said festivities, the Emery Street Studio, was unfamiliar to me but I figured I’d drop in. Fast forward a couple of hours and I find myself walking past the place several times, expecting a somewhat lavish facility. Instead, I was (pleasantly) surprised to find myself standing in front of a very nondescript storefront which would soon blow me away! So much so that fellow contributor Jenny King and I spent an afternoon chatting with the man behind the joint.
Seb Black
Born Sebastian Schwarz, and having grown up in the West Island and the Laurentians, the first thing that rubs off of Black is an eclectic, bull-shit free, no-rules personality. These feelings were quickly re-inforced before our sit-down even began as he spewed words of wisdom quite naturally:
“For it to be worth it making art, it needs to be uncensored. […] It’s just taking mediocre things and making it seem like a movie but in the end, how can you make that movie if you censor anything?”
Although Black doesn’t really recall when he started dabbling in music, he remembers being in his mid-twenties and bumping into two girls at a party who broke into a song they claim he’d written and taught them when he was just 8 years old. That, he claims, is the earliest recollection he has of being musically-inclined.
In case you’re wondering, Black’s style is actually a throwback to the various music eras he’s lived through and includes hints of folk, punk, and electro… You may even find heavy influences from acts such as Tom Waits and Social Distortion.
The Studio
Emery Street actually came about when Black had just turned legal and, through acquaintances, rubbed shoulders with local producers. Little did he know, one of the people he’d bump into would be none other than legendary record producer, Pierre Bazinet (best known for his work with Robert Charlevoix, Jean Leloup, Bruno Pelletier, and Sass Jordan) who just so happened to be hanging up his headphones at his self-built studio on… Emery Street! Black recalls his first meeting with Bazinet like it was yesterday, “I had no lift, no car. I actually hitchhiked [from Val David]. It’s 9:30 in the morning. I was young so I had never seen no boards or none of that shit before and I was fuckin’ impressed. […] I was thinking, this place can’t die. I have to figure out a way to keep it. So we made Emery Street Records”. He followed that up with a chuckle as he mumbled, “now we’re struggling to pay the rent ever since”.
Speaking of paying the rent, the inevitable issue of rent and expenses came up. Turns out several artists (Black’s own band included) not only work at the space, they also live there. Not only that, but seeing as the studio is spread across two floors Black and his partners are also able to rent out the remaining space at more than reasonable rates to various musicians and bands. In fact, Black estimates approximately 60 artists have shared the space as of late and no less than 14 hours a day are dedicated to creating music. Essentially it’s a community approach driven by a passion for music.
On the topic of potential issues with neighbours and noise complaints, Black began to grin and quickly pointed out, “I don’t know the neighbours [but] there’s nothing I can do in anyway that could come close to the noise that [patrons at nearby bars] are making”.
Also fascinating (and a little known fact) is that the Emery Street facilities along with their partners actually make their own equipment, including a custom-made pre-amp. “If you’re not all that rich, you can’t have 5,000 different pre-amps”, Black touts. “That’s why we make our own.”
The Dogs
Contributing to the unique concept of the studio are two well-behaved pitbulls. One of them even has his face reproduced on business cards and in the form of a tattoo on Black’s arm. Black simply explained, “Our dogs are like the security guards/mascots/models… They pretty much do everything we don’t do”.
Props to Montreal
When asked why he was still sticking around our fair city as opposed to trying his hand at the States, Black jumped up in his chair, his eyes lit up as his index fingers pointed down, and he quickly exclaimed “this place”.
I also couldn’t help but ask him who some of his favourite local acts are. His response was all over the map giving props to art rockers Sunset Rubdown, bluegrass-driven Les Tavarneux, and the classic Leonard Cohen!
Seb Black’s latest album, “On Emery Street” is currently available online and in select record stores.
You can find out more about the Emery Street Studio here.
You can find out more about Seb Black here.
Photo courtesy Emery Street Studio.
Originally published at MontrealMusicScene.com
