The independent music scene in Asheville, North Carolina is having quite a moment. Artists like Wednesday, MJ Lenderman, Indigo De Souza, and Angel Olsen are all topping the indie charts, performing in bigger and bigger venues every time they tour, and building massive audiences around the world. One thing these artists have in common is that they all consider Drop of Sun Studios a trustworthy studio to call home.
Since building its reputation within the local music community, the word has spread and the studio now attracts musicians from all over. Baltimore's Animal Collective and Snail Mail, Los Angeles' Green-House, and Chicago's Squirrel Flower have also worked with Drop of Sun. So have Triangle based bands like Fust and Truth Club.
The studio was founded in 2015 by co-owners Adam McDaniel and Alex Farrar, two musicians who met at UNC Asheville's music technology program. Originally a one-room studio in McDaniel's basement, the space is now a state-of-the-art recording studio located on Asheville's bustling Haywood Road. It features two studios, a control room, and an apartment. It also boasts an exhaustive selection of gear ranging from microphones to keyboards and synthesizers to guitar petals to drum machines and samplers. There's also a room with high windows that overlooks Haywood where you can relax with a cup of tea and zone out while soaking in the views of one of Asheville's best neighborhoods.
While the space is overflowing with top-of-the-line gear, what really makes Drop of Sun special is the energy that both McDaniel and Farrar bring to every project that walks through the door.
"I didn't necessarily feel like this could be a legitimate career until people started coming back," McDaniel told me. "I think everybody just loves the vibe and the energy and the comfortability and the hospitality. All of those things add up to make a space where artists can feel a sense of ease and inspiration to be creative."
Farrar added, "I think having the right microphones and technical skills only gets you part of the way to being a place that somebody may want to come back to and feel invested in. We've been able to connect with a lot of artists on a personal level just through normal conversations that aren't even about the music. I think that helps them get into the headspace they need to be in to be creative."
Karly Hartzman of the band Wednesday says they've been working with Drop of Sun since it started in McDaniel's basement.
"Working with Alex has been the most absolute pleasure," she said. "I love that his background is mostly in metal and other heavier varieties of music. He was a perfect fit for us because he understood our pursuit of noise, and the emotional dimension that it can bring to songs of any genre."
Nathan Bowles and Jaime Fennelly of the band Setting also recently recorded at Drop of Sun. Bowles told me, "I’ve worked in a number of studio situations over the years, and it’s rarer than you might think to find the right combination of ideal physical space with stewards of that space who also align with your working methods."
"Their dedication to being in service of each artists’ vision, as well as their greater community is truly inspiring," Fennelly added.
Another longtime client and collaborator is Brian Weitz, aka Geologist from the psychedelic pop group Animal Collective. "Usually when you’re working at studios at the level of Drop Of Sun, you can’t help but feel you’re on the clock. Just one of many clients whose face will be forgotten once you’re no longer paying the day rate," he said. "Drop of Sun is the opposite. You become completely unaware of time, but intensely aware of the space you're in. The gear and design is top notch, but you also feel home and amongst family that will always welcome you back."
In addition to being a co-owner at Drop of Sun, Adam McDaniel also co-founded Lamplight AVL with his wife Emily. The nonprofit shares a building with Drop of Sun and provides resources for local artists of all types. McDaniel told me that after Hurricane Helene hit Asheville, Lamplight AVL raised $145,000 to hand out as grants to people who lost supplies, studio spaces, and their homes. Lamplight AVL also released a compilation in March called "We Love It Here. A Benefit Compilation for Lamplight AVL." The collection is available on Bandcamp and features 11 tracks that were all worked on at Drop of Sun. All proceeds for the compilation are going to artists and organizations that are still recovering from the disaster.
"It's all part of the same ecosystem, artists who love to work here helping artists who make it such a cool place to work," McDaniel said.
I caught up with McDaniel, Farrar, and studio manager Lauren Van Epps at Drop of Sun on a sweaty day this past June.
When did Drop of Sun move into its current space?
Adam McDaniel: We started building this studio in 2018, and it took a long time. A lot of custom work went into the studio, especially the curation of the atmosphere. It took three years, and then we finally opened the doors in 2021.
Since you've opened up this newer space, what are some of the services you're able to offer?
Alex Farrar: It's obviously a recording studio, but our central goal is to be a facilitator for artists in general. We want to be a resource for people no matter where they are in their career. When we were figuring out our careers, we had the help of a lot of peers, so now we want to be able to offer that type of help to others.
When did each of you decide you wanted to work in music production?
Farrar: I've recorded and played music since I was a teenager and it feels like it just snowballed. I ended up going to UNC Asheville to learn more about recording there, and that's also where I met Adam. After finishing up there, I spent the next several years recording as much as I could. Mostly with friends on the side, but I always had the end goal of doing it full time. Adam and I officially partnered in 2017, but we've been working together as friends since 2013.
McDaniel: Similar story for me. When I was a kid I remember playing with this little cassette player that was just a dictaphone I used for keeping my own notes, but my friends and I would also record music on that. I didn't know what a recording studio was or looked like until I got a little older and started to really focus on getting better at recording myself. I moved here from Philadelphia with my wife Emily to go to the recording school at UNC-Asheville and there I met Alex.
What was your main motivation to start a studio?
McDaniel: I remember making the decision with my wife to build a studio space. I decided to really go for it and see what two years of total focus and drive would lead to, and if it didn't work out I'd go to school for birds or something.
The goal then was to record music because it's fun. In those early days I mostly wanted to record my own music, but I eventually became so much more enthusiastic about working with other people and seeing the energy light up from those collaborations.
Farrar: Every music community has people who gravitate towards one thing that serves the bigger community, and I think for both of us, we get a lot of satisfaction from the technical stuff. Some people are interested in making flyers, or booking shows, but this is what drives us. Working on something from its inception until you have a final product that you can share with people. Having a studio lets us feed into this community we're so invested in.
How did you accumulate all of the equipment in the studio?
McDaniel: We're still adding to the collection! It's specifically curated, but fortunately, Alex and I have interests in different things which is why there's so much variety. If something isn't getting used, we get rid of it. We used to have this huge vintage Harrison 32 channel console, but it wasn't personalized enough for our workflow so we got rid of it. It looked cool, but we're good about only keeping the gear that we use a lot and fits our sonic goals. Nothing here is filler.
Is everything here property of Drop of Sun?
McDaniel: One thing about having a recording studio is that we have a lot of friends who are artists or engineering enthusiasts who have gear that ends up sitting around not being used. All of these things that are built to make noise start to have a soul, and you start to feel sorry for them when they're not making any sound, so we have a lot of pieces here that are on indefinite loan. We're good stewards of other people's gear, and those people are happy to know their stuff is actually getting used.
Tell us some of the people who have recorded here.
Farrar: Secret Shame was the first session to happen in this building. Since then we've worked with Wednesday, MJ Lenderman, Indigo De Souza, Angel Olsen, Squirrel Flower, Fust, Hotline TNT, OK Cowgirl, Truth Club, Avey Tare, Animal Collective, Setting. There's too many to name.
What do you think sets Drop of Sun apart from other studios?
McDaniel: Alex and I have worked in a lot of other studios, and we've done a good job of paying attention to what we like and we don't like. Like Alex said, there are studios you can go to with awesome gear, but they're not creatively charged. And then there's studios that are very casual, but you're not going to get excellent sound and deliver your best music. There are places that focus on the engineering aspect of things but not the human experience. Recording studios are vulnerable environments. It's like being in a delivery room, where you want to make sure all the right people are there. You want the temperature right and the lighting right. So all of those things we took into consideration when we were building this studio. Every resource is here in the building, and you don't need a coaster to set your drink down.
Lauren Van Epps: To add on to that, the space that we have here offers a lot of comfort. We have an apartment connected to the studio that bands can rent, so they don't have to schlep around in a rental car and load and unload into the studio every day. We're right here in west Asheville which is a cool place to be — lots of restaurants and bars and other things to do. When people work here and stay in the apartment, we make sure they know that this is your home for the week, so you can feel free to get comfortable.
How involved are you with the bands when they're working at Drop of Sun?
Farrar: It really depends. You sort of have to read the room. I always go back to the idea that a producer's job is just to fill in the gaps on someone's project. Sometimes it feels like curling, where your job is to clear the way and set them up so they can knock out whatever it is they have in mind.
What do you think is the most underrated record to come out of Drop of Sun?
Farrar: That's a tough one. I will say that I listen to the Truth Club record that we did together here all the time, just as a fan. That one feels special to me.
McDaniel: The recent Sophie Thatcher EP is stellar. I think because she's a famous actress people didn't pay as much attention to it, but on top of being an amazing actress she's also an amazing musician. It also came out the same time as a few big movies she was in, so I think it got overshadowed by those.
Another force to reckon with is Pilgrim Party Girl's "Milk For Night Crawlers" EP. Avey Tare of Animal Collective named it as his favorite record of 2024 and I bet only 200 people have ever heard it.
Lauren Van Epps: I want to say "Aisles" by Angel Olsen. I love that record and feel like it's super underrated.
