Living in Jag Castle

The Jag Castle recording space may be small and nondescript at first, but simply being in the space gives off a welcoming, chill vibe where creativity is allowed to flow, and musicians can create a sound they call their own with Curt’s assistance. Curt is no veteran in recording music; he has done the recording for all of Jag Castle’s releases, including a split release with another local indy powerhouse, Hypertensions, and releases from local Indy up-and-coming bands Republikan Sexblanket and Wet Denim. 

Amanda Hobbs: What prompted you to begin Jag Castle Recording, and was this influenced by the work done in your musical career?

Curt Turner: For the most part, in it to help buddies and fellow musicians, but doing it in general for my use, and over the years, it’s kind of grown and grown. All of Cairo Jag’s work is done at Jag Castle.

AH: What would you tell a band to expect for recording for the first time that they may not know?

CT: Have songs rehearsed and ready before recording an 8 hr block, be well rehearsed, and send references to what they are trying to get out of the recording; I am somewhat limited.

AH: I’d say that’s pretty good advice.

AH: Does the style of music affect the complexity of the recording, and how?

CT: It kind of depends; obviously, my niche pocket is rock n roll, punk, psych kind of stuff, so I feel that's the kind I can do best, but I’m not opposed to doing country, bluegrass folk kind of stuff, kind of just depends. I’m not going to make a pop record or a big hip-hop production, not to say that I wouldn’t be opposed to trying.

AH: You’re not going to do some sort of Spectoresque production, no “wall of sound?” Laughs.

CT:  Yeah. Laughs.

AH: How would you describe your approach to producing other musicians versus your own work?

CT: Well, obviously, with Cairo Jag, it’s my band, so we will take as much time as we need; I spend too much time probably working on tiny details that no one else notices. As for other bands, I sit back and let them do what they want. I’ll give some input and guidance if they need it, but at the same time, it’s their music, and I’m here to facilitate, so they have a decent recording. So if they don’t play well, that’s not my thing. I’m just here for the recording. Like with some of the Wet Denim stuff, I had a couple of suggestions and asked if I could give some input, and they were down, which ended up working out well. Overall, it’s not my music, so I’m not trying to step on toes like telling other bands how it should be done, not putting too much of my projection into it, you know?

AH:  Which do you prefer so far, being a musician or producing/recording other musicians? 

CT: Definitely, playing and performing and writing has always been my main thing; I've always been fascinated by sound and how it works, and being able to manipulate it….just sound in general has always had a grip on me. Whether it be sounds of stuff in general or music, being able to record it and make things sound certain with minimal adjustments has been interesting.

AH: It’s probably a different beast when you’re recording …..you can’t compare. You can, but one is different from the other.

CT: Yeah, it’s a completely different process of the art

AH: Where do you see the future of Jag Castle recording going, and what are your long-term goals for the studio?

CT: That's a good question because it kind of just happened; me and the guys in Cairo Jag just always referred to this place as the Jag Castle because Jag, Cairo Jag. This place is where we rehearse and do all our recordings and stuff. Future-wise, I wouldn’t be opposed to having an actual space, but I still like the charm of the dinginess of it; the sound that comes out of it ends up kind of having its own thing, not that the recording is anything special. I think some of the people who come here look into it like, “What the fuck are we doing here?” at first and then end up being happy with how the recording sounds, so that’s kind of fun. It’s also just kind of a side hustle for me as well. I have played with the idea of being a record label.

As for long-term goals, as of now, it’s day by day. After the last Cairo Jag release, it ended up sounding good. I thought, well if I got some of the tools and the know-how, I could make a little extra money. Being a local musician well-connected with other local musicians around town, most people have ways of DIY recording. Still, if they don’t, I have ways of doing it pretty cheaply and fairly here. So just being able to help out bands get started around here.

AH: What musician/producer do you look up to, or would you like to work with professionally? 

CT: Honestly, none specifically. This side of the production is fun, and I enjoy me but honestly, I’m not trying to be a producer for a living or a career or anything.

AH: You’re not trying to be a Steve Albini or anything.

CT. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, if something happened and it worked out that way, that'd be cool. Ideally, I'm a musician myself, and that's what I want to do. But side hustles and things in the art world that are closer to not having to rely on a real job, like this, is one thing that adds to that, along with playing gigs.

AH: I like your setup here; it’s very chill. It reminds me of the recording studio from the Desert Sessions in Joshua Tree.

CT: Oh yeah, with Josh Homme and stuff?

AH: Very chill, and that reminds me of friends dropping in to chill and record. It kind of reminds me a little bit, and I dig that.

CT: Yeah, it’s a vibe out here. From the outside, it probably looks like a meth lab. A grow room, or something to some, then, when you walk in, it’s this nice little warm dim, lit room with many rugs.

AH: Anything coming up for Cairo Jag in the future?

CT: We’ve got a few local dates coming up, but right now, we’ve mostly been sticking to out-of-town stuff to focus on weekend runs once a month: We’ve got a few other things in the works that I can’t talk about because it’s kind of up in the air right now.

I would like to thank Curt for taking the time out of his busy schedule for our interview. He has a lot of knowledge and insight, and I think any band that wants to record at the Jag Castle would be in great hands in a non-intimidating environment. 

For any bands or musicians who would like to inquire about making a recording, please visit the Instagram page for Jag Castle @jagcastlerecording or contact via email: jagcastlerecording@gmail.com.

- Amanda Hobson

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