Sounds of Success at Saturation Acres

Bret Alexander, left, and Paul Smith sit in their Saturation Acres Recording Studio near Danville, PA.

Rockers having a blast making music at Danville area recording studio By Jason Lublinski - Press enterprise Writer

In 1999, Bret Alexander and Paul Smith decided to use the musical experience and expertise they'd garnered as members of the rock group The Badlees to launch a Danville-area recording studio, Saturation Acres. Three years later, they've recorded albums for promising new groups, done production work for industry veterans and even started up their own independent music label, S.A.M.

They've also had the opportunity to act as mentors to many young bands that are just getting started. As seasoned music business veterans, Alexander and smith, both 37, don't hesitate to offer advice to youthful recording artists. "We teach these young bands how to do this, to build stand-alone businesses," Alexander said.

Although he and Smith have mixed feelings about some of the major labels that they've signed with in the past, they don't discourage new bands from seeking out big record deals. They do, however, encourage musical groups to first learn how to promote and market themselves, so they won't be left high and dry if they're scooped up by a big label that later drops them.

Additionally, said Alexander, major labels are often attracted to up-and-coming groups that show a flair for self-promotion and an aptitude for building up their own business. "If you build it, they (record labels) will come," he joked.

In-House is Old-School

Smith and Alexander say they've never had a shortage of artists eager to record at their studio, in part because they became so hardwired into the Pennsylvania music scene as members of the Badlees. "We've been around the Pennsylvania scene for so long," said Alexander, explaining that many area and regional musicians know them and trust them to get the job done properly.

One of the things Smith and Alexander most pride themselves on is their "old-school" approach to the business. Unlike many contemporary recording studios, Saturation Acres has its own in-house band, comprised of Alexander, Smith and fellow Badlees member Ron Simasek.

The band is available to provide back up instrumentals for solo artist singer-songwriters who record their music at Saturation Acres. Smith said the concept hearkens back to the 1960's, when many of the big labels had their own in-house bands.

Although they get a kick out of providing back-up music - Alexander is a string specialist, Smith is a bass player - both men say they're equally thrilled to once again be involved in the recording side of things.

Off the Beaten Track

The Saturation Acres studio is located in a small yellow house, just off Red Lane in Mahoning Township. It would be easy to pass by the unassuming structure without realizing it housed a recording facility. The building belongs to Smith and Alexander's friend, Rusty Foulke, a member of the band Hybrid Ice. Hybrid Ice used to use the house for rehearsals and the like in the 1970s, Alexander said.

However, he added, by the late 1990s the structure had sat unused for quite some time, and Foulke didn't mind having his old friends move in as tenants. Although their business is now based in the Danville area, Smith hails from Northumberland, and Alexander from the Wilkes-Barre area.

From Badlees to S.A.M.

Smith and Alexander first met while working at the now-defunct Susquehanna Sound studio in Northumberland. Both men had backgrounds in sound engineering and production, but were only too happy to switch over to live music when they met up with Pete Palladino, Jeff Feltenberger and Ron Simasek and formed The Badlees 13 years ago.

Since that time, the group has toured the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong and China and signed on with a variety of record labels, including Polydor/Universal and Ark 21. After a recording deal with Polydor records fell through in the late '90s, however, Smith and Alexander found themselves tempted to return to their roots in music production. "It was kind of like coming full circle," said Alexander.

Although returning to the recording business has been a definite change of pace, Smith and Alexander say they have no regrets. "It's ended up saving, and promoting to another level, our musical life and direction," said Smith. "It's a blast," agreed Alexander.

Last year, Saturation Acres became more than a recording studio, launching S.A.M., its own independent label. Thus far, the label has chiefly produced albums by the Badlees and its offshoot group, the Cellarbirds. However, Alexander and Smith said they're anxious to see who else they might be able to sign.

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