Musician Ryne Clarke’s second-floor studio has hosted a steady string of emerging West Michigan bands, featured for today’s edition of Local Spins on WYCE, which also debuted tracks by regional artists.
Musical Magic from Trial and Error: Ryne Clarke at Upstairs, Man Studios. (Courtesy Photo)
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By his own admission, Ryne Clarke likes to “tinker” with sounds and recording.
So, a recording studio that started in his bedroom six years ago soon expanded to his sister’s room.
Seeking to tinker even more seriously, he eventually moved to a different house in Lowell and converted three upstairs rooms into a full-fledged recording studio, aka Upstairs, Man Studios, which has hosted numerous West Michigan bands since 2021 for sessions covering a wide range of genres.
“The idea of being stuck inside writing a part to a song and recording it is thrilling to me,” said Clarke, who graduated in 2017 from Lowell High School where he performed and recorded with the rock band The Preservers.
Cozy, Three-Room Space: Upstairs, Man Studios in Lowell. (Courtesy Photo)
“The biggest thrill is meeting different people with new ideas and techniques. I feel I learn a lot from the bands, and when I gel with them, we are able to bounce ideas back and forth to make the songs as good as they possibly can be. … At the end, when it’s all mixed and finished, it’s really cool to hear the progression of where we started with it and how we got there.”
Clarke got there after a “teen obsession” with Weird Al Yankovic inspired him to take up accordion before eventually turning to guitar, writing songs and purchasing audio gear for recording.
He’s since performed with the punk band The Alien Dogs, formed his own groups, The Ryne Experience and Vernon Potts, and ventured out as a solo artist dubbed RyneShyne. He’s also part of the folk trio Clarke, Reed and Meadows.
EXPERIMENTATION, TRIAL-AND-ERROR AND CREATING THE RIGHT TRACKS
Clarke’s self-taught adventure as a recording engineer has captivated him like nothing else.
“I do unconventional techniques. I believe that if it sounds good after you record it, it doesn’t matter how you did it. There’s no right or wrong in recording; do what makes sense for the part, for the song and for the release,” he insisted.
“You don’t need the best gear to get the best results. If you have good songs and a good foundation, you’ll shine. Others have felt comfortable here because it takes the stress out of the whole ‘studio’ mindset.”
Performing with Vernon Potts: Ryne Clarke (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
Clarke calls it “a cozy space” that puts musicians at ease.
“I think what people like when they come over here is that it feels really comfortable and relaxing and with the rate that we charge here, you’re able to really have the liberty to experiment and try different things without worrying about breaking the bank or running out of time. There’s always more time. I want to make sure people get the tracks they want to make.”
Clarke featured some of those tracks for this week’s edition of Local Spins on WYCE, including music by Short Panic (which plays Local Spins Fest in downtown Grand Rapids on Saturday), Oliver Scott Draper, The Tube Socks and Elroy Meltzer. Scroll down to listen to those songs and the full radio show podcast.
Clarke – who also formed the Midwest Gold Records label last year with Andrew Teed – readily conceded that his sound engineering journey has involved “a lot of trial and error,” much of it related to the way microphones are set up. But he’s happy to work with bands to alter sounds, add instrumentation or change the way a song is arranged.
“If they want input, I’m always an open ear. I can throw a part down on something or help arrange something if need be,” he said. “But some bands really know what they want to do and … just need help getting the right sound.”
Of course, he loves those moments during playback after bands have nailed a particular performance. “Watching their faces as they realize that that’s the take is really cool,” he conceded.
In addition to wrapping up a few recordings for other bands this spring, Clarke is working on a new solo project as well as a recording for Clarke, Reed and Meadows.
“Then, we will close up for the summer a bit, won’t do as much recording as I kind of delve more into live sound,” he said. “Then come fall, we’ll reopen and hopefully book in some more bands.”
Beyond tracks from Upstairs, Man Studios, this week’s episode of Local Spins on WYCE — which spotlights Michigan artists at 11 a.m. Fridays and 5 p.m. Sundays on WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org — also featured brand new singles by The War and Treaty, Lafayette Gunter, Bruce Matthews Band, Birdie Countryand Joshua Davis, as well as music from Nathan Walton & The Remedy and Austin Benzing.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE (5/17/24)
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