A RECORDING studio has undergone a £40,000 remix.

The Shamrock Recording Studio, in Balderstone, has been home to some East Lancashire’s biggest bands and some iconic tunes of the Acid House era were recorded there.

But now owner Seamus Heffernan, 60, has extended the studios in his family home in Commons Lane with help from designers Terry Allen and Alex Martindale and threw his doors open to give people a look at the new facilities this week.

Seamus, a talented musician who plays bass for English country dance band Union Street, started operating commercially in February 1989 with electronics engineer friend Steven Dilworth and started working with local young bands.

But as the Acid House craze swept the nation and made its home in East Lancashire, Hardcore Uproar’s High on Hope was recorded at Shamrock.

And Seamus said he was delighted to have played a small part in the musical wave.

He said: “It was quite a departure from the rock and roll, guitar-based music we had done previously.

“We started doing a lot of sequencing and sampling and a lot of DJs came in. It was very exciting to be involved with the dance scene.

“In fact, a 90s Channel 4 documentary called “Hooked” covered Blackburn’s Hardcore Uproar recording at Shamrock as part of the exposé on ecstasy culture.”

The studio also had regular visits from Colne indie The Milltown Brothers, who recorded tracks in Balderstone, along with local bands Monkey Talks and Bad To The Bone among others using the roof space and garage to be able to record their sections.

Most recently, the studio has hosted X Factor star Kelsey Gill and YouTube sensation Teddy Mac, who recorded the vocal parts for his #songaminute album, released to raise funds for World Alzheimer’s Day.

Seamus said: “It’s taken 18 months and its been quite expensive because of the specialist treatments we’ve needed for the acoustics.

“But I’m very happy with the result and we can continue to make great music in the new studio.”