Musician set to reopen recording studio in Blackburn

Imogen Storey said it felt like “the world was crashing down around her” after plans were announced to turn her Blackburn recording studio into flats, but is now determined to find a new town centre venue for budding artists to lay down tracks.

Imogen opened Esche Haus Audio, in Railway Road, with James Duckworth, in 2019, with the aim of giving bands a professional and accessible place to create music.

News of its closure was announced last June.

The council has now approved plans to convert the top three floors of the former Thwaites House, where the studio was based, into apartments.

Imogen said: “When developers took on our old building to turn it into flats we felt like our whole world was crashing down around us.

“Everything we’d built up, the work we’d put in to help musicians go from writing in their bedrooms to releasing their first singles to playing shows like Glastonbury - we felt like we were making a real difference to the grassroots music scene and it all came a halt last June.”

Imogen is determined to bring a recording studio back to Blackburn and will be working with the council to find a new venue.

Imogen Storey and James Duckworth in a potential new recording studio site (Image: Imogen Storey) The business will be operating as Club Haus studios going forward.

Imogen said: “We’ve spent the last 12 months picking up the pieces and are proud to be working alongside Blackburn with Darwen Council to reopen in the centre.

“We’re so excited to get back to doing what we were doing on an even bigger and better scale.”

Imogen Storey and James Duckworth (Image: Instagram/@liammaxwellphotos) Imogen, lead vocalist of the band UGLY CLUB,  has created a GoFundMe to raise money for the new studio. Anyone who donates will be offered a half-price studio session when the new site opens.

Imogen said: “We are doing what we can now to pick up the pieces and start again but a recording studio is such a niche business.

"We make music, but we need quiet, so we are limited as to where we can set up a new studio.

“Anywhere we do set up needs substantial soundproofing and adaptations; this is a very costly process.

“We’ve created a GoFundMe where we’re offering studio sessions half price when we’re back open for anyone who places a donation in the GoFundMe to help us get back on our feet quicker.

"That, alongside the help from the council, is going to mean when we’re back, we’ll be back with a bang. Watch this space.”

Before its closure, the Blackburn studio had many accolades under its belt. It recently received a plaque from the Official UK Charts, for helping to bring a charting album to life.

Imogen Storey and James Duckworth with an Official UK Charts number one plaque (Image: Imogen Storey)

At the former venue, the team spent a month engineering the guitars, vocals and backing vocals for Marisa and The Moths album What Doesn’t Kill You.

The album was ranked to best album in the UK rock charts.

Imogen said: “They block-booked the studio and we spent a month playing with different microphones, experimenting with different tones and sounds and creating magic.

“The plaque recognised our role in the creation of the album as studio engineers - it was awarded by the official UK charts for the album having achieved number one status in the official UK rock and metal charts.

“We felt an immense amount of pride receiving the award, we’ve put years of blood, sweat and tears into various projects with so many artists who create incredible music.

"Receiving the plaque felt like a real ‘this is what we’re made of’ moment.

“The plaque is definitely going to take pride of place at our new studio!”

Councillor Quesir Mahmood, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s executive member for growth and development, said: “It has been great to witness how Imogen and James have grown Esche Haus Audio from a small recording studio to a successful professional studio, platforming local artists and musicians.

"Despite the difficulties of keep the business going through the pandemic they have contributed substantially to the growth and diversity of the creative and cultural sector in Blackburn.

"As an established creative business and valuable cultural asset to the town centre, the Council is keen to help the studio find suitable alternative premises and are working with them to relocate them into a Council-owned property.”

You can donate to the GoFundMe by visiting: https://gofund.me/ff418eb6