Hidden City Studios Turns Five
Elliott Lanam Celebrates a Half Decade of Recording Music
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Hidden City Studios is celebrating five years in business. Run by Elliott Lanam, the independent music production house is more robust than ever since its founding in September 2014. “It’s amazing. For me to go five years in an industry that seems to be dying, it speaks really well of the business and how we treat our customers,” Lanam said.
Lanam first started running his small studio in the infamous woodshop off Yanonali and Garden streets before migrating to its current nook at 924 Chapala Street. With the studio now clocking in at 1,400 square feet, Lanam is celebrating half a decade by adding a new grand piano, a Neve 1073 — “the best preamp you can buy,” he said — new guitars, new mics, and new software instruments and plug-ins. What’s more, Lanam plans to give back by raffling off a day of free studio time.
Lanam is a personable kind of person, and it’s with a sincerity of spirit that he runs his business. “To me, Santa Barbara is such a spoken-word town. You can’t try to fuck people over and send them a bill; it’s just not going to work — you have to be genuine and generous, and you have to really put the customer first and client first. That genuine way of running a business is crucial to longevity in this town,” he said.
