This week DeBraun Thomas profiles an artist who fell in love with a different aspect of making music.
Detroit had United Sound and Motown, New York had the Record Plant, Lexington has Shangri-la Productions. Duane Lundy opened Shangri-la in 2003 in his basement and then eventually moved the studio to its current location on National Avenue. Lundy started playing music at the age of 22 and says after he bought a guitar and a 4 track recorder he discovered he had a different passion for music.
“I was a big fan of Dan Lanois, Jimmy Page, Tchad Blake, Brian Eno, these other people that were more involved in the production side, you know, more heavy handed on that element and I fell in love with the textural side of music and that had more of an interest to me than necessarily playing out.”
Shangri-la has earned a reputation among not only local musicians but national and international artists as well. Rock and Roots artists such as Ben Sollee, Jim James, Daniel Martin Moore have all laid down tracks with Lundy just like local musicians as Coralee & The Townies and Matt Duncan. Lundy says the key to success is a serious work ethic.
“I think concentration and being open minded and uh treating it like, it’s work. A lot of people get into it for the wrong reasons and then they blame everyone else, I have a whole lotta people my age that moan that it didn’t happen for them or they can’t do it full time, but you know the reality was they never treated it like they did their other, a job. You go to work and you don’t spend all your time under the influence, that’s not really what it’s about.”
Duane Lundy currently performs with the band Chico Felini along with the work he does at Shangri-la. More information about Duane Lundy and Shangri-la Productions can be found at duanelundy.com, or at shangrilaproductions.net.