The Hobby Shop is located in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The surrounding area contains all needed amenities; taco trucks, restaurants, parking, and lodging.
The facility is made up of two independent recording studios working together under one roof. Studio East is owned and operated by producer/composer Scott Gilman (Frank Black, Wires in the Walls, and Paramount Pictures) and Studio West is owned and operated by producer/engineer Andrew Murdrock a.k.a. “Mudrock” (Lou Barlow, Jango Bates, The Riverboat Gamblers). Together in 2004 they purchased the building, which was a hobby shop in the 1950s. They spent the next year knocking down walls and building two studios with the help of studio designer Vincent Van Haaff. They opened the facility in 2005 just in time to produce Avenged Sevenfold’s platinum City of Evil record. The Hobby Shop has gone on to facilitate sessions for local independent and national major label bands, film scores, and live concerts and events.
In addition to making records we have expanded into podcast and audiobook recording. We have worked with some of the countries largest and most successful media companies in the world, including Pushkin Industries: Podcast & Audiobook Production Company. Pushkin Industries is an American publisher of podcasts and audiobooks. It was co-founded in 2018 by Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg. As of 2021, it hosts over 25 podcasts. We have also paired to produce podcasts with Lemonada Media, a Minneapolis-HQed, women-led podcast network with millions of downloads each month. In 2021, Lemonada doubled its show lineup and tripled its revenue. The company currently has a full-time staff of 41 focused in the Twin Cities, New York City, and Los Angeles. Other podcast clients include A24, Pineapple Street Studios, WaitWhat, Spoke Media, and numerous independent podcasts.
Outside engineers are welcomed and can be accompanied by an assistant engineer. If you need an engineer, we can help you find one. Don’t hesitate to contact either studio with any questions.