ABOUT

The Studio

7 Hills Studio is a small/mid-sized recording studio in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle (since 2000!). We have everything you need to make an amazing record and we’re walking distance from restaurants, bars, coffee, and groceries.

We’ve hosted countless projects: from acclaimed indie rock to platinum selling hip-hop, single-day sessions and weeks-long lockouts. It’s an ideal size for bands to record an album or EP, track overdubs, or capture solo performances with excellent acoustics.

Today, the studio is a partnership between owner Lawrence Norman and engineer/producer Dylan Wall. The facility can be booked by artists or freelance engineers who need a place to record.

History

7 Hills studio was designed and built as a labor of love in 1999. Lawrence enlisted friends and pros to bring his independent studio dreams to life, and doors were first opened in 2000. Since then, the studio has weathered the analog to digital transition and the continuous development that’s come to define Seattle – you can’t beat a great sounding space!

In the early days the studio was all about growth. Buttermilk Records was founded in the late 90s, and the studio was built as a hub for the label’s releases. The space was quickly filled with gear, including the wall-to-wall Trident console, and many great bands and engineers made use of the studio.

As the industry shifted to digital in the 2000s, the studio swapped its tape machine for Pro Tools and engineer/producer Amos Miller took over the day-to-day. Bookings shifted to a production focus with longer lock-out sessions, and a few gold records were cut here in the process.

But the community-building component of the studio has been (and remains), an important part of the studio’s mission. Over the years, we’ve set aside time for classes and educational programs: Seattle Times – Inner-city kids find “a powerful voice”

In 2017, Dylan was spotted doing tech work in another nearby studio, sparking a conversation that would grow into today’s partnership. Since then, there’s been a massive renovation of the studio: refurbishing the vintage Trident TSM console, building new features, and adding tons of new equipment and instruments. We’re ready for the next 10 years!

Past Artists

This list is missing a lot – if that includes you, please let us know!