Smart Studios
| Smart Studios | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Recording Studio |
| Location | Madison, Wisconsin, United States |
| Address | 1254 East Washington Avenue |
| Town or city | Madison, Wisconsin |
| Completed | Opened in 1983 |
| Closed | 2010 |
| Client | Various bands |
| Owner | Butch Vig Steve Marker |
| Landlord | Butch Vig |
Smart Studios was a recording studio located in Madison, Wisconsin. It was set up in 1983 by Butch Vig and Steve Marker to produce local bands. The studio produced bands such as Killdozer, The Smashing Pumpkins, L7, Tad, and Nirvana. After initial production and remix successes, the building became the focus of operations for Vig and Marker's own band, Garbage, who released their debut album in 1995.
The studio survived various mishaps, including flooding, and a backhoe crashing through the walls of the downstairs studio in 2003. On May 1, 2010, the studio closed its doors because of financial difficulties. In September 2013, producer and musician Brian Liston re-opened the former Smart Studios facility as Clutch Sound.
In 2012, the Wisconsin Historical Museum assembled an exhibit on the studio, Smart Sounds, Alt Music, Mad Scenes. Filmmaker Wendy Schneider made a documentary on Smart Studios, The Smart Studios Story (2016), in which she interviewed artists, record producers, and engineers who worked in the facility.