Meet the brains behind Foxhole Studios: "Like a 24-hour gym, but for making music."

Foxhole Studios is a Perth-based production space available for use 24 hours of the day, every day of the week. Essentially it's a 24-hour gym for music, one that gives you access to high end equipment to help you record and work on your shit at any hour of your choosing. It also doubles as a rehearsal space, and we had a chat to owner/operator Chad Blondel to find out a little more.

First up, tell us a bit about your own history in the music industry?

I have been a songwriter and producer since I left high school, as well as being in multiple bands over the years. As a songwriter I’ve toured overseas, won and been nominated for WAM Song of the Year and the Vanda & Young. Over the last few years I’ve been touring internationally as a session musician with some of the bands I’ve produced records for.

My recording studio has existed in different forms, from bedroom to the setup we have today, for the last 13 years. The first record I produced professionally was Elora Danan’s We All Have Secrets EP, which got a great reception and set me on the course of full time music.

And what about Foxhole Studios – when and why you opened it up?

Foxhole has just seen its second birthday. The idea and funds were developed over a two-year period before that. The concept sprung from my love of music and own struggles as a young producer to access quality recording gear and space on my very small budget. We saw an opportunity to offer a facility where everyone pays a little, but gets a lot. It was very important to us that our members have access to world-class gear and have unbridled freedom to create, hence being open 24 hours a day.

Why’d you decide to create a 24 hour studio?

I’m a night owl, and I know a lot of studio guys and musicians that prefer to work at night. But then there are morning people who like to get in the studio first thing, so we really wanted to cater to every type of personality. Some of our members have families and hectic work schedules so being able to shoot down to Foxhole whenever they find themselves with some free time is invaluable to them.

Besides the 24 hour system, what else do you provide that sets you apart from other spaces?

I would say the price. At $10/hour there is no comparison really. You may be able to find a cheap day in a studio now and then, but not 52 days a year, for just $10/hour. And the gear, spaces and autonomy you get for that price is really something special.

What are some of the challenges that come from running a 24-hour studio space?

All of our members are legends and really respect the place, so our challenges are pretty minimal. We rely heavily on our online booking system and website, so keeping that all ship-shape takes some doing. All in all the 24 hour model actually frees up everyone involved. I guess remembering to keep the TP stocked up in the toilets in my biggest challenge!

Who are some of the artists you’re most stoked to have work at Foxhole?

We’ve been lucky to have some really great bands taking advantage of the space. Two bands (Great Gable and Pacific) that used the space to record have hit over 100k plays on Spotify, with one hitting over 250k! We also have prog giants Voyager as part of the furniture since we opened. One of our members recorded a song at the studios that won WAM song of the year in the world category.

For us, we are most stoked about seeing young guys just starting out, having access to the tools I wish I had at their age.

What’s the rest of the year have instore for Foxhole?

As always, we are adding beautiful mics and toys for our members to use. I think we will add a reel-reel tape machine next. We are also looking at putting on some live shows and parties on at the studios soon, recording the gig for bands so they have promo content. We would love to open some more locations around Australia in the future.

Find out more info at the Foxhole WEBSITE, or follow them on FACEBOOK.