Smart Studios is located in Madison, Wisconsin and has welcomed legendary bands to record there like Nirvana. | Unsplash/Caught in Joy
Smart Studios is located in Madison, Wisconsin and has welcomed legendary bands to record there like Nirvana. | Unsplash/Caught in Joy
A historic music recording studio in Madison is currently under restoration after a new owner purchased the building.
Neka Allen, a 35-year-old Kenosha resident, purchased the building for $495,000 in September 2021, according to NBC 15.
“I was just looking at real estate in Wisconsin for some reason and came across this place,” Allen said, according to NBC 15. “I actually randomly saw the listing and just like fell in love with it."
The former home of Smart Studios, Nirvana recorded the album "Nevermind" at the Madison-based recording studio in 1991, according to NBC 15.
The Smart Studios website states that Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, L7 and Death Cab For Cutie have recorded there.
“There’s so much Madison history and music history connected to this place,” Allen said, according to NBC 15.
Allen is taking a DIY approach to restore the building, according to NBC 15.
“It’s been fun," Allen said, according to NBC 15. "It’s a lot of work, a lot of hours, a lot of money but it’s been fun and just doing it yourself, you get so much more of a feeling of pride and then seeing progress and the transformation that happens."
Allen said that a lot of people have reached out, thanking him for restoring the building.
Smart Studios was established in 1982 by Butch Vig and Steve Marker. The studio plays a significant role in the story of music after the 1970s "explosion," according to the studio's website. For Allen, she hopes to continue on with that legacy.
“My motto has always been 'Well I can’t make it worse than it was,'" Allen told NBC 15. "So I’m just going to do it."
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