Making tracks in town

Sound At Manor a home for musicians

By Skyelar Roberts | Manor Ink

Livingston Manor, NY – Have you ever wanted to be like a professional band and record your own music in Livingston Manor? Well, now you can at Sound At Manor.

Oakley Munson opened his analog and digital recording studio in 2021 to create an accessible space where working artists can afford to record. He bought the property in 2017 and made use of its decrepit 1850s barn as a remodeling project. By 2020, with the help of his housemates and neighbors, the barn was converted into a state-of-the-art recording studio, and since then Munson has been recording musicians right here in the hamlet’s “Big Backyard.”

Munson believes the cost of professional recording can be a barrier for artists who would otherwise love the opportunity to work in a studio setting. “Sometimes, if you go into a studio, it’s $1,000 a day, and then somebody’s sick or someone isn’t feeling up to it,” he said. “It’s just a more relaxed feeling here when you’re not on the clock.”

Munson’s career began when he was in high school and he recorded his band on cassette with a 4-track machine. Called the Rondells, the group became fairly successful, opening for bands like Sleater Kinney and Sonic Youth. Lately Sound at Manor has recorded albums from national and international touring bands like Natural Child, The Nude Party (clothed) and The Black Lips, in addition to smaller local projects.

Munson wants his clients to feel comfortable, and emphasizes fun and taking time to make the music they wish to. He offers a sliding-scale fee structure to work within artists’ recording budgets, and the studio is also available as an hourly practice space if a musician just needs somewhere to practice. While the studio is geared for creating music for full albums, it also offers a range of other recording services, like remote post-production and podcast editing.

The property features private lodging for traveling artists needing a place to stay while working on their project. It also has a flock of chickens, ducks and a peacock named Randall to share the scenic backdrop of the southwestern Catskills.

Sound At Manor is influenced by do-it-yourself recording pioneers like Lee “Scratch” Perry, Joe Meek and early Motown engineers, producers who came up with legendary signature sounds using whatever they had available. Munson says, “It’s like a lot of DIY punk stuff that, to me, just sounds more raw and honest.”

To learn more about Sound At Manor and see videos of the band, visit soundatmanor.com.