FROM ANALOG TO ATMOS: EVERGROOVE STUDIO CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF MAKING MUSIC

The nationally recognized Colorado recording studio marked its 20th anniversary with members of the music community at its annual celebration on August 29

DENVER, CO, UNITED STATES, September 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Evergroove Studio celebrated 20 years of making music in the Colorado foothills on Saturday, August 29, bringing together artists, clients, friends and members of the regional music community for its annual studio party and milestone anniversary celebration.

For two decades, musicians have made the drive into the mountains near Evergreen to make records, find their sound and become part of Evergroove’s creative community.

Founded by Brad and Jenny Smalling, Evergroove marked the occasion by welcoming artists and collaborators from across its history.

BUILT BY HAND
Brad’s road to becoming a studio owner was anything but conventional.

A guitarist from North Texas who became fascinated with recording as a teenager, Brad studied guitar performance before building a successful career in information technology. Recording remained a passion, and he began teaching himself the craft with a modest home setup.

After Brad and Jenny purchased their foothills property in 2001, construction on Evergroove began in 2003. The original studio was designed by renowned studio designer Wes Lachot, who traveled to Colorado to develop the room on-site.

Brad balanced the studio dream with making a living, working as a commercial electrical apprentice while continuing to build Evergroove at night.

The studio officially opened in 2006 with a straightforward mission: create a professional recording environment independent musicians could afford and where artists would be treated as creative partners.

“It’s not our music. Our goal is to serve,” Brad says of the studio’s approach. The engineer’s role, he believes, is not to impose ego or technology on a recording, but to help artists realize the music they came there to make.

BUILT BY COMMUNITY
Evergroove’s first paying session came from Americana band Switchgrass, beginning a relationship that continued across multiple projects.

From there, the studio grew largely through word of mouth. Brad’s involvement in Denver’s live music community introduced him to artists who eventually found their way to Evergroove. The studio later became a multi-year sponsor of Denver’s Underground Music Showcase, operating an Evergroove-branded stage and placing itself directly within the independent music community it was created to serve.

That grassroots approach helped Evergroove grow beyond Evergreen into a destination for musicians from across Colorado and eventually around the country.

Along the way, the studio weathered the 2008–2009 recession, shrinking recording budgets, the rise of affordable home-recording technology, streaming and dramatic changes in how music is created and released.

Through those shifts, Brad and Jenny continued to bet on Evergroove. During one of its most difficult periods, Jenny encouraged Brad not to abandon the studio for a more predictable job, believing Evergroove needed his full commitment.

BUILT FOR WHAT’S NEXT
Evergroove evolved from its original 32-channel analog console and outboard equipment to a digital workflow and eventually into immersive audio.

The biggest leap came during the COVID-19 shutdown. After first experiencing Dolby Atmos at NAMM in 2020, Brad began thinking seriously about immersive sound. When the pandemic temporarily closed the studio, he and Jenny recognized that Evergroove’s next chapter would require another major investment.

Sitting together at their kitchen island, Brad raised the idea of converting the studio for Dolby Atmos. Jenny’s response was simple:

“Do it.”

The transformation included a new immersive monitoring system built around Focal Trio11 main speakers. Evergroove also entered an endorsing artist relationship with Focal, a partnership it continues today.

The room was ultimately approved for Dolby Atmos, establishing Evergroove as a leading Colorado immersive-audio facility.

Soon after the system was installed, Brad was introduced to Larry Ciancia, manager of Carly Simon, who needed an Atmos-capable room to review the immersive mixes of Simon’s landmark album No Secrets, mixed in Atmos by acclaimed engineer Frank Filipetti.

What began as a place to review the mixes led to Brad being asked to serve as the album’s Atmos mastering engineer.

Evergroove has since continued working on immersive projects across genres, including recent Atmos work with Buju Banton. Its national reach has also expanded through recording work with artists including J Balvin, whose visit helped open another door into major-label and GRAMMY^®-connected projects.

Yet independent artists remain at the heart of the business.

A NEW GENERATION AT EVERGROOVE
Evergroove’s future is also being shaped by engineers who developed within the studio.

Athena Wilkinson first arrived as an intern in 2017, expanding her engineering skills under Brad’s mentorship. She stayed connected to Evergroove, assisted on projects and later joined the team more formally.

After hearing Dolby Atmos at the studio in 2022, Wilkinson became increasingly involved in immersive audio. She has since become a full-time member of the team, serving as Evergroove’s primary tracking engineer and mixing projects in stereo and Atmos. She has also shared that expertise with other engineers, including teaching Atmos through MixHer.

Her progression from intern to engineer and educator reflects Evergroove’s commitment to developing the next generation of audio professionals.

THE NEXT 20 YEARS
As Evergroove enters its third decade, Brad and Jenny are already looking ahead.

Possibilities include expanding with an additional room, deepening the studio’s Dolby Atmos work, moving further into film and post-production and exploring immersive formats including audiobooks.

Brad also wants Evergroove to become an increasingly valuable resource for independent artists navigating immersive audio—providing high-level Atmos work without losing the accessibility and collaborative spirit on which the studio was founded.

Twenty years after opening the doors, the goal remains remarkably simple:

Serve the artist. Serve the music. Keep evolving.

The August 29 celebration honored everyone who helped make Evergroove’s first 20 years possible while setting the stage for whatever comes next.

ABOUT EVERGROOVE STUDIO
Founded by Brad and Jenny Smalling and opened in 2006, Evergroove Studio is a full-service recording, mixing, mastering and Dolby Atmos facility located in the Colorado foothills near Evergreen. Created as an accessible, artist-centered alternative for independent musicians, Evergroove has grown into a nationally connected recording destination serving artists across multiple genres.

While its technology and reach have evolved, Evergroove remains grounded in the philosophy on which it was built: creating an environment where artists are free to create their best music.

Thornell Jones
The Ovation Agency
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Written By: EIN Presswire