A Winnipeg recording studio is hoping to capture the raw, live sound of the city’s diverse music scene with a new web series.
From the Attic, the brainchild of engineer Cam Loeppky and video producers Mike Requeima and Tom Elvers, launched last week with a fiery performance by the Greg Macpherson Band, recorded at Argyle Studio’s North End home.
Loeppky said the series, which will highlight musicians from punk to hip-hop to country and beyond, was born out of trying to find solutions at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During COVID, there was a sustainability grant, and I thought this would be a perfect time to make this a reality,” he said.
Although the grant only covered production of the first two episodes, Loeppky said the team has continued on a ‘volunteer’ basis and currently has seven shows either completed or in the works.
In addition to the set by Macpherson, which already has thousands of views, From the Attic has released a performance by up-and-coming post-punk revivalists Fold Paper, with sets by hardcore band Age of Self and singer-songwriter Claire Therese slated for early March.
Loeppky, also a co-owner of music venue the Good Will Social Club, said he continues to see some music fans hesitant to go back to live concerts after the pandemic — not to mention people’s entertainment budgets suffering from the effects of inflation — so he’s hopeful From The Attic will appeal to those still craving live music, but want to be able to watch it from home.
“If people can’t afford their groceries, how can they afford to go to a concert?
“The response has been better than I expected at first, so that’s good,” he said.
“On (Macpherson’s) video, it’s been almost 2,000 views so far…. It’s a lot of people. If he was playing a concert for 2,000 people … that would be pretty amazing.”
Requeima said he thinks there’s a growing appetite for this kind of content, as many Winnipeggers got used to video performances, live streams and other online entertainment during the pandemic.
“A lot more people are broke, especially young people, so it’s like an alternative to going out,” he said.
“Hopefully people will still go out too, but I think people have kind of gotten used to staying at home more and they’re looking for stuff like this.”
Requeima said the lineup of artists speaks to Winnipeg’s reputation for music of all genres, as well as the series creators’ own tastes. It’s also a way to help artists — especially those who are developing their careers — reach new audiences.
“The way it’s rolling out, the different performers will hit different demographics. We all kind of mess with a variety of genres,” he said.
“A lot of the artists have their own fanbase already, but some of them are newer bands as well, that we’ll be helping … and they’ll be helping us.”
The series can be found on YouTube and at the Argyle Studio website.
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