Industry Interview: Phil Jaurigui, Owner & Founder of Swing House Studios

Stage 1 rehearsal/showcase room at Swing House

Ask anyone who has attempted a full-time music career it's not always as glamorous as it would seem. There are incredible highs and unimaginable lows, nevertheless, no matter how long your journey may last one thing is undeniable - The Biz is damn exciting. For Phil Jaurigui, Owner & President of Swing House Rehearsal and Recording Inc., maintaining a successful studio space is no easy task, but for the last 15 years Phil has managed to maintain and make a name for himself via Swing House. We had a chance to catch up with Phil to reminisce about the former Cherokee Studios, wrap about the new Lofts @ Cherokee and also touch on the importance of updating your business model, again and again...

The Biz

I first started Swing House 15 years ago after losing my job at Capital Records. Soon thereafter, I started working for a guy named Dean Chamberlain at Domion Sound on Lilian Way in Hollywood. It was at Domion I learned how to record and run a PA system. Following the Northridge earthquake Dean decided to break his lease, sell his equipment and go out of business. With two credit cards and no business experience whatsoever, I bought Dean's gear, which included Neil Diamond's old PA system and Swing House Studios was born.

Ali, the Swing House Mascot mixing on the API console.

When I first conceived of the studio I was also in a band, and thought it would be a perfect way for us to record and rehearse for free while also making a little bit of money on the side by renting it out other musicians. Little did I know how much the business would take over my life; the studio was flourising much more than my band and I quickly realized that I was better off being behind the scenes, still making the music just in a different capacity as a full-time studio owner. I dropped the band to focus on the business and have been just as involved in the music ever since. I went from one-room rehearsal space with a recording studio in the loft to eventually expanding to 3 rehearsal rooms, and offering equipment rentals.

Then one day the Red Hot Chili Peppers came into our lives and proceeded to take over the main studio for a year. Now although this was a good problem to have, it left me having to turn away all the other clients which left me completely torn because we're talking about big name bands like Jane's Addiction, Weezer, Goo Goo Dolls, and Green Day who all wanted to rent this popular room that the Chili Peppers were using. It was then in 2001 that we picked up our small little one room studio on Cahuenga Boulevard a “sketchy & scary place" at the time with drug addicts and homeless people running rampant - very different from the hip, cool street that it is now - and moved into what once was Tim Burton's movie studio, and our current location on Willoughby & Formosa.


Remembering Cherokee Studios

It was early in my career when I was introduced to Cherokee Studios. I had always heard rumors about Cherokee and the Robb Brothers, its classic studio vibe, and who used to record there. It seemed as though they saw every major band from the 1970s come through their doors, everyone from Linda Ronstadt, and Journey to The Eagles and The Beatles. A specific memory I had was from back in 1995 when I was asked to deliver some amps and other sound equipment over to Liz Phair who was recording there at the time. As a young studio owner, I was always really excited about meeting other studio owners and I had heard a lot of good things about the Robbs, so visiting this studio to see how they operated, check out how they did things was a cool opportunity for me. Cherokee was everything I imagined it would be. Dark wood paneling, oriental rugs in every room, incense burning and an undeniable rock-n-roll vibe. I'm a huge advocate of preserving the integrity of landmarks, especially those that have made an impact on music, so I think its very cool how the Robbs have chosen to preserve Cherokee's legacy by partnering with a modern company like REthink and putting the space to re-use. I'd love to have an office at the new Lofts @ Cherokee Studios myself!

LA's Musical Spin Cycle

Back in the day we had iconic music venues like Scream at Park Plaza where bands like Jane's Addiction, Iggy Pop, Faster Pussycat, Guns n Roses and all the most popular bands from the early 90s were playing on a regular basis. Then there was The Coconut Teazer over on Sunset and Cresent Heights, a place I practically lived at for most of my early years in Los Angeles. Aside from the great live acts at CT's, what was equally memorable were the free beers and hot dogs they served. As a small business owner trying to stay afloat, you made sure to know where the free buffets and happy hours were in this city. As much as I miss places like the Starwood and Scream, I also know that everything runs in cycles, especially in the entertainment industry. Studio 54 was only in existence for a couple of years but that doesn't diminish its importance as a music landmark. Nowadays, I think venues like The Roxy, The Viper Room and The Echo are doing a great job of resurrecting the music scene and breathing new life into an industry that is rapidly shrinking. One of the best things about L.A. is that there will always be a place to be "discovered".

Swing House act, The Tender Box will be playing this weekend at the Sunset Strip Music Festival at the Key Club on Saturday, September 12 @ 2pm.

That'll Leave a Mark

Nowadays, my life as a studio owner consists of wearing several different hats, everything from producing music showcases, artist development, tour management, and of course, renting rehearsal space to some of the greatest bands (new and old) that have ever crept on the scene, like Secondhand Seranade, The Slits, Elbow, Mike Snow, Otep, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Maroon 5, Green Day, Mars Volta and She Wants Revenge. In addition to managing the day-to-day business of a rehearsal and recording studio, I manage two bands called Astra Heights and The Tender Box who's new EP came out earlier this Summer. We also do comprehensive outdoor event production for annual music festivals such as the Sunset Strip Music Festival happening this weekend on the World Famous, Sunset Strip. I recently co-produced a Love & Rockets tribute album called 'New Tales to Tell' that was released early this Summer featuring artists like Frank Black of the Pixies, Flaming Lips, and the Dandy Warhols.

I don't know if I will still be running a rehearsal space in another 15 years, so much like the Robbs, I intend on parlaying my business know-how and the Swing House name into a full-time career in artist management, and producing large scale event production in L.A. as well as on the road. There might not always be a need for a large rehearsal space, and Swing House "the building" might not always be here, but the legacy that we have created will carry on.

Industry Interview: Nic Adler of The Roxy Theatre

It's no secret that Hollywood serves as the world's musical and cultural touchstone when it comes to who's "hot" on the scene. The biggest names in entertainment, everyone from Bob Marley to T-Rex, have made their way through LA at one point or another, and chances are they have paid a visit to or played a set at The Roxy Theatre. This iconic live performance venue in the heart of Hollywood has seen its fair share of shenanigans in the 35 years it's been around, and continues to reinvent itself for each new generation of music lovers.


State your name and occupation for the beautiful people of Los Angeles please (here is your chance to shout out your biz, so do it. Do it.)

Nic Adler, Owner of The Roxy Theatre in Hollywood. More importantly, I’m a LA native, I love this city, and I’ve been fortunate enough to take over the family business. I’m a member of the Sunset Strip Business Association (SSBA), and also heavily involved with the Sunset Strip Music Festival which is in its second year now, and scheduled for September 10-12, 2009.


If you could resurrect any musical LA landmark(s) what you would it be? (i.e. Coconut Grove, Madame Wongs, Hong Kong Café, Aron’s Records)?

More than any landmark I’d like to see the (Sunset) Strip as a whole achieve the same relevance and importance it had back in the day, that is really the goal of the SSBA and events like the Sunset Strip Music Festival. Neighborhood events like these remind people that LA is the music capital of the world, promotes the legacy of the strip and the importance of the past.

In the 70s, bands like Bob Marley, and The Clash weren’t playing venues like the Staples Center they were playing either huge stadiums or smaller clubs like the Roxy, the Whisky a Go Go, the Troubadour, and maybe the Palace. Back then, clubs didn’t look at neighboring venues as “competition” instead they were thriving by working together. My goal today is for the Strip to be reinstated as the breeding ground for legends just like it was back then. It would be a coup for us who are a part of the Strip, and I think that we are starting to see that actually happen.


The Palladium has recently gone under the knife. The Tower Records on Sunset has closed their doors for good (1971-2009). In New York, CBGB’s lost its battle with the city. Both Kurt Cobain and Neil Young have been quoted as saying, ‘It’s better to burn out than fade away.’ Thoughts..?

I was turning on to Sunset from Doheny one morning when I saw a guy standing on the street corner holding a sign that read ‘TOWER RECORDS CLOSING *SALE* 40% OFF.’ Losing that landmark (Tower Records), we lost a "leg on the table," so to speak. I thought to myself, ‘How many other landmarks are going to disappear if we don’t do something about it?’ That was a huge wake up call for me, and that was when I got heavily involved with the Sunset Strip Business Association three years ago.

In recent years, home grown music communities have been sprouting up in neighborhoods like Silverlake, for example, and it has also helped that radio stations have gotten more involved. We are also starting to see music venues work together like they did back in the day, still highly competitive but in a good way. Our current relationships with neighborhood venues like the Viper room and the Key Club, are making the Strip so much stronger because we are all striving for the same thing. We are resurrecting a 3-4 block radius and with that re-introducing people to one of the most famous locations in the world, the Sunset Strip. I want multiple music communities in LA, because I think LA can handle it. We have to keep moving forward. When you start to lose that sense of community, you die a slow death.

The Lofts @ Cherokee Studios are hoping to keep the legacy alive for a whole new generation of music lovers. Where do you see your business 5/10/20 years down the road?

Cherokee Studios was an important part of LA's musical legacy, so I think that what the Lofts @ Cherokee Studios is trying to accomplish is important. It’s hard to care about something when it’s not relevant to today's audience and that is exactly why you have to come up with new ways to reinvent yourself. For us at the Roxy, our online presence is not only important but imperative and we view it as the future of things to come.

The Roxy has been around for 35 years which means generations of music goers have had an “experience” at our club. These days, parents come in with their children to see a new band and tell us about the wild times they had here back in the day. There is nothing better than feeling like we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. Hearing these type of stories really inspires me and reminds me to never take for granted the legacy we have created here.



With the dawn of social networks like Facebook and Twitter, we have been given a great opportunity to interact directly with our patrons every single day through one-on-one viral conversation. The reason we feel it so important for our venue to have such a solid presence online is so that we continue to stay relevant by fulfilling the specific requests of our current patrons. Because of our online efforts, we are currently ranked the number one music venue on Twitter and this sort of thing is what is going to keep us around for another 35 years.

For complete concert + event listings and more information about The Roxy Theatre, check out their website!