Despite the relative safety of the film and television industry during the wildfires, the music sector has faced considerable devastation. Many home studios, crucial hubs for music production, have been engulfed by the fires along with the homes of numerous artists.
Among those affected is the renowned music producer Greg Wells, who recently faced the devastating destruction of his cutting-edge Dolby Atmos mixing space and recording studio located in Pacific Palisades.
Wells, who worked on the "Wicked" and "Greatest Showman" soundtracks, and collaborated with music icons like Adele and Katy Perry, found himself in a state of utter disbelief and shock upon realizing the extent of damage to his meticulously designed studio while working on "Wicked: For Good" soundtrack.
In an interview with Variety, he revealed, "I had such a collection of incredible recording equipment, like a custom-made, 48-channel analog console made by Paul Wolff, who used to own API, and 17 speakers in that room, six in the ceiling, three on each wall, two on the rear wall, four massive subwoofers up front — just a magical, magical room."
"But I just have to remind myself, it's really down to the people and to the ideas, and none of that stuff makes a song better. So I'm not gonna let it define me."
In his reflections, Wells stressed the importance of individuals and concepts over material goods.
He found comfort in housing his tools in a distinct workspace in Santa Monica.
Interestingly, he acquired this studio from a fellow producer, Butch Walker, who had also faced setbacks due to wildfires in California and moved to Tennessee.
Amid the recent unfortunate events, Wells found himself facing a common plight shared by many in the music industry. Not only did producer-mixer Bob Clearmountain suffer the loss of his home and studio in the Palisades, but also numerous musicians in Altadena experienced a similar double blow.
In the aftermath of the calamity, Wells remains positive in his quest for a resolution. Recognizing the difficult and prolonged nature of the reconstruction process in Pacific Palisades, he harbors concerns about the potential reoccurrence of such tragedies.
While Wells and his loved ones are weathering the magnitudes along the coast, he recently made a journey back to Santa Monica to retrieve his musical instruments from the studio.
As he contemplates the next steps for his involvement in "Wicked: For Good," there remains some uncertainty about where the project will pick up again.
"Everything's backed up in a safe way," the producer revealed of his MIDI demos that he did for both movies' soundtracks prior to their shooting.
"The clock is ticking because we're trying to record the orchestra in May this year; last year (for 'Part One') it was June, so there's a lot to do between now and then. And I've lost all my computers except for one."
"There's just a lot to replace and figure out where I'm gonna do this and how I'm gonna do it. And that's all manageable. I'll figure it out."
