Musical Traditions And Low Production Costs Set Foundations For Industry Success

Louisiana is known as the birthplace of jazz and is home to numerous Grammy award winners and nominees. The state’s renowned creative culture has nurtured legendary recordings artists — including Dr. John, Rebirth Brass Jazz Band, Trombone Shorty and Kenny Wayne Shepherd — and even inspired entire genres like swamp pop and zydeco. State-of-the-art recording studios, a unique production rebate and highly skilled studio musicians and engineers create an unrivaled opportunity for success in sound recording in Louisiana.

Since the launch of the music incentive program, the state’s already-established production industry has grown at a rapid pace. New and expanding recording studios and world-class musicians, engineers and other recording industry professionals now call Louisiana home.

Complementing the film industry in Louisiana, film scoring is quickly becoming an important part of the music production mix in the state, with the opening of Esplanade Studios in New Orleans. Additionally, Blade Studios in Shreveport offers a recording space unlike any other.

“It was great recording my last album ‘Goin’ Hom’e in my hometown at Blade Studios in Shreveport. North Louisiana now has a world-class recording studio that exists in part as a result of the various incentives Louisiana has for our industry, including the Sound Recording Investors Tax Credit. In a world of shrinking recording budgets, Louisiana has led the way in creating incentives for artists to come and work in our state.”– Kenny Wayne Shepherd, platinum recording artist

The Sound Recording Program Reduces Costs

The Sound Recording Program provides an 18 percent tax credit for qualified sound recording projects made in Louisiana. The program is subject to a cap of $2.16 million in tax credits per calendar year.

Music Projects

CENTRAL CITY: JOHN “PAPA” GROS

John “Papa” Gros is a bedrock New Orleans artist, a keyboardist, singer and songwriter who draws on funk, rhythm & blues and Americana song craft, who also knows his way around the Mardi Gras music repertoire about as well as anyone.

THE SOUL REBELS

The Soul Rebels have been described by the Village Voice as "the missing link between Public Enemy and Louis Armstrong

Kenny Wayne Shepherd: Lay it on down

Lay It On Down is the second album that Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s recorded in his hometown of Shreveport. Recording back home, according to Shepherd, was a positive influence.

SWEET CRUDE MUSIC-2018 RECORDING SESSIONS

Sweet Crude released their debut LP Créatures in April of 2017 on Rhyme and Reason Records and followed the release with performances at major US festivals such as Bonnaroo, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and High Sierra. In addition to headlining their own US tours, they hit the road with their dear friends, Tank and the Bangas, on a sold-out nationwide club tour that lasted through the summer and fall. The band also won the Big Easy Award for “Best Rock Band” in New Orleans in both 2017 and 2018. Sweet Crude has gone on to sign with Verve Records and will be releasing music on the label starting in the fall of 2019.”

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