A lifetime of experience in and around the music industry is the driving force behind Sound Biscuit Studios (Sevierville, TN) owner and producer, Dave Maggard’s mission. A self-built, state-of-the-art recording studio, performance and workshop space, and creative environment, Sound Biscuit specializes in working with aspiring artists through artist development, recording engineering and strategic planning, and now completing the puzzle, Maggard has embarked on creating a record label.

Dave Maggard, Sound Biscuit Studios; image submitted

With a substantial client list already in their back pocket including The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, C.J. Lewandowski (solo project), Jada Star and Barry J., and Mainline Express, Sound Biscuit has established themselves as a go-to studio and label for grassroots projects and artists. With a goal of creating innovative ways in partnering with artists, the label continues to think outside the box with a goal of motivating, inspiring and supporting artists in achieving their musical goals.

“Creating a label is simply the next step of evolving into who we want to be” says Maggard. “In the beginning my goal was to create a boutique studio, an environment that sparked creativity and a comfortable atmosphere for artists that were new to the studio environment, to take the time to help them understand and learn valuable processes involved in transferring their ideas into actual physical projects. Studios can be sterile and scary to those who have never experienced the process. My main goal was to educate, how to make the studio experience productive and cost effective as well as creative and less stressful. That was the beginning of what Sound Biscuit has evolved into. As the studio has grown, Bluegrass has become our main genre along with Americana and Folk. There’s nothing more exciting than to be a stepping stone in turning a dream into a reality.”

The label’s first release, Ozark Mandolin is a solo project from The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys’ C.J. Lewandowski. Since working with Lewandowski, Sound Biscuit has expanded to create with artists Jada Star and Barry J. on their release, Long Way Home, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys gospel album, God’s Love Is So Divine, as well as a project for the new group, Mainline Express, formed by Jesse Brock (formerly The Gibson Brothers) set for a June 2019 release.

Maggard has carried a love for music, performing and writing throughout his life. “Best I can remember, I got my first guitar at age 10,” he says. “My Dad is a music fan and his father was a devoted fan of Hank Williams as well as “Mountain Music” ; this probably ignited my interest in music at an early age. I grew up listening to Ralph Stanley, Doyle Lawson, J.D. Crowe as well as Dale McCurry, The Osborne Brothers, Jimmy Martin and Bill Monroe. These icons were the headliners at the Bluegrass festivals I enjoyed as a teenager.”

After a successful career in sculpting, Maggard felt the need to pursue an artistic outlet in music production. Having always had an ear for mixing and editing music, he enrolled at the “Recording Workshop” in Chillicothe Ohio for a formal education in audio recording. “At this point it was entirely a personal goal,” says Maggard, “but as I began to understand the technical side of recording and production, I became focused on pursuing a second career in the field and making music my life. That’s when I decided to create Sound Biscuit Productions.”

Founded in the Spring of 2014, Sound Biscuit Productions has established a reputation in the grassroots music community. On top of recording, engineering and producing, Maggard recently added on to the studio to accommodate intimate workshops for songwriting and instrumental styles featuring accomplished performing artists “ We have talked with and are hoping to offer workshops with Jerry Salley, Steve Gulley, Jesse Brock as well as other amazing writers and instrumentalists. We are currently putting together a workshop with Tim Stafford (Blue Highway) for this coming May.”

Looking to the future, Maggard is excited to be a part of making lots of great new music. “It’s exciting to have artists making Sound Biscuit their home base” says Maggard. “I’m humbled to have this opportunity to be involved in this process. It’s more like being part of a family than a business.”

For more information on Sound Biscuit Productions, visit www.soundbiscuitproductions.com.