What defines a music scene? You need musicians and a place to perform. An audience is essential to spread the word. But what about a recording studio?
Ever since I was a music-obsessed teen, I’ve been fascinated by the intangible role that audio producers and engineers play. It started with Joey Sturgis, who arguably supported an entire era of Hot Topic metalcore and post-hardcore acts like Of Mice & Men and The Devil Wears Prada. His influence felt so prolific at the time that any record he produced was immediately anticipated among my musical peer group, even if we had never heard of the band before.
Fast-forward about 13 years, and I feel the same about SpiceHouse. Based in Sanford, this recording studio immediately caught my eye with blankstate.’s EP, LOTUS. Since then, I’ve fallen in love with other releases they’ve done, like Fifth Floor’s It’s Not That Serious EP and Between Two Trees’ softlock picking. These are all very talented groups, but there is also a consistency in their production quality that stands out.
It was only a matter of time before I sat down with co-owners Jose Gonzalez (guitarist in Weymouth) and Anunt Singh (drummer in Condado) to learn what inspired them to play music and eventually produce bands. What I gained most from our chat was how eager they are to help their clients grow as musicians. They are as invested in capturing the best sound as they are in making local music better for everyone.
How did you both become interested in music and audio production?
Jose: I started playing guitar at 13, and that was all I cared about for the next five years. During that process, I was like, “I’m writing these absolutely killer riffs” — they were not killer riffs — and decided to figure out how to record them. I wasn’t even in a band at this point. So I went to a local studio, found their rates, and thought they were egregious. That led to building my own setup instead, which I feel is a lot of people’s DIY journey.
I immediately invested in learning that, alongside getting better at guitar and playing in small local bands. Then, finally, I’m doing this full-time out of high school. I wasn’t forced to go to college or anything like that. But my girlfriend’s (now my wife) father was like, “You need to get a real job.” Somehow, I ended up in the video game industry for about six years and worked my way up to being a sound designer. But then I came back to this full force because it was always my “Plan A”.
Anunt: I started playing drums at 14. I think it’s interesting how we started playing our instruments around the same age, yet also later than other kids who started at about 7 or 8. I only wanted to play drums for all of high school. I loved it, and I fell in love with old-school metal music. Over time, my skills improved exponentially.
My recording interest was a much slower burn. I had a friend who played guitar, and the first thing we did was record a Breaking Benjamin cover song with me playing drums. I did all the research and had like two mics and an interface. That was the first thing I did, and it was just for fun.
Fast-forward to going to college for accounting and switching careers in 2019. This guy, Birdie Velazquez, asked if I wanted to play drums in his band. He was a couple of years behind me in high school, so we knew of each other. So I said sure, and Condado was formed from this Dragon Ball Z-style fusion of our skills.
Were there any specific artists or a broad genre spectrum that you were particularly drawn into?
Jose: Early on, it was the blues. I was very into blues guitar. My guitar hero early on was Carlos Santana. I was into very expressive, melodic things where he was doing all his own things, but it blended together well. That’s something I’ve always been really keen on. He might be shredding it up, but it still sits with everything, just how it’s meant to.
I got into metal a couple of years later and started to focus on that. That’s a shortcut to getting good at guitar, if you practice it right and do the right things. And then people who are pushing the limits of guitar, the Joe Satriani’s and Steve Vai’s of the world. Even seeing modern bands like Polyphia and the stuff they do. They get clowned for it all the time, but it’s cool to see how they’re pushing the envelope of the instrument and how far they can go with it.
Anunt: I was turned on to whatever Avenged Sevenfold was doing at the time. High school was also the first time I ever started listening to music and appreciating it on my own. City of Evil and their self-titled record were really influential.
Jose: Plus one for me on those too. I didn’t mention them cause I was going to keep that from the streets.
Those were also very influential records for my younger self, so this is a safe space.
Jose: I’m a sucker for harmony. I was really big on Iron Maiden, so Avenged Sevenfold made sense. Anunt and I talk about them all the damn time.
Anunt: Looking back at it, they’re really transcendent albums. The guitar and drum work, specifically, and also their songwriting, just spoke to me. I also got into the Foo Fighters, Nirvana, and the whole nineties grunge thing. Particularly, the way Dave Grohl plays drums spoke to me. He’s still one of my three favorite drummers. He plays what’s right for the song.
As my taste grew, it started to mellow out a little bit. I’m really into Benny Greb, Steve Jordan, and Aaron Sterling, who are groove- and pocket-oriented players. I am a meat-and-potatoes kind of drummer. I cut my teeth playing a lot of metal stuff and 80s rock stuff. I still enjoy that, but I like developing the skills that are helpful in a studio environment. Being able to vary dynamics whenever you want and being on time. That’s all the stuff that I drilled when I was younger and that I value.
I love pop music, especially Taylor Swift‘s third album. I played drums to that whole thing back to front many times because I was like, “There’s something to records that were recorded in Nashville. There’s a reason why they’re heralded as the songwriting city. I really need to know what this is about.” That gave me like all the fill vocabulary that I know. I pull from all those influences.
When did y’all get connected with each other?
Jose: I started what was called JGonzAudio in October 2020, which was just me hitting the ground running. I did that until 2023 when I started talking with Anunt about him helping me with various tasks. And then his band Condado dropped an LP that was fantastic. I’m like, “This is stupid. You should just be my partner, 50/50. Let’s open something together.”
SpiceHouse was born on paper in 2024. We’ve spent this last year learning how to work together and develop cohesive systems, with us working half remotely and half on-site together.
Anunt: Jose has a wealth of knowledge that I just didn’t have. There’s only so much you can teach yourself. You need to be able to talk to clients, talk to another person you can bounce ideas off of, and just learn the tools of the trade. It’s always been like a hobby I’m really passionate about. I’ve never done it as a career. But now I am and I’m really happy with how things are going.
What inspired the name SpiceHouse?
Jose: It’s two-fold. We’re really big on the organics of the recording process. What if you start with the right components and ingredients instead of processing and molding things on the backend?
That, to me, lends itself to the culinary experience, too. You’ll hear these chefs sourcing the finest of fine ingredients, even if they’re not the main part of any of the dishes. They’re just these small individual components that, when you add them up, become greater than their sum. Crushing the recording production process is no different.
Of course, we must do our best within our means because we don’t have some crazy $3 billion guitar and amp. But we’ll get the best thing we could possibly get our hands on. That’s the standard.
And then there’s the idea of us enjoying those earthy tones. Just something about it being organic, natural, and earthy. We were just spitballing ideas for what the name could be, and SpiceHouse was one that actually came up very early on, and we didn’t settle on it immediately. We were trying to generate a bunch of different ones. But it just made sense, especially since we’re a home studio.
Anunt: We are big into food. I come from an Indian family. My parents are from India, and I was very well-fed growing up. Bertier and I had a social account called Masala Sounds because we grew up with ethnic partners and eating all kinds of food. That’s part of who we are. SpiceHouse is like an evolution of that.
What is your process for working with clients, managing their feedback, and capturing their sound as best you can?
Jose: Before taking anyone in, we usually ask about inspiration for what they want. We try to be as informed as possible and get as much pertinent info from them. That way, when we’re in situations where we’re making decisions, it’s not just what we want and what we think is best. It’s our experiences filtered through their desires and what they want for their music.
We try to help them make as many “correct” choices as they can throughout that process. We might have one idea in our head, but it might clash with what they really want for their music. So we just try to make sure we’re as informed as possible going into that.
I think this work is supposed to be collaborative. If a client wants someone in there calling all the shots, they should hire a standalone producer to say, “You do this, you do that.” That’s not really the role that we fulfill when we’re working in the studio. We’re helping you bring it to life, and then you can decide how much input you want from us.
Some people have so much vision that they really just need technical help to complete it. Others have no clue what they want and need your feedback to help them understand.
Aunut: I would also stress the emphasis on pre-production. We want to know not only your influences but also your goals for this song or EP. Is the structure good? Do you know what every instrument is doing? Do any of the parts need to be changed?
Sometimes, the artist hasn’t considered some of that stuff. We try to turn them on to that and get them in the producer mindset. That way, they are aware of what they need to do to deliver the best product possible. We’re essentially getting them to practice being at the studio.
For example, if we’re working with a singer-songwriter, they may be really good at writing a catchy song with good lyrics. But they have no idea what they want as far as other instruments. Or their pre-production is a single phone demo of them playing it on guitar and the tempo is all over the place. We’re like, “Have you thought about a consistent tempo? Have you thought about what you want the drums to do?” Not to catch them off-guard, but to help bring their vision to life.
For that singer-songwriter example, what would the process be of figuring that out with you both in the studio?
Jose: First, we would ask for references for what they’re looking for. I think it’s a lot easier for someone to find a song on a streaming platform and say, “Hey, this sounds like what I want.” That’s like the base level that we’ll ask for.
Then, what I’ll typically do is break that down for them. “In this example, I hear this. And this is doing this.” And then, if I’m a session guitarist, I can pluck some stuff out to the song. That’s the simplest thing when you’re working with a singer-songwriter who may not be as experienced as a musician. Or maybe they don’t know what they’re hearing, so it’s easier for them to show you a song.
Anunt and I worked with one artist doing folk music and Americana stuff with us. He wanted acoustic guitar, but he’s also a phenomenal keyboard player. So we were like, “We’re going to utilize some of that skill. If you did this on keys, it would help accomplish X, Y, Z.” So some people, you just got to lead them to the things they need as well.
It’s really about knowing the key component they’re trying to show you with their references. What is the main thing? The average person won’t be able to break down a song and know every layer in there, but someone with production experience can listen to that and break it a little bit further.
Anunt: Not only are we trying to pave the way based on their influences, but we’re also trying to hopefully develop them as an artist so that they’re more aware of the production possibilities available to them. With that guy who’s a really good keyboard player, his songwriting skills have grown quite a lot. He knows the range his voice shines. It’s a cyclical process where he grows as an artist and in the studio, which leads to more interesting songs.
That’s our ultimate goal: to make you a better artist and to make your time with us that much more valuable.
How do y’all balance doing the full-time sound work with also being in bands?
Anunt: We don’t. [laughs]
Jose: Pretty much. My life priorities are very clearly defined: my wife, the studio, covering my financial bases to provide for my family, and then everything else. This is my full-time gig. I do this all day, every day, and when I’m not doing this, I’m still doing this. That’s just how it is. But I get to work from home, making everything else a bit easier.
You have to be intentional about what time you set aside to do things. If I know I’m recording X amount of hours of material, it’s going to require Y amount of hours of editing. I live and die by my calendar. It is my one true guide right now, to the point where if my wife asks me about something, I just point to the calendar. I don’t even think a week out in advance. I glance at the calendar in the morning, and I know what I’m doing for the next couple of hours, and just go off that.
It is so easy to burn yourself out in something like this when you’re not paying attention to how long it takes you to do things. Restoring balance in my life is just learning to be efficient. I’ll get on Anunt if I see him go into a menu. Like, “Bro, you don’t know the key command for that? It’ll save like .3 seconds, and if you do that a hundred times, think of how many seconds you saved!” But that’s me trying to reclaim my time by being super efficient with everything I do. Almost to the point of madness.
That’s my balance. It’s really easy when you’ve clearly defined what’s important to you and in the order that you tend to them.
Anunt: I work an 8-to-5 as an engineer for a plastics company. That is my main source of income, but I was also up until 2 AM yesterday doing a mix. Balance is a personal topic for me because I will work myself to death. I don’t want to say it’s in my blood, but it’s in my blood. Working hard is what I was taught to do, and I can very easily burn myself out on it.
I have a lot of experience juggling a lot of things all the time because I will sit and think about how to do it the best. How to deliver the best product to somebody? How to deliver the best support to this person? Just constantly being too self-critical. But I’m learning how to do it. Jose’s better than I am, but I’m much better than I used to be.
I’m learning how to be efficient, specifically in the pre-production discussion. The more we front load the work and get all the important questions answered, the more efficient the recording process will be and the less work it’ll be. That way, no one has to second-guess themselves, and we can be confident in the decisions made along the way.
It’s taken us a year to develop that process, and my technical skills have grown over that time. Because of all these things, I am getting better at balance, but it’s definitely a struggle. It’s not easy for me to walk away from the work.
What role do you want SpiceHouse to play in the local/NC music community?
Jose: I try not to let people leave the studio experience without becoming better musicians. I’m very quick to assist people and help them get to the next level because everyone wins. If you get better at what you’re doing, it’s good for local music. It’s good for your band because you’ll be taken more seriously. There is no downside to getting better.
I also want to facilitate an environment for younger musicians to be creative, refine their ideas and performances, and get better at that with feedback from seasoned musicians. Obviously, it costs money to come to the studio, but I’m trying to get rid of your means of dictating what your music can sound like. We have good drums, guitars, and bass; everything here can make a record. If all you have is your $99 Squire, that doesn’t matter. We’ve got something similar that you can play that you will feel comfortable on and be able to make something better because you use the better tool to do it.
Those are all big things that we offer to the community at an affordable and competitive rate. We’re one of the few non-commercial spaces where you can come, cut a good production, and your skills will shine. Whatever you can do, that’s what it’s going to be. And if you need a little studio magic, we got that, too.
Aunut: I want people to be proud of how they sound, the effort that they put in, and the journey it took to put it out. I want them to think about how they improved as artists and musicians when they listen to it. And I want them to carry the things they learned through the process with them forever because it’s invaluable.
I love the coaching and development side of your work. Holding that role carries a lot of responsibility.
Anunt: When most people hear “audio engineer” and “going to the studio,” they immediately think of the technical side, which is obviously what we do. But it’s also a client-facing position where you’re dealing with people’s art that they really care about. You need to be able to understand all the facets of that, like where they’re at emotionally and in their life journey.
Your technical experience brings out all of those intangible things. You’re covering all facets of life and how they relate to your music. That’s what you do as an engineer. And if you do it well, that’s what allows people to trust you. That brings more business for us, and it gets our name out there.
If you had to offer advice to an aspiring producer or a pair of individuals who wanted to partner up and start a studio, what would you say?
Jose: You gotta have emotional intelligence and good communication skills. That’s so much more important. I may have been doing this technically longer than Anunt, but none of my experience means squat if I don’t know how to communicate it without being an asshole. If you’re going to partner up with somebody, you must know how to communicate and what roles y’all will fulfill.
That rings just as true if you’re a solo producer. You have to be able to talk to people and approach them with kindness, but also some form of assertiveness. Like, “I know what I’m doing. I need you to believe in me and trust me the same way that I trust you,” and stuff like that.
This is customer service. All of the technical stuff you know doesn’t matter to someone just trying to bring their art to life. If you’re a jerk to them and don’t know how to communicate along the way, you’re going to have a really hard time trying to make money doing this.
Anunt: I agree. I’d also say work on making yourself a more healthy and fulfilled human being. You’re working with artists, you yourself are probably an artist, and you’re really into music. Listen to as much music as possible and learn about how it was made. Learn more about what you don’t know.
Be aware of what’s going on in pop and music culture and how that’s affecting how people write songs. How things are politically right now affects what people write artistically. Keeping that in your head helps you better relate to people, making you a better engineer.
Alright, last question! Who are your favorite local or NC bands right now?
Jose: One band I usually tell people to look at is blankstate. They check a lot of boxes as far as what a modern band needs to do. They’ve created a very engaged community around their band. It’s always great to be on a bill with them because they draw folks and put on a dope show. They’re moving towards this darker sound, but it’s still very much them. So I’ve enjoyed what they’ve been putting together and how they’re navigating being a band.
I just delivered the final master for a band called Between Two Trees, which has Seth from blankstate. on drums. That band has a hacked Nintendo Wii that they use as a media player at shows, and it has visuals synced up with all of the lyrics. The singer, Gabe, hands out lyrics for the set in folded zines. It’s a really neat way to put the whole package together because if your lyrics matter, make them accessible. And he does that to an extreme extent. I’m really stoked about this record that’s coming out.
Anunt: The band at the top of my mind right now is Leaving for Arizona. They’re one of the most hilarious bands online, too. If you look up any of their content, it will have you on the floor because they’re just goofy and that’s like their ethos. But the lyrics are also really genuine and relatable. Very much the sad boy music vibe, but they have their own twist on it.
Another band I really enjoyed working with before SpiceHouse even started is Fifth Floor. They’re very much like local pop rock, “party band”-adjacent, but they’re all the catchiest original songs that will make you dance. They have a charismatic front person, and they’re excellent songwriting-wise. But they stand out to me because a few artists unabashedly want people to like their music. They want people to be able to sing along, so it’s all about what is gonna hook you immediately.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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