In December of 2014, the band Love in the Dark began recording their first album in the basement soon to be called Orange Light Studio, named after nothing more than a bright orange light bulb used in the recording room as ambience. While seniors in high school, Mitch and Rob ventured into Chicago’s notorious DIY music scene and began to grasp the ropes of what kind of experience people wanted in
a house show. They realized that with both old and new local music passing through the many basement walls of the Chicago Suburbs, a more cooperative way of working the music industry was needed. Following that sudden understanding, a slew of house shows held at Orange Light Studio began to emerge. With performances of up to 8 artists a night, the attendees began to grow by the dozen. By the end of Summer 2015 over 100 people would attend the infamous Orange Light Studio shows for a chance to see childhood friends play their heart out, and meet new faces that live on the other side of the sidewalk. OLS allowed creative freedom for the artists and the participants. Then came time for Love in the Dark to split while members attended their respective colleges. Mitch would turn out to attend Belmont University in Nashville where he would meet the creative team behind this physical manifestation of Orange Light Studio. At a school where talented musicians from all over the world gathered to perfect their craft, bands were finding a need for an audience willing to listen. Mitch went on to find a warehouse that allowed him to continue the OLS tradition and host concerts with ambience. This creative setting allowed freshman in college to attempt various roles in the music industry, such as: artists, videographers, audio engineers, concert promoters, music marketers, venue operators, and content distributors. As the year carried on, each team member worked on discovering their place in the industry, while helping fresh bands out of Nashville shape their sound. Along the way, the OLS team noticed a few artists that severely stood out as talented and driven individuals. The OLS artist family grew as the year proceeded. This brings us to today. We introduce to you the first version of our vision incarnate. We hope for this place to be a meeting ground of sorts for all things DIY and possibly a place to finally make the music industry whole again. Bon appetit!
