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- [00:02]
David Bratton
Hello and welcome to arnet, the show that shines a light on the trailblazers, game changers and hardworking heroes driving Arkansas forward. From bold entrepreneurs to community champions, we bring the stories that inspire and ignite progress. Now, here's your host, David Bratton.
- [00:28]
Hello. Hello and welcome, everybody, to the arnet podcast. I've got a great show coming to you today. I am sitting here at the Awakening. Awakening the our studios. I am here with the owner, Dan, Grace and Jacoby. How are you guys doing today?
- [00:47]
Dan
Doing good.
- [00:47]
Jacoby
I'm doing good.
- [00:48]
Grace
Doing really well.
- [00:49]
David Bratton
Dan, what is your history? What's your bio?
- [00:52]
Dan
I started my music recording journey back in 2002. I was 19 years old. Went to my first recording school at the Recording Workshop in Ohio. I was, you know, just a local musician, just like the same kind of people that, you know, trying to help around here, and worked at a local studio for a little bit, did just a little bit of sound stuff, and then I did a little bit of a live sound at a couple different venues and decided I wasn't really doing much with my life. I was 19 years old, and we were in the middle of going fresh into a war, and I, on a whim one day, decided I was gonna go join the Air Force. I had never given it any thought or, you know, it was never a plan.
- [01:36]
David Bratton
Yeah.
- [01:37]
Dan
So I kind of was like, yeah, I'm gonna go and I'm gonna do that for four years, and then I'm gonna get out and I'm gonna start my recording studio. And four years turn to 20 years. You know, you hit a certain point where they're like, man, they got me now. Like, I've came too far. If I leave now, like, I'm not going to get that retirement and.
- [01:56]
David Bratton
Sure.
- [01:57]
Dan
You know, and I just really enjoyed what I was doing, too. So I kind of made a thing that I'm going to do it for 20 years, and when that 20 years is done, that's it. Like, I'm not. I'm not doing a day over.
- [02:08]
David Bratton
So you said you were a musician. What, what. What was your musician role?
- [02:12]
Dan
So I'm a drummer. I've been playing drums since I was probably about 5 years old. Started out on my mom's Tupperware.
- [02:19]
David Bratton
Sure. Oh, yeah.
- [02:20]
Dan
Breaking it all the time, watching MTV videos and. And things like that. Play a little bit of guitar, bass, sing a little. But primarily a drummer is where my biggest comfort's at. Yeah.
- [02:33]
David Bratton
All right, Very nice. Now, Grace, what is. What's your history?
- [02:38]
Grace
Well, mine's a Little less musical, if you will. I grew up in Pittsburgh and I went into the military at 18. I left a month out of high school and I didn't want to go to college and didn't want to do anything, actually what I wanted to do. My mom, as supportive as she is, did not want me to do what I wanted to do, which was I wanted to be an MMA fighter when
- [03:02]
Dan
I was a kid.
- [03:03]
David Bratton
Check that out.
- [03:05]
Grace
So my options. Sorry for, but. So I wanted to, um, pursue that. I was doing martial arts at the time. I was, you know, was the three, four sport kid. And she was like, either go in the military or you're going to school. This end of discussion. And so I went into the military. I went in guaranteed security forces. So unlike most people where they go in open general, I went in because I wanted to be a law enforcement officer. Planned on doing six years, that turned into almost 15. I got my degree while I was in. I did a little bit of personal training. I did yoga instructor. Got out of the military during COVID and decided to go to culinary school. So I did culinary school for two and a half years and then I started it in Colorado under a chef out there. And then I finished in Pittsburgh and then moved here. So long story short, ended up coming to Arkansas for work, was working at the VA in North Little Rock. And then from there I have gotten to the point to where we are now, where I'm pursuing what I wanted to do when I retired, which was open a retail shop.
- [04:14]
David Bratton
So open retail.
- [04:15]
Grace
I wanted to open a retail shop that focuses on bringing artists that don't have a brick and mortar, but they spend all their time trying to create things and have really good ideas, but they just don't have a place to get it to everyone else. You know, so there's different platforms like Etsy. You know, a lot of these artists, they make their own website or they have, you know, just a local following in their community because they go to farmers markets and things like that. So now we're at a unique time where social media, farmers markets and then different online platforms are now making it possible for you to buy from an artist in Oregon or buy from an artist in North Carolina and bring that to a community like Cabot, where they don't have as many small business options when it comes to like unique artistic retail. They have really good clothing, they have really good commerce out here in the towns getting bigger. But, you know, it was just a more passion thing for me. And then, you know, teaming up with what you Know, Dan's wanting to do with the music side. We're just super passionate about supporting art as a whole. And art can be a lot of different things for a lot of different people. And it can. It can bring people from all different walks of life. And I think that's. That's probably why it's so easy for us is because we both were in the military and you know, because you're prior service that you get all kinds. You get people from everywhere. You get people with money, people without money. Right. People with all kinds of different ideas. And I think we both spend enough time working 12, 14 hour shifts that everybody's got ideas. And this is just one of those things that just stuck with me that I wanted to do.
- [06:01]
David Bratton
Right. Now you say Air Force. Now both you guys were security forces that.
- [06:05]
Dan
Correct, Correct.
- [06:06]
David Bratton
Which. That's like mps, right?
- [06:09]
Dan
Yes, sir.
- [06:10]
David Bratton
Okay. Because I was in the army and we had mps.
- [06:13]
Dan
Yeah, but.
- [06:14]
David Bratton
All right. Yeah. Very good. Jacoby, how are you doing, buddy?
- [06:20]
Jacoby
I'm good.
- [06:20]
David Bratton
Good. How's things with you?
- [06:24]
Jacoby
They're good. I like doing like acting and sports and stuff like that.
- [06:29]
David Bratton
Now where. Where do you do your acting?
- [06:31]
Jacoby
Mostly at school and in Cabot theater.
- [06:34]
David Bratton
Oh, very nice.
- [06:36]
Jacoby
And in seventh grade next year I'm going into the intro to theater elective.
- [06:44]
David Bratton
Oh, that's good. You're gonna have a. You have a good future. Absolutely. Stick with it. Now awakening the Hour Studios. What's the origin behind the name?
- [06:55]
Dan
So the origin behind the name was. It was a band that I played in that a bunch of my buddies that we played together, probably about 18, 19, 20 years old. When I first got in the air force, they stationed me an hour from home, which I couldn't believe. So I signed up to see the world and they, my first. Basically sent me an hour from my parents house, which was great. I mean, don't get me wrong. But I was able to keep playing with my band for the first few years that I was in the military. So I was kind of doing the military thing, but then I was still going home and playing the local drummer at shows and stuff too, for the first couple years. So Awaken the Hour was the name of that. That band. And you know, I always said one day I'm gonna. I'm gonna have a studio and I'm gonna name it Awaken the Hour. So it's. It's just kind of a tribute to that and a tribute to some of my closest buddies that I grew up with.
- [07:43]
David Bratton
Stuck with you. Yeah, for sure. Tell us about what services you offer here?
- [07:49]
Dan
So the main thing that we're offering right now is obviously recording and mixing. Any type of genre, whether it's hip hop, rock, country, doesn't matter. We want it all. You know, we're trying to be that studio that is, you know, offers affordable rates to people. You know, we, we both have, have worked our butts off to, you know, retire from the military, have other jobs as well. We, you know, we have day jobs as well. So that kind of puts us in a unique situation where, you know, we don't have to keep up with everybody else. We can just kind of do this our way. And that's the biggest thing that we're wanting to do is, you know, bring local artists, bring those, you know, those weekly workers that are just making music to help inspire them and get them through the daily grind and give them a place that they can come in and do it affordably, you know, and I think that that's our biggest thing. But recording services, mixing services, you know, a lot of people nowadays, they're recording their own music. You know, technology has made that a very unique opportunity to be able to do that. But there's a lot of people that, you know, they can record their own music, but they still need that professional quality sound on it, and that's something we can do too. So if, you know, if there's an artist that wants to record themselves, but, you know, they just need help getting that song to sound radio ready or, or whatever, we can help them with that as well. And you know, we're also looking into dipping into, you know, offering a podcast studio as well, which, as you can see, we're already kind of trying to start set up.
- [09:22]
David Bratton
Yeah, this is great.
- [09:23]
Dan
Yeah, so, and then, you know, but even with businesses, you know, if people have stuff that, you know, they need audio for an advertisement or they need, you know, that's the kind of stuff we want to be able to work on. And yeah, we even did. I did a project for a video game a while back, which was a very unique experience for me. I think I mixed and mastered like 470 dialogue files for a video game, which was kind of a unique thing for me because I'm usually more into music stuff, but it was a cool experience.
- [09:55]
David Bratton
Oh, wow, that is awesome. Now, you'd mentioned yet, I guess a degree from the Recording Workshop and the Full Sail University, is that correct?
- [10:10]
Dan
That's correct. So right as I was getting ready to retire, I went back for audio production at Full Sail and got another degree in Audio production, and then most recently did an online certification program for entertainment business as well.
- [10:21]
David Bratton
Wow. Now, how does that prepare you to run your studio?
- [10:25]
Dan
Well, I think, you know, especially, you know, I told you, my first one was 2002. You know, technology's changed a lot since 2002.
- [10:32]
David Bratton
Right.
- [10:33]
Dan
So going back to full sail, you know, I'd always kind of kept with it a little bit and, you know, did a lot of my, you know, just my own passion stuff as a musician myself, but so I still had a pretty good pulse on it. But, you know, just learning all the new technology and all the things that are out there now has been a. Has been a really cool experience. So I would say in that just as far as, you know, staying relevant, I think is. Is the biggest thing for me with going back to school. Obviously, the first school I went to was, you know, it was like 300 hours of in studio, hands on, with signal flow and, you know, turning knobs and moving faders and. And it was just, you know, laid the groundwork for me. So I. It was definitely all important, and I'm glad I did every single bit of it.
- [11:18]
David Bratton
Absolutely, yes. Now, Grace, you've worn many hats. Coming up. You are a trainer, you're an instructor, a chef, a fitness expert, and now business owner and entrepreneur.
- [11:32]
Grace
Yes.
- [11:32]
David Bratton
What inspires you?
- [11:35]
Grace
I think I. I like the idea of not ever having to be stuck in any sort of mold. And I don't know that that's necessarily an inspiration so much as it's. I like being able to be adaptable to whatever it is that I'm passionate about. Everything that I. I think I've gotten into as an adult in my. My career, it's always been something that. It was a passion for me. You know, the reasons I got into law enforcement, the reasons I went into personal training, you know, they all have a backstory that at least makes sense to me, you know, and then when I sit there and explain to people, well, you know, I went into, just for example, culinary. You know, I went into culinary school because I spent my childhood when I was Jacoby's age, sitting in my grandmother's kitchen, watching her cook, you know, and it came really natural to me. And when I couldn't find a job after Covid, I mean, I was walking around, bachelor's in Homeland Security, working on a master's in emergency management, and couldn't get a job. And so I had, you know, and I had 15 years in honorable discharge, military retirement. And I'm looking at people and they're going well, you know, you're overqualified, and, you know, or maybe this doesn't seem right for you, I don't think, you know, and it was just a lot of denial, denial, denial. And so I. I kind of sat with it. And then I had a buddy of mine that knew a chef out in Colorado who owned a very small brewery, barbecue place. Great guy. Him and his wife, you know, they were small business owners, you know, and I watched this guy who started out as a prep cook. You know, he worked his way up to chef. His wife was a photographer. So you got two, essentially, entrepreneurs running a successful business in one of the hardest, most expensive places to live in Colorado, and they were successful. And he was paying his people a reasonable price. You know, he was providing benefits. He was doing everything that a successful small business want to do. But this guy started at the very bottom, you know, and that resonates with somebody who came in as an E1, right, and you worked your way up to E7. It's. You sit there and you go, okay, like, if that's something that people are doing in the civilian world when you're not used to that. But he actually was the one that said, you know, you know how to cook. You've been cooking your whole life, and now you just got to get the piece of paper that tells everybody else, you know, how to cook, you know, sure. And so I think that's what drives me is, like, if my circumstances or life, I kind of just never set limitations on anything because I think that, you know, you. You don't know until you do it. You know, you don't know until. And a lot of people will. They'll fail before they even try it, and they'll just go, well, I don't have time for that. You know, I don't have this. I don't have that. We got this business together. And I'm not exaggerating. We were coaching two. Two teams, Two basketball teams for, you know, the parks and rec Department. We are both in school. We both had day jobs, you know, and so. And I'm not saying that to say that other people make any sort of excuse. I think that people just. If you really want to do something, you may have to sacrifice a little bit. And it might be sleep, it might be. Might have to eat a few protein bars instead of real dinners every once in a while. But, you know, you just. You gotta just do it. And. And once it's done, you can look at it and go, you know, I'm proud of this. And I wish I would have done this or I wish I'd done that, but at least I know that I started it, you know? So I hope that answers no.
- [15:15]
David Bratton
Yeah, that's good. Yeah, you gotta. That's like us. I mean, my wife and I are both retired, and we have our little lawn business, but we have our hands in many pots. You know, we got a lot of different things going, and it's great to have retirement because that's your main source, but it's also great to be an entrepreneur after, you know, after world.
- [15:37]
Dan
Yeah.
- [15:38]
David Bratton
After the corporate world, I guess you'd say. Absolutely. Now, you both come from disciplined military careers. How hard or easy was it to adjust from the strict discipline world of the military to the world of creativity?
- [15:54]
Dan
You want me to go first? So, to me, it was actually really funny because I had a moment with Grace when we were somewhere. And, you know, when you're in the military, especially for that long, you live in this kind of. This life that, like, man, I have to make sure that I'm. I'm always presenting this image all the time, especially as a senior nco, you know, And I remember just one night, and I don't even remember exactly what the situation was, but I remember we were. Oh, you know, it was like, things like, you know, they would tell us things like, you can't eat poppy seed, you know, because you might accidentally pop on a test if you. And, you know, that sounds like a Seinfeld episode. Yeah, yeah. And that. That sounds silly, but it's like, you know, when you start to get it, like, 16, 17 years in and you're getting close to retirement, those are the kind of things that you think about. You're like, I'm not taking a chance in some, you know, bakery and, you know, Romania or wherever. Over. You know, get failing a piss test, so.
- [16:58]
David Bratton
Right.
- [16:59]
Grace
Right.
- [16:59]
Dan
You know, But I think it's one of those. Yeah. Over a muffin, you know, and I think. I think that's one of the biggest things when I got out, you know, just understanding that I had that. That free will now a little bit. I think. I think that's a part that people don't necessarily always understand is, like, just having a thumb on you all the time, you know? And I. I don't mean that in a bad way, but I'm saying, like, to. To finally, like, be done and. And have control of your own adult life for the first time in 20 years.
- [17:29]
David Bratton
Exactly.
- [17:29]
Dan
You know, I mean, I remember even with, like, things like Covid, you know, they would tell us we couldn't. When Covid was going on, we couldn't go more than 200 miles because it was like, if you went 201, you might catch COVID you know, so it was like, you know, but just these. These kind of things that, you know, you. You don't realize until you. You're done with it and you go, I can. I have control. You know, I have the ability. And it really was. You know, Grace really pushed me back into music. I was. I was pursuing things and looking at doing things, but I was doing exactly what she said. I was doing a lot of talking more than I was, you know, actually getting after it. And she encouraged me to really just pursue after it. And ever since then, it just kind of lit a fire that just now I just want to do it. And Koby, too. You know, Kobe's always been supportive in every aspect of everything creative that I do.
- [18:27]
David Bratton
That's perfect.
- [18:30]
Grace
Grace, a little bit of the same, too. So we both went in the same era, and, like, we were talking a little bit before. We were raised by the same era mentors, you know, the pre 2000 military folks that, you know, they saw a completely different environment than we did, and a lot of them were in peacetime. So the conflict that we walked into when we signed up was different than what they were used to. You know, they hadn't. I had supervisors that hadn't deployed in 12 years, you know, that I was working under. And it was a different environment for me because I was just a kid. You know, I was 18 when I went to basic training.
- [19:11]
David Bratton
Right.
- [19:11]
Grace
So. But as far as, like, adjusting to it, I think my mother would tell you that I've always had a pretty good handle on free will. Probably got me in trouble a little bit more than some of our other kids. But I think I just always. I tried to leave it at the door, you know, and I think I compartmentalized a lot because I'm a pretty sensitive person, and I know what the job in law enforcement did for me mentally. So I left a lot when I would leave work, you know, so when I would come home, I. You know, what you see in the shop today, Dan will tell you, when we first met, my apartment, it was like, the same, just the way that it is.
- [19:53]
David Bratton
Yeah.
- [19:54]
Grace
So I've never really been, like, a rigid, you know, so when I retired and I also had a little bit more time retired before I met him, you know, so.
- [20:02]
David Bratton
Okay.
- [20:04]
Grace
And I went through a lot of, like I said, you know, the. The Adjustment to having a guaranteed 1st and 15th, you know, that it was gone immediately. Right? And I was on my own. So it was, you know, but that feeling of knowing that you finally have control of your future, you know, I spent a little bit of time. I had a dog that. She lived eight years with me, but she was, like, my best friend. And her and I. I had an RV at the time, and we just. We hung out in my RV for, like, the first six months that I was retired. And, like, so I kind of. I kind of forced myself to slow down. And that's where that, like, thought of, like, what do I want to do when it's just me and I don't have to. I don't have to tell somebody that I'm driving eight hours out of the area. You know, I don't have to. My phone. And I'm by no exaggeration. The day that I started my leave has been on silent for six years at a minimum. Like, if my ringer's on, it's on accident, because I do. I don't even. But that adjustment for him was you don't have to answer the phone immediately, right? But you do have to check your phone. That's the thing. You do have to make sure that the people that love you can get a hold.
- [21:20]
David Bratton
Get a hold of you, sure.
- [21:22]
Grace
But the. Like, you're leaving work, nobody's calling you. When you're done with what you and your wife are doing now, right? And going, what happened with this? And then your whole drive home, it's just. And that's gone. That's all done.
- [21:37]
David Bratton
Oh, yeah.
- [21:38]
Grace
So the adjustment, the feeling, your nervous system going down, it's a lot of, like, purposeful, calm down a lot, you
- [21:44]
David Bratton
know, A lot I know to back you on what you just said. The Christmas Eve before I retired, I retired in February. Well, the year before that, I was called out. Whole family's together. Big Christmas Eve. Big Christmas Eve party. I'll be dang if I don't get called out and have to go to work. I got to leave my entire family, drive to Little Rock, and now I'm involved in, you know, some big deal that happened there.
- [22:12]
Dan
Right.
- [22:13]
David Bratton
And, yeah, I'm glad I don't have that stress anymore. I can hang with my family and not have to worry about. I have to go to work.
- [22:21]
Grace
And you take those calls and you get excited about the job that you're doing, but sure, you know what you're missing, you know?
- [22:27]
David Bratton
Yeah.
- [22:27]
Grace
You were just about to eat that sweet potato pie. Or you were just about to have a drink.
- [22:31]
Jacoby
Right.
- [22:32]
Grace
You can't. You're just in the back of your mind, you know, you still got that. That obligation back there, you know?
- [22:37]
David Bratton
Yes.
- [22:38]
Grace
So it is a little bit of an adjustment, and I think finding the right job, finding the right thing that works for the now, speed, but still gives you that, like, structure is important, you know?
- [22:49]
David Bratton
Absolutely.
- [22:49]
Dan
I think it also really helps us as far as, like, the momentum and the drive. You know, we're used to voluntary stuff. Right. Like being the. Like, I mean, don't complain. Just get it done, you know, and that's kind of where we're playing. So it's like. Yeah. So it's like the chain anyway. Right? Yeah. So now, like, you know, getting to do it for yourself, it's like. Yeah, it's not. It's not even work, you know, it's like she said, it's just really. Just taking that time in between and just kind of resetting your brain, I think, is the biggest thing. But then I think it all works to your favor after that.
- [23:20]
David Bratton
Yes, exactly. Awakening the Hour Studios, you guys offer a wide variety of services. Music production, from audio to podcast. What's your favorite?
- [23:35]
Dan
Oh, definitely audio. I love audio. In any. Probably honestly, music. Music is my favorite thing to do. Mixing, you know, specifically. I really enjoy mixing. Recording is great too, but I love the aspect of, you know, once the artist is done their thing and we've gotten all the good takes that we can get now, getting to sit down and play with it and EQ it and put effects on it, you know, reverbs, delays, things that, you know, just really saturation, whatever. Things that really just make the song just turn into something that's, like, truly special and what the artists envision. I think that's my favorite thing is, is mixing, whether it's. Whether it's for music podcasts, like, I mean, honestly, anything. I love mixing projects. That's. That's my favorite thing to do.
- [24:30]
David Bratton
For someone who's never recorded in a studio before, what should they expect when they come to awakening the Hour Studios?
- [24:38]
Dan
I think. Well, I think the biggest thing, because, you know, we've already had this said with a few artists that have already came in here, is that, you know, it's. It's a very home type feeling here. You know, we.
- [24:52]
David Bratton
It is very cozy.
- [24:53]
Dan
We are right.
- [24:54]
David Bratton
Thank you. Very cozy. I like it. Comfortable as soon as you walk in.
- [24:57]
Dan
Yeah, we want people to come in here and just feel creative. We don't want, you know, a lot of Studios. You know, again, as we talked about earlier, you know, studio time can cost a lot, you know, and that's something we're trying to break the mold on here. We don't want clock watchers in here. We want people that know that from a financial aspect, their project's going to be taken care of, and it's not going to cost him an arm and a leg to do it. Outside of that, I think we also, you know, just preparation. One of the things we've gotten into is just send an artist out a, you know, kind of a pre session about a week in advance, where we. We give you some tips. You know, if you're coming in as a. As a musician, we give you things like, you know, this is what we offer. We have some house drum set if you want to use it, but you're welcome to bring your own. If you're playing guitars, bringing guitars, recommend, you know, restringing, but make sure you do it a few days prior so they have time to, you know, to break in and things like that and kind of just give them some. Some stuff about us and who we are. And so that's. That's kind of stuff that we've been really working at, you know, to kind of help that flow and be able to get a little bit into the artist mind before they even step in here. But I think the biggest thing is we want people to just come in here and have fun. It's like we said at the beginning, we. We weren't just creating a retail space in a recording studio. We're, like trying to create an entire vibe here where people just want to come hang out even if they're not working on something. Yeah, Just come by and say hi and chill out.
- [26:27]
David Bratton
And chill. Absolutely. Now, if one of our listeners, if they have a song, a podcast, a creative idea, and they're just sitting on it, they don't really know what to do. What would you guys say to them?
- [26:43]
Grace
I would tell them that they can. They can either go to our Facebook or our website, or they could just swing by and talk to Dan, or they could talk to me, and we'll all just kind of try to figure out whatever it is that they're working on. A lot of times people get stuck on projects no matter what it is. And like, he was just saying, you know, we wanted a space where with coming in, you. You start to kind of think about some of the things that you're working on, but for it to not feel like you can't just be yourself, you Know, we want a space where everybody feels welcome, everybody feels creative. So I would say just reach out. You know, a lot of times, just sitting and talking with him, you know, people will go, oh, man, I wasn't thinking about that. Or he'll listen to where you're at at that point, and then him and the artist, they'll come up with something. And a lot of the projects that he's worked on in just the time that we've known each other, you know, he'll. He'll listen to it and. And you get a stuck point. You just. You've. You get so locked in on your project because you have so much thought and effort that you put into it, and you think it's really good, but when you have somebody else listen to it, they have something else that can just make it just that much better. And it's just that thing that, like, opens up another thing and then another thing.
- [28:01]
David Bratton
Exactly.
- [28:03]
Grace
And that's. That's what he likes to do. And it helps. It helps the artist because then their next song or their next project that they're working on, they think about those conversations. So I would say just reach out to Dan.
- [28:15]
Dan
And, yeah, I think a lot of that, too, is just to do it, you know, just. Because I think that's a big. A big thing to a lot of artists. We just. We. And I say that even as myself, you know, we have a tendency to just sit on things that we can just. We can make it better, and we can make it better. Or, oh, it's not ready to record yet. Or it's not ready to do this yet. And, you know, there's a guy that I follow on Instagram, and I wish I could remember his name. Some audio engineer out in California, super funny guy, you know, but he. He has one video in particular where he talks about, you know, like, there's a kid that's got, like a. A laptop from his middle school that he never returned, and he's going to make a banger in, like, three hours because he doesn't know any better. And he's just having fun and he's just gonna, you know, do his thing and. But like, us, you know, we'll. As artists, we'll sit on songs for, you know, weeks at a time, just trying to, you know, make sure that everything's perfect and make sure everything's. And sometimes when you do that, you know, you can hit a point where just nothing gets done and then great products don't get released into the world, which is the ultimate, you Know, point of what we're trying to do anyway is, is help get stuff that was never created before out into the world. So I think. I think that's the biggest thing. Just come see us and, you know, let us be another set of ears and eyes to help get your project where you want to. That's what I would probably tell them. They can also find us on Google as well.
- [29:31]
Grace
I know one thing, too. The thing that we have in common with our whole entire business that we have here is we know exactly what it feels like to be stuck as a project, as an artist, regardless of what it is, because we've both been there, so we understand, like, you don't have to explain it to us. You can just say, hey, like, help me out with this. You know, and it's. It's part of it, you know, is just trying to relate with somebody when they are an artist. And a lot of times people are really good at something, but they're not good at being an artist. Does that make sense?
- [30:10]
David Bratton
Yeah, absolutely. I have ideas all the time. I get stuck. I'm like, what am I going to do with this?
- [30:15]
Jacoby
Right.
- [30:15]
Grace
But if you have somebody I know, it's great idea.
- [30:17]
David Bratton
I can't go, yeah, right.
- [30:19]
Grace
So we know where you're coming from. And, you know, Dan from the music side, me from the art side. And again, you know, with both of it, if somebody's. If they come in and they're like, man, I've been wanting to put this together and put that together, and maybe just the act of coming to a studio and talking to somebody will get that ball rolling and put you on a project.
- [30:40]
Dan
Yeah. We had a kid that reached out the other day that wanted to know if we could help him with music. And I didn't really know what to do, respond to him because, you know, so I just asked him, I said, do you sing? Do you play music? And come to find out, he's like, yeah, he does both. And he actually plays, you know, at a couple little venues as a, you know, just doing kind of acoustic stuff, I think. And so he was genuinely just looking to say, hey, I've never been in a studio and, you know, I'm dabbling and I'm playing out and I'm doing things live as a young musician, but, you know, now I need some direction, you know, and so we told him, we said, hey, just come in here. And, you know, I think his. His parents going to bring him up and we're all just going to sit down, try to figure out A path for him, you know, figure out where he's at and where he wants to be and. But sometimes I think that's it. Just, you know, just. Just reach out.
- [31:25]
David Bratton
Absolutely. Sure. What do you hope people feel when they leave the studio after working with you guys?
- [31:37]
Dan
I hope they just felt like it was, you know, like they weren't. I want people to. To not feel like it was a business. I want people to leave here and feel like they. That they. They feel the passion that we have for this and that, you know, this isn't. This isn't like some get rich thing for us or, you know, that's. That's not why we're doing it. And it's. It's reflective in our. In our pricing.
- [32:04]
David Bratton
Yeah.
- [32:06]
Dan
You know, and things like that. We just want people to leave with a product that makes them happy. You know, whether. Whether that's coming in and recording or whether that's coming in and, you know, buying an Awaken the Hour T shirt or one of the things that, you know, Grace sells through retail or, you know, working on a piece of art or, you know, even if people just come up and, like I said, just hang out, we just want people to leave here and feel like it's a. It's a space in the community that's. I think a lot of local artists just really want, you know, that. That they just feel like it's kind of a home away from home. That's. That's what I. That's what I want.
- [32:42]
David Bratton
What is it?
- [32:43]
Grace
Yeah, I want. I want people to leave here feeling like we care about their product as much as they do, which is. Which is very true. Like, I care about the product that you're getting out of here as much as you do, because I know what you're putting into it and, and I know the value of it, your value of your time. Right. So I think the fact that, you know, we both. I know I keep saying it, but the fact that we're both artists and we know how hard it is to kind of come up with an idea and try to be. Try to be an individual and try to be creative. Especially now when you're battling literally, like, AI with everything when it comes to every aspect, it's like they don't want to take the jobs that, like, we don't want to. Right, but you want to take the one thing that, like, I like doing on a Saturday afternoon. You could take my actual job, but, like, why are you taking my hobbies? You know what I mean? So. But it's hard to be creative and it's hard to be original, but it's not if you have people that value what you're doing and it's going to help you with that project. So I want people to come in and know that, like, a. Their dollar is going to go further. Right. That we're actually going to take the time to give you a good product, that he's going to put the effort into it, because he does before, after, during, you know, and as far as, like, the artists that I'm working with right now for the retail side, you know, they. They're going to get the value of what they want for those products, because I don't. That's not what's driving. Like, it's not putting the lights on at the house. You know what I mean? Like, I want your stuff out just like you do, you know? Right. So.
- [34:27]
David Bratton
Okay, well, guys, we're getting close to the end. I've got just two more here. And this is for both the you. Which is harder? Making music sound great or agreeing? What sounds great for dinner?
- [34:42]
Dan
Oh, definitely agreeing. What sounds great for dinner? That's a yes. That's a constant battle every single.
- [34:49]
Jacoby
Just last night. Just last night, we were like, we were going to, like, three different restaurants, and we're like, okay, McDonald's or Sonic? Because nothing's like.
- [34:56]
Grace
Everything was.
- [34:57]
Dan
Everything was packed last night. It was insane everywhere.
- [34:59]
Grace
Yeah.
- [35:00]
Jacoby
And I was like, I don't. I don't want to pick. I was like, grace, he picked. She's like, I don't want to pick. That's like, well, I don't want to pick.
- [35:05]
Grace
Yeah, we just give up and then we just default. We should just have a default restaurant.
- [35:09]
Dan
Yes, exactly. Yeah.
- [35:11]
David Bratton
Cabin's got some good restaurants. Luckily they have.
- [35:14]
Grace
They have really good restaurants. But we picked. We picked the time that everything that could have been done in Cabot got done at the same time. Everybody had the same idea we had. Sure.
- [35:24]
Dan
Yeah.
- [35:24]
Jacoby
Colton's in Guadalajara, bro.
- [35:26]
Grace
Yep.
- [35:27]
David Bratton
Shout out, Colton.
- [35:28]
Grace
Guadalajara. Yeah, they're great restaurants. And they. We were really wanting to eat there
- [35:31]
Dan
last night, so they were super busy.
- [35:34]
Grace
They were really busy. So you're. You're in our thoughts.
- [35:36]
Jacoby
I wanted bread.
- [35:37]
Grace
Yeah.
- [35:38]
David Bratton
Okay. For our listeners. How can everyone find you? What's your social media handles?
- [35:43]
Dan
So they can find us on Facebook, obviously, or Instagram. I have Awaken the Hour Productions, which is strictly more facilitated to the musicians and artists that I work with. But anybody's welcome on that page. But we also have a business page. Awaken the Hour Studios Boutique, which has, you know, all of our business information and everything. We also have a website, awakenthehour.com and.
- [36:08]
Grace
Yeah, and you can reach us all our phone number, email, everything's all on there.
- [36:14]
David Bratton
And what is the address?
- [36:17]
Dan
42 Commercial street in Cabot.
- [36:19]
David Bratton
42 Commercial street here in Cabot?
- [36:21]
Grace
Yes, sir.
- [36:22]
David Bratton
Okay. And for people that know Cabot but don't know their street names real well, it's kind of across the street from Popeyes behind this Valero station.
- [36:31]
Jacoby
That's what I've been telling everybody at school. Like all my teachers, I've been like, it's by the Popeyes, but behind the
- [36:36]
David Bratton
Valero, everybody knows where Popeyes, which is
- [36:40]
Dan
super awesome for artists, too, because we've got that awesome taco truck it on Saturdays and red taco in the evening. Taco?
- [36:46]
Grace
Yeah, Red Taco. If you haven't gone to Red Taco yet.
- [36:50]
David Bratton
I have not.
- [36:50]
Grace
I think they close at 6. Don't quote me on that, but they
- [36:53]
Dan
have the best food, like, 10ft out the door.
- [36:57]
Grace
Yeah. Shout out red taco. Fantastic.
- [37:00]
Jacoby
They did miss an opportunity, though, on the taco truck itself.
- [37:03]
Grace
Oh, yeah, he wants. He wants red Taco to paint their taco truck red.
- [37:08]
David Bratton
Oh, well, that does make sense.
- [37:09]
Grace
He's like, that's a missed opportunity. Maybe they're working on it. But when. But if you look for the blue truck, they got. They got the best, best tacos.
- [37:18]
David Bratton
So you're saying it's a blue red taco truck.
- [37:20]
Jacoby
Yes.
- [37:21]
Dan
Yeah.
- [37:22]
Grace
But we're also right off the exit, too. The first exit into Cabot.
- [37:26]
David Bratton
Okay.
- [37:26]
Dan
From Little Rock.
- [37:27]
Grace
Yeah. Coming from Little Rock Road.
- [37:28]
David Bratton
Coming from Little Rock, Jacksonville area, it be the first cabin exit.
- [37:32]
Grace
Yes, sir. There you go.
- [37:33]
David Bratton
So from Popeyes and across the street.
- [37:35]
Grace
Yes.
- [37:37]
David Bratton
Okay. Well, guys, do you have anything else you'd like to add? Anything we've missed? Anything you want to get out to the people?
- [37:44]
Dan
Oh, this is great.
- [37:44]
Grace
We covered it. We're just excited to get to sit down with you finally.
- [37:47]
David Bratton
Oh, that's awesome. Yes. Yes. Well, I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate you. Let me come to Awakening the Hour Studios. This has been a great episode, and I appreciate you guys, and I look forward to seeing you guys down the road. Awesome.
- [38:01]
Dan
Thank you.
- [38:01]
Grace
Thank you.
- [38:02]
David Bratton
All right, Mr. Producer, we are sending this back to you, sir. Thank you.
- [38:06]
That's a wrap for this episode of the Arnet Podcast. We're grateful to have you as a part of our community. If you enjoyed today's show, share it with a friend. Or leave us a review. It really helps us keep telling these important stories. And don't forget to check out the podcast description for more on our guest and topics. Thanks again for listening and make sure to follow the show so you'll never miss an episode of the ARNET podcast. This has been a Mallard island Media and Mr. Producer Production.