Rocking Horse Studio is an audio, video and multimedia production company located in

Pittsfield, New Hampshire Pittsfield is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,075 at the 2020 census. The main village in town, where 1,570 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Pittsfield census-designated place (C ...

, United States. The studio was established in 2003 by Brian Coombes of

Tristan Park Tristan Park was formed in October 1986 by songwriters Brian Coombes, Chuck Dyac, and Marc Larochelle. Early Tristan Park sets included their theatrical/musical production, ''"The Screams for an Absent Dawn."'' It was an ambitious and influentia ...

and his wife Michelle Coombes of Waking in the Blue, and designed by acoustician Michael Blackmer. Dave Pierog joined the company as Vice President and Head of Client Services in 2004. Since its establishment it has been house to musicians such as

Another Animal Another Animal was a hard rock supergroup formed by members of Godsmack, Ugly Kid Joe, and Dropbox. History During the writing sessions of '' IV'' by Godsmack, lead singer Sully Erna encountered writer's block so Tony Rombola, Shannon Larkin, ...

, The Double Yellow, Theodore Treehouse, The Lucid,

Godsmack Godsmack is an American rock band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sully Erna, bassist Robbie Merrill, lead guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin. Since its forma ...

guitarist

Tony Rombola Tony Rombola (born November 24, 1964) is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the Boston-based rock band Godsmack since the mid-1990s. Rombola has been cited as "an extraodinaire" in the guitar world by ' ...

, singer/songwriter Christian Cuff, guitarist/songwriter Joe Mazzari, and singer/songwriter Will Kindler. In 2009, ''Mix'' magazine selected Rocking Horse Studio for inclusion in its "Class of 2009" feature, which showcases the best new studios to open over the previous 12 months. (Rocking Horse had its official grand opening in April 2008.)

Owners

Brian Coombes

Brian Coombes is the producer and in-house recording engineer at Rocking Horse Studio. Prior to starting Rocking Horse, he was a founding member of the progressive rock band

. The band recorded four CDs and toured extensively in Europe and North America before going into hiatus in 1998. He is currently a member of Waking in the Blue, a modern progressive pop band. In 2010, Coombes became the sole owner and operator of Rocking Horse Studio. Brian holds an MA in Professional Communications from

Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in ...

and an MBA from

Southern New Hampshire University Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private university between Manchester and Hooksett, New Hampshire. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, along with national accreditation for some hospitali ...

Michelle Coombes

Michelle Coombes is the wife of Brian, whom she met in 1991, and co-founder of Rocking Horse Studio. She grew up in

Nashua, New Hampshire Nashua is a city in southern New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 91,322, the second-largest in northern New England after nearby Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester. Along with Manc ...

, and is vocalist and songwriter for the band Waking in the Blue. ("

Waking in the Blue "Waking in the Blue" is a poem by Robert Lowell that was published in his book ''Life Studies'' and is a striking, early example of confessional poetry. Of the handful of poems from ''Life Studies'' in which Lowell explored his struggles with menta ...

" comes from a poem by

Robert Lowell Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV (; March 1, 1917 – September 12, 1977) was an American poet. He was born into a Boston Brahmin family that could trace its origins back to the ''Mayflower''. His family, past and present, were important subjects i ...

David Pierog

David Pierog joined the company as a partner in 2004. Prior to his time with the studio, Pierog founded and operated a design drafting business, supplying 2D and 3D technical graphics to the civil, mechanical, architectural, and structural engineering fields. Pierog left Rocking Horse Studio in 2010. He is an accomplished drummer, currently performing in Tractor Trailer.

Artists who have recorded at Rocking Horse Studio

The studios have been used by musicians such as

Greg Hawkes Gregory A. Hawkes (born October 22, 1952) is an American musician best known as the keyboardist for the rock band The Cars. Hawkes, a native of Fulton, Maryland, United States, attended Atholton High School where he played in a band called Teeth ...

from

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

rock group

The Cars The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek ( rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (lead guitar), Greg Hawkes (keyboards), ...

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

star Alex Preston (singer), Pat & the Hats, Tristan Omand, Anna Madsen,

guitarist

drummer

Shannon Larkin James Shannon Larkin (born April 24, 1967) is an American musician, best known as the drummer of rock band Godsmack. He replaced the previous drummer Tommy Stewart in June 2002. Prior to Godsmack, he was a member of Amen, Candlebox, Ugly Kid Joe ...

Builder of the House Builder of the House is an American folk pop band formed in Portland, Maine, in 2011, consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Rob Cimitile and drummer Elliot Heeschen. Cimitile began performing under the name Builder of the House in 2010, but ...

, Christian Cuff, the Adam Ezra Group, Sweden's Gustav & the Seasick Sailors, guitarist/producer

Duke Levine Duke Levine (born November 29, 1961) is an American guitarist, known primarily for his rock and country music playing as a session musician. Levine was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. He has recorded and performed with Shawn Colv ...

, Tractor Trailer, Steve Blunt, Will Kindler, and Chris Peters.

References

*Discography in Waking in the Blue: Isn't It Pretty to think so? (August 26, 2003). *'Lowell Sun', "Steppin' Out" article "On the Road with

The Double Yellow ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...

by Audrey Mangone. *''Mike McAdam Biography'', by Mike McAdam *Musical Discoveries interview, by Martin Hudson.

External links

Rocking Horse Studios — official site

The Double Yellow — official site

Mike McAdam - official siteWaking in the Blue - official siteAnother Animal - official siteBrian Coombes- Rocking Horse Studio- InterviewDusty Gray Recording at Rocking Horse
Recording studios in the United States Companies based in Merrimack County, New Hampshire {{recording-studio-stub