On April 30, 2025, KGNU welcomed Jamie and Davis Maynard of Stone Cottage Studios to discuss their newly expanded space on Boulder’s East Pearl Street and the studio’s evolving role in Colorado’s music scene. The father-son duo shared details about their intimate live performance sessions, artist development program Echoes from the Stone, and their efforts to support emerging musicians through high-quality video and audio production. With events like weekly open mics, curated concerts, and collaborative EPK sessions, Stone Cottage Studios quickly becomes a vital hub for local and touring artists. The conversation also highlighted upcoming performances, including Nashville’s The Young Fables on June 6th, part of their outdoor summer concert series.
Indra Raj:
Welcome, Davis and Jamie from Stone Cottage Studios.
Davis:
Hello. Thank you so much for having us.
Indra Raj:
It’s really great to have you both here. I was very lucky to visit your studio about a month ago to check out your space and learn more about what you’re doing. It was immediately clear that we needed to have you come in and talk about all the amazing things happening at Stone Cottage Studios. So first of all, why don’t we have you two introduce yourselves and what you do at Stone Cottage Studios, and then we’ll get into some of what’s going on.
Jamie:
Sure! I’m Jamie Maynard. Davis and I are partners in this business, Stone Cottage Studios, which we founded about six years ago. I’m excited to talk more about our programming and some of our daytime activities as well.
Davis:
Yep—and that was my father, Jamie. My name is Davis, and we’re just so excited to be growing the music community here in Colorado and to be on air with KGNU right now. Isn’t this fun?
Indra Raj:
It’s so fun. It’s great. I mean, yeah—I’m always saying this: every year, I feel like the music scene in Boulder, Denver, and the Front Range just keeps blossoming. It was already vibrant, but it’s becoming this larger and larger garden of opportunities for artists and musicians. It’s been really great to support that through KGNU, but also to link up with places like Stone Cottage Studios, which provide such essential services for artists, performers, and music lovers alike. So let’s talk a little bit about the programming happening at Stone Cottage Studios.
Davis:
Yeah! So, we just opened up our new location on the east end of Pearl Street at 1928. During the day, we’re a boutique music shop. We sell consignment vintage guitars and curated vinyl records. We’ve partnered with a hi-fi stereo store called Crescendo Fine Audio, and we sell a variety of two-channel analog stereo systems—which is really fun. Our programming is really focused on intimate music listening. The space is in an old 1900s house, so it’s the most intimate music venue in Boulder. We curate shows all the time and are always working to support the music community here. Want to add something, Jamie?
Jamie:
Yeah, I think that really spells it out. We really want to serve the whole music community—bringing musicians and the community together. Davis is bringing a lot of new energy to this as well. During the pandemic, we live-streamed and curated small events with interview components as part of our artist sessions. In our new-old building in Boulder, we’re continuing that. The programming includes artist sessions. We’ve got Shelby Natasha this coming Friday—tickets are still available. We’re doing a recorded and filmed artist session with three songs. Davis will be interviewing Shelby, and then the doors will open for a set of live music. That’s tonight, and doors open at 7:00 PM.
Indra Raj:
And when you say intimate, I mean it’s really intimate—what is it, 20 or 25 seats?
Jamie:
In the main live room, it’s 25 seats. And then in our two side simulcast rooms, people get to see our camera feed switched live. They can have their own kind of intimate gathering where they can talk a bit, too. So altogether, about 40 people for these intimate events. As for programming, we’ve got musicians like The Young Fables from Nashville coming in on June 6th. We’re starting to get some recognition from Nashville agents and bands, and they’re coming through pretty frequently. Davis also started a new series. Want to talk about Echoes from the Stone?
Davis:
Yeah! Echoes from the Stone is an artist development series we just launched. It focuses on platforming up-and-coming and developing musicians in the Front Range and across Colorado. I’m featuring eight musicians—every other Sunday, we do an artist session recording and one of these intimate shows to help subsidize the cost of production. It’s free for the musicians. We’ve been recording and having such beautiful conversations—gaining insights into the minds and lives of musicians today. You know—what it means, how it feels.
Indra Raj:
And artists are not just performing—they’re coming out with this fantastic product: a video of their work paired with excellent sound quality. As we all know in this media age, if you don’t have high-quality audio and video to share, it’s tough. People need to hear and see your work before they decide where to place your music. It’s such a crucial service you’re offering to new artists who are still finding their footing.
Davis:
Yeah, I’m so, so grateful to be able to hold that space and create a comfortable environment. Artists have been delivering such wonderful performances. I’m excited to listen to the two tracks we have lined up for KGNU.
Indra Raj:
So let’s listen to the first one.
Davis:
Let’s do Salima Songbird first.
Indra Raj:
Tell us a little bit about the recording we’re going to hear.
Davis:
Sure! This is a song called It’s All Right, an original by the band. Joy Adams is singing. Songbird was just forming as a band when they came to us—this was about two years ago. They were looking to get some high-quality live video and EPK recordings to promote themselves and book shows. With this content, they were able to break into the music scene and find gigs, which is just so beautiful. It’s a testament to how powerful that medium is.
Jamie:
It was a really special session. They performed around a large stereo ribbon mic—just one single mic. And they’re so talented; they know how to play to that mic. Davis was saying this morning that it’s one of our best real recordings.
Indra Raj:
Absolutely. They’re all conservatory-trained musicians with a lot of classical and jazz background, and they’ve turned that into this really unique Americana sound. Just really high-quality stuff. We love them.
Jamie:
Yes, we do too.
Indra Raj:
So let’s listen to that now. This is Salima Songbird, recorded at Stone Cottage Studios, right here on KGNU.
(Plays Music)
Indra Raj:
Salima Songbird! That was a live recorded session from Stone Cottage Studios from a couple of years back. I’m so happy to have Jamie and Davis in the studio today talking about Stone Cottage Studios. So—we were just discussing off the air—some of these EPK sessions, I think they’re called? Maybe you can tell our listeners more about that.
Jamie:
Yes. As I mentioned, we’ve always offered recording and filming as part of our services. We have studio rates for EPK work, and Davis and I are open to working with anyone looking to produce that kind of content. In the new space, we can host up to 30 people. And we’re exploring ways for artists to offset studio costs by bringing in donations from friends, family, and the community—and even setting a ticket price for the event.
Indra Raj:
Or maybe selling tickets on their end.
Jamie:
Exactly. That can either pay for or significantly reduce the cost of the session. So we wanted to get the word out—folks, get in touch with us and let’s put these EPK sessions together!
Indra Raj:
It reminds me of the Kickstarter model that became popular about 15 years ago—helping people fund their recording projects. This is kind of an offshoot of that—a really creative way to fund an EPK, which is such an important asset for both artists and industry professionals.
Davis:
Yeah, and hosting it in a really unique space brings people together in a fun, meaningful way. It helps musicians subsidize their costs and build community at the same time.
Indra Raj:
Absolutely. So, how can people stay connected with all the events, opportunities, and the store you now have on Pearl Street?
Davis:
I’d say, in the modern age—check our socials! Follow us on Instagram at @stonecottagestudios—we’re most active there. And visit our website to see upcoming shows and concerts. Every Thursday, I host a community open mic and songwriter showcase. For $40, I’ll record and film each person’s song with one camera. We livestream that to our YouTube as well—every Thursday at 6 PM.
Indra Raj:
Great. Wonderful! There’s so much going on. We’re going to take it out today with music from The Young Fables and their upcoming concert on June 6th.
Jamie:
Yes—The Young Fables from Nashville. They’re an amazing duo. This will be their third year with us. Check them out—that’s June 6th. The event is up on our website. People bring picnics, friends, family, low-back chairs, and blankets. We’re nestled in the gardens in front of the old stone cottage where it all started. It’s a pretty magical environment. We’ll also be announcing more shows for our summer series soon.
Indra Raj:
Always great to listen to live music outdoors. There’s nothing better—especially now, on a beautiful day like this. I know people are looking for those opportunities! So yes, Stone Cottage Studios will be hosting a series of outdoor concerts. The Young Fables will be there on June 6th—just about a month from now. Let’s listen to a bit of their music to take us out today.
Jamie:
Thank you!
Davis:
Appreciate it. Thanks so much.
