Editor’s Note: “Boston Thriving” is an ongoing series from Vanyaland highlighting and honoring the national and global success of Boston- and New England-based bands and artists.
Last summer, Will Ferrell laid down some fresh tracks at Q Division — and he wasn’t whamming on the cowbell.
It was Christmas in July for the storied Greater Boston recording studio, which hosted Ferrell, Octavia Spencer, and Ryan Reynolds to record vocals for the new Christmas musical Spirited. Apple TV filmed the entire movie in Massachusetts, making Q Division an ideal headquarters for developing the accompanying 12-song soundtrack. The studio moved from 363 Highland Ave. in Somerville to its current in-progress space in North Cambridge shortly after completing its work on the new slew of Christmas carols.
“Before we moved out of our Highland Ave. location [pictured above], our last big session was a more-than-month-long-lockout hosting the cast and crew of Spirited — at the time referred to as Chili,” the Q Division team shared on Facebook. “It was super awesome and fun and tons and tons of work (we also set them up with rehearsal and pre pro spaces at their production headquarters in Braintree), and now we get to hear some of our efforts on the big screen this coming December.” [Editor’s note — the movie is available in theaters and on Apple TV as of mid-November]
Adds on-staff mixer and producer Colin Fleming: “The film took over Q Division for the month of July 2021, and by the end of the month I put in something close to 200 hours over my 2 weeks with the crew, I recorded Will Ferrell and @vancityreynolds and @octaviaspencer, I learned so so much from the main man @derik_lee, and even got a bonus shoe store rec from Ryan Reynolds.”
Hear Q Division’s holiday handiwork below (or wait until after Thanksgiving if you can’t stomach any Christmas music yet. We get it).
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