Last year ended on a devastating note for the Boston music scene, as stalwart space Zippah Recording Studios was lost to a massive, eight-alarm fire at its home base in Brighton on the Brookline border. The fire destroyed priceless gear and the physical site of three-decades of music making, but the response by the community has been swift.
Shortly after the blaze, a GoFundMe was established for its owner, respected producer Brian Charles, and it has brought in more than $182,000 from over 1,400 donors. A t-shirt fundraiser has also made the rounds, and today (January 7), a benefit compilation has hit Bandcamp to raise additional funds for the recovery efforts.
The benefit comp features 42 tracks, many of which were created start-to-finish within Zippah’s walls at 185 Corey Road. Included on the comp is Charles’ band The Sheila Divine, as well as Abbie Barrett, Petty Morals, Ward Hayden & The Outliers, The Pills, Mellow Bravo, and others. Zippah engineer Annie Hoffman’s own Weakened Friends, as well as her prior band The Field Effect, also make an appearance.
“The outcry of support and testimonials have been both humbling and motivational,” writes Hoffman on the Bandcamp. “The blaze took not only the building, but owner/producer/champion Brian Charles’s priceless collection of instruments and equipment. With such a massive road to recovery ahead, these gracious Zippah artists have stepped in to share their awesome music!”
The comp is available for whatever folx wish to donate, with 100 percent of donations going to the Zippah Recording Studio Recovery Fund.
Hoffman adds: “With this compilation of songs, old and new, collected throughout Zippah’s 3+ decades of operation, we are raising funds together to help Brian continue on his journey to rebuild Zippah in a new location. Those who contribute will receive not only this enormous collection, but a taste of the talent that was captured and a glimpse of the joy generated in that space on a daily basis.”
Get into it below, and check out the incredible artwork by KC Roberge.