Independent creation

Matthew slowly parked the car by the roadside, and glanced out of the window at the three-story red-brick building. It was nestled amidst verdant ivy, and its sturdy outline hinted at a touch of Victorian-era architectural design. Even in the diverse and historically rich downtown area of Manhattan, it exuded an air of restrained elegance and a unique, timeless history.

Raising his gaze, one could notice that the street was named Prince Street, sharing its name with the central avenue that crossed through Edinburgh's city center. While it couldn't rival the breathtaking beauty and grandeur of Edinburgh's mountainside vistas, the red brick walls, green floor tiles, and black wrought iron railings still bore the ancient, gentlemanly English flavor.

Taking a few more steps forward, if you looked through the spacious glass windows, you could clearly see the post-modern, slightly dilapidated interior design. The rough warehouse-style elements hinted at a touch of steampunk aesthetic. Above the glass walls, graffiti in various fonts, words and sentences, English and Chinese, white and red... an array of styles and options, at a glance, could be mistaken for abstract artistic graffiti, distinctive and unique.

The entire building exuded an air of quiet sophistication, yet it also carried an aura of free-spirited nonchalance.

"Your boss has good taste," Matthew commented lightly, adjusting his jawline in approval.

Renly's gaze revealed a hint of surprise. He hadn't expected to find such a unique recording studio amidst the bustling commerce of Manhattan. Even in the art-centric Lower East Side, it remained a one-of-a-kind establishment. "This is why I chose New York."

It was a simple jest but carried a deeper layer of mockery that didn't escape Matthew's notice, causing a faint smile to tug at the corner of his lips.

Living in various European cities, one could sense the irreplaceable historical depth and the enlightening artistic influence that pervaded the streets and alleys. It wasn't limited to museums or historical landmarks but permeated the unique atmospheres found throughout the streets, young classical musicians performing on street corners, and people reading books on squares.

It was precisely because of this that Europeans often held a certain disdain and condescension toward mainstream American cities. Cities like Los Angeles, Houston, and Chicago seemed shallow and straightforward, lacking the qualities that truly left a lasting impression. In comparison, New York and Boston, situated on the East Coast, were among the few cities where historical depth could still be glimpsed.

From a certain perspective, New York actually shared many similarities with London. Thus, Renly's jest and mockery a moment ago.

Watching Renly exit the car, Matthew leaned over and supported the passenger seat with his elbow, raising his voice, "Once you receive the contract, remember not to sign it immediately. Strictly speaking, any document that requires your signature should not be signed until I've reviewed it. Always keep that in mind."

As a lawyer, Matthew was well-versed in legal clauses and contract implications. Despite being a trial defense lawyer, reviewing contracts was second nature to him.

Before this, all of Renly's contracts had been handed over to his agents, who then delivered them to lawyers for review, with Renly covering the legal fees. However, now that Matthew had moved to New York and settled there, there was no need to go through intermediaries.

Although Renly was about to begin recording his first album today, in fact, he hadn't signed any contracts yet. Everything was still in its initial stages.

In general, album production was similar to making a movie. The production company, distribution company, and the production team, including the artists, all had their investments and expected returns. Before starting work, everything would be standardized in black and white to determine everyone's rights and prevent disputes.

However, this time was quite special. Renly hadn't had any contact with any record companies yet. George Slender intended to use his own savings to produce the entire album, a completely independent production endeavor. In other words, production and distribution companies were not involved at all. At present, there was only one production team.

So, how should the allocation of input and returns be regulated within the production team?

This situation was somewhat similar to "Buried" and "Like Crazy". In both cases, the directors found investors, assembled their own film crews and casts, and invested in production before attending film festivals to seek the favor of distribution companies.

At that time, Renly was the first to sign a contract and became part of the production team through compensation and profit-sharing.

As for how the album's production and profit-sharing model worked, it remained unknown. But regardless of whether the model was similar to that of movies, Matthew could be certain that George would definitely discuss the matter of signing a contract with Renly before officially starting the recording work. Hence, the previous explanation.

Renly turned back, flashed a shallow smile at Matthew, said nothing more, retreated toward the building behind him, waved goodbye, then turned around and walked away. His figure soon disappeared through the glass doors.

Only then did Matthew restart the engine and drive to his law firm where he worked.

As he entered the ground-floor lobby, the sunlight and cold air from outside were shut out. The mottled walls, rusty pipes, dusty antiques, and the space that resembled an old warehouse all told the stories that time had left behind in this place. Even just as an office environment, it revealed the overall style of the company and was quite refreshing.

At first glance, Renly had a profound impression of the independent music production company called Studio Eleven.

Just like independent film production studios, there were numerous independent record companies in the United States. However, since the beginning of the 21st century, the entire music market had been declining, showing a downward trend overall. Even giants like Universal Music, Warner Bros., and Sony Music faced new challenges, let alone the small independent companies. Therefore, there were countless unheard-of small companies.

Renly was well-versed in movies, but his knowledge of music was quite limited. When George chose Studio Eleven's recording studio, Renly was completely puzzled and had never heard of it. Because of this, Nathan had even done a small investigation for him.

This independent music production company had quite a reputation in New York. In the midst of the global music market's decline, it steadfastly supported the development of independent music, particularly folk, rock, jazz, and other niche genres. They had never wavered. What's more, they strongly supported unknown independent musicians, often renting top-notch recording studios to these independent artists at prices below market rates.

Last month, the Sound City in Los Angeles officially declared closure, marking the end of the half-century glory of this legendary recording studio. The decline of traditional music couldn't be stopped anymore. However, in such circumstances, Studio Eleven remained true to its mission, becoming even more valuable. In the independent music scene, Studio Eleven had made quite a name for itself.

Singers like Jason Mraz and Norah Jones had completed their albums here.

Previously, everything was just dry text after an internet search, devoid of emotions. Now, these details were gradually coming to life on the screen.

Looking around, Renly couldn't find the front desk. Inside the building, there were several tables scattered about. To the left was a working area created by joining four tables, while on the right, there were neatly arranged work cubicles. The utilization of the entire space seemed casual and unregulated, completely devoid of order. He could see several staff members sitting at their respective positions, sipping coffee and munching on sandwiches, chatting and laughing. It seemed like they hadn't quite entered work mode yet.

Even if he wanted to ask, he didn't know whom to ask. Such a situation was indeed rare, and Renly couldn't help but smile.

"Sir, may I assist you with something?" A tall man approached, and despite his short crewcut, he didn't look stern. Instead, he had a somewhat honest and earnest appearance, and his robust build made one think of... a teddy bear. Upon noticing Renly's gaze, he offered a faint smile and raised the coffee cup in his hand. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

Renly chuckled softly. "I just had my breakfast coffee a while ago, and if I don't want to squander my afternoon quota, I'd better decline." He playfully declined the offer and then shifted the conversation to business. "Renly Hall, appointment at 9:30 AM."

"9:30?" The man raised his thick eyebrows and smiled warmly. "You must be a punctual person." It was only 9:10 AM now, and he had arrived twenty minutes early.

Renly couldn't help but shake his head wryly, conveying a meaningful nod. "There's always someone who needs to be punctual." The punctual one wasn't him, but the one who had just driven away.

The man then pointed in the direction upstairs. "You're here for a recording session, right? You've booked the entire day. If I remember correctly, it should be on the second floor, the one with the "Fool" sign at the door."

Renly's eyebrow raised slightly, and a hint of amusement shone in his eyes. This independent music production company was indeed unique. "I guess they aren't hinting at my IQ with that sign." His jesting remark made the other man burst into hearty laughter, brightening up his entire face.

He extended his right hand. "I'm Teddy. Welcome to Studio Eleven." Renly shook his hand with a friendly smile. "I hope your recording session today goes smoothly."

A hint of a smile lingered at the corners of Renly's lips, and he felt quite cheerful. He nodded lightly. "That's just what I need—some blessings, a bit of luck." His tone was light and teasing, and both of them couldn't help but smile.