Members of the LA music community have spoken to NME about being hit hard by the fatal wildfires that continue to burn throughout the city, with a number of venues, studios and artists being affected by the devastating blaze.
The destructive fires first broke out last Tuesday (January 7) and have since destroyed thousands of homes – claiming the lives of 24 people to date. At least 16 people are said to be missing, and authorities expect that number to rise as cadaver dogs conduct systematic grid searches in levelled neighbourhoods.
Among those to lose their homes include the artists Jhené Aiko, Madlib, Diane Warren, Harry Mack, Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith, Tim Darcy of the Canadian rock groups Cola and Ought, pop duo Brijean, 30 Seconds To Mars guitarist and musical director Stevie Aiello, and Beyonce‘s mother Tina Knowles.
Many others, including Kid Cudi, Bebe Rexha and Guapdad 4000, have shared that they had to evacuate their homes as the Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires continue to spread.
“A couple of my artists, like Keyon Harrold, had to go across town to a hotel, while a lot of people have gone to the desert,” Adrian Miller, Managing Partner of xla content + management + tech, told NME. “These are individuals that live and thrive in Los Angeles.”
Evan Peters, Vice President of 21 Entertainment Group, a boutique artist management company and record label which has an office in Los Angeles, explained that it’s hard for him to fathom just how much the wildfires have disrupted the music industry.
“Through IG and chats on text, the tally of people I know who have lost everything is beyond my ability to process,” he told NME. “I’ve seen various accounts of terror from many industry friends in the aftermath of a complete loss of everything.”
These losses have also included a number of home studios. “I follow many producers who have watched a lifetime of gear collecting and studio building expenses go up in flames,” Peters added.
Bob Clearmountain’s legendary Mix This! in Pacific Palisades was among the recording studios destroyed. Another was Harbor Studios, the Malibu studio where both Nicki Minaj and Doja Cat recorded their latest albums. Founder Zach Brandon confirmed the news on Friday (January 10) in an Instagram post. “I am profoundly sad to announce that Harbor Studios has been lost to the Palisades Fire,” he wrote.
According to Jeff Greenberg, owner and CEO of LA’s world famous Village Studios, these devastating losses will most likely result in economic challenges for impacted studios due to clients being directly affected, and in turn leading to “disruptions in their ability to work and creating gaps in scheduling.”
“Witnessing the destruction of several production and recording facilities, as well as the displacement of countless families, artists, small businesses and restaurants, has deeply moved us,” Greenberg told NME. “Studios and venues are the lifeblood of creativity in this city, and losing them feels like losing a part of our collective identity. It’s especially devastating at this point to consider how many in our community have been uprooted or have lost everything.”
The wildfires almost took out iconic concert venue The Hollywood Bowl after an evacuation order was issued last Wednesday (January 8) following news that flames broke out in the Hollywood Hills. Daniel Song, Chief Operating Office of the Bowl, was on-site at the time. “It was definitely scary,” he told NME. “I was about to take off, then all of a sudden the phone started blowing up because the Hollywood fire had just broke out.”
Fortunately, the venue, which is owned by Los Angeles County Department of Parks & Recreation and operated by LAPhil, escaped danger. It was then that the board of directors turned their attention to their musicians, making sure that anyone affected by the wildfires got the support and resources they needed.
“When we found out that some of our musicians had suffered some great damages and losses, the board of directors immediately stepped up — and some of these people live in the Palisades and have been evacuated, yet they’re thinking about our orchestra and our musicians and our artists and are immediately figuring out funds and how to help rebuild them,” Song explained. “It’s a sort of a generosity that is just so overwhelming to see happen in such a time of crisis.”
This type of kindness and selflessness isn’t just exclusive to boardroom members and big businesses – it’s being seen all over Los Angeles, with regular citizens all over the city rolling up their sleeves to help those in need. Singer, rapper and producer Jared Evan, who was originally born in New York but has lived in Los Angeles for the past few years, told NME he’s been blown away by LA’s “beautiful” community spirit.
“I know people close to me who have pretty much lost everything,” he explained. “I’ve seen a lot of unity and people helping people, both in the music industry and just regular people from the city.
“Being from New York, one of my main reference points for something like this was experiencing 9/11 when I was a kid. Regardless of how dark and negative that situation was, you saw so many people from different walks of life coming together and helping one another. I’m definitely feeling that same kind of vibe right now in LA, which is a beautiful thing.”
There have also been a number of music organisations which have stepped up to help victims of the wildfires, including the Warner Music Group/Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund which announced an initial $1million commitment to the Los Angeles area fire relief and rebuilding efforts.
Meanwhile, the Recording Academy and MusiCares have pledged $1million to support artists and music industry professionals impacted by the fires, which is something Greenberg, who is also current secretary of the Los Angeles chapter of the Recording Academy, is a big fan of.
“The fires will have a ripple effect on the music scene. This kind of loss and uncertainty can take a toll on everyone, from seasoned professionals to aspiring musicians,” he explained. “MusiCares has stepped up to provide emergency financial assistance and mental health resources to all those in need. It offers services for mental health, suicide prevention, as well as a strong commitment to aid everyone in our music community.”
Read more about what MusiCares are doing to help artists and musicians hit by the devastation here.
A benefit concert for the victims has also been announced. Dubbed FireAid, it will take place at LA’s Intuit Dome on January 30, with proceeds going to the rebuild program and to displaced families. No line-up has currently been announced.
As for the city’s rebuild, Greenberg believes “the wildfires have highlighted the vulnerability of creative spaces and of creative souls and the need for robust disaster preparedness,” adding that “moving forward, we may see studios and venues invest more in fireproofing measures, safety measures, and emergency response plans.”
Despite this, Peters is optimistic the LA music scene will bounce back soon enough. “The impact of this will be felt for years,” he said, “but I’m hoping that there will be a strong undercurrent of resiliency that quickly helps to get things back on track.”
For more information on MusiCares and what its doing to support music industry professionals during this time, visit: www.musicares.org/get-help
This week also saw Guitar Center launch an initiative to replace instruments lost in the wildfires.