Meet Chris Kimmerer of berry hill

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Kimmerer.

Hi chris, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I moved to Nashville in 2003, after studying jazz in my home of Toronto for a few years. When I got to town, I tried hard to plug into the scene of working musicians as quickly as I could. After some early touring opportunities, I also became interested in recording sessions.

In 2009, with my friends Konrad Snyder and Marc Scibilia, we started The Brown Owl studio.. at the time, we knew we needed experience in the studio if we were going get called to “real” sessions and find success in the recording process. So, we pooled our resources and rented our first studio space.. a small little house in Berry Hill. We initially signed a one year lease- at some old Nashville prices- and justified the whole thing knowing that if nothing came of our time, we’d only have to scrape rent together for a 12 month period.

A few months in to having our little studio up and running- complete with Marc living in one of the rooms- we started to get inquiries about our space, our rates, etc. I joke that we “fell backwards” into being a commercial recording studio. Out of necessity, we needed a name, and after some deliberating landed on The Brown Owl, by early 2010.

Over the 12 years in that original location, we had tons of great players, artists, engineers, producers, records and sessions come through. I smile when I think about all the great players, producers, and engineers who cut their teeth doing their first sessions at The Brown Owl, and who have such fond memories of that time and place.

By 2021, Covid had complicated the business, and our lease renewal was looking less and less affordable, so we packed up shop and moved (almost) all the gear to my home in East Nashville where I thought I’d focus on remote drum tracking and production. After just a few months away from Berry Hill, I had a chance to purchase a building- very reminiscent of our original space- just a few streets over from where we’d spent our previous 12 years.

2021-2022 was very tied up spinning the plates of touring (I was in year 9 with Thomas Rhett at the time), recording from home, and building out our new location. As 2022 rolled on, our doors were open as The Owl studio.. a little nod to our original name, but truncated to how almost everyone referred to the OG spot.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has definitely had its twists and turns! Some seasons feel like everything is clicking into place; momentum, magic, all of it. And then there are the quieter seasons, where you’re left wondering if you somehow upset the universe! That ebb and flow has shown up not just in the studio, but across every part of my career.

I will say, 20 years into nashville, that I’ve learned that the struggles of work, lack of work, money, lack of money, ill-timed gear issues, schedule mixups, canceled gigs, and on.. it all tends to even out in the end. This was never a race to riches or fame, but a chance to dig in and be a part, to learn, create, have fun, and share some joy.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m the ultimate freelancer! The epiphany of having several streams of income hit me early in my working years (there was a summer of part-time landscaping that really got my wheels turning). I’ve owned and operated The Owl (nee The Brown Owl) since 2009. In that lane, I work as a session drummer, a producer, a manager, an engineer, an assistant, and a landlord. I also love playing live music and have spent the last 13 or so years drumming and leading the touring band for Thomas Rhett. TR has been a huge part of my recording career, giving me the opportunity to work on many of his records over the last decade as well. We even cut a drum track for a multi-week number one at The Brown Owl!

On a musical level, I like to think my playing has personality, that you can hear me on a recording and know it’s me playing drums.

Looking back, the longer I go, I see there is much to be proud of.. it’s been pretty cool to build a career here in Nashville, to dream it and do it, and then to exceed anything those dreams ever had. It’s insane. To play on hit records! Gosh, how cool is that? Maybe a little bit cliche, but I really am most proud of the relationships I’ve made, and the experiences I’ve had. Read: played some great music with wonderful people in some amazing places.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’m a drummer, in the studio business, who will play ice hockey on a show day. Risk taker, ha!

I’m a risk taker.. but it’s not mischievous; I also dig following rules. But I can get down with some risk. I don’t think about it much in those terms, but I’d say that it’s true. A first big risk was leaving my family at home in Canada and moving to Nashville in the first place. 19 year-old adventure, yes! But, it was risky. It was risky to stay after school and build a life here as well..

I think more specifically, I’m into the idea of taking calculated risks.. looking to others who have found success in their own worlds, finding confidence by being prepared, knowing as many of the factors as I can. It’s a combination of adrenaline and seeing a path to getting ahead or getting better.. and it’s definitely about fun, and growing!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theowlnashville.com
• Instagram: @studiocalledtheowl
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studiocalledtheowl