Tony Copley, who owns and operates Ledge 7 Studios in Dallas, GA, is working to establish more than just a local studio that caters to independent artists. With the Ledge 7 Entertainment Group, Copley is developing an integrated model that combines the studio, a management arm, and a record label. The diversity and flexibility of this approach benefits both Copley and the musicians in the Atlanta area. For Copley, it opens up numerous channels to accommodate local players, and for the artists, there are services Ledge 7 offers that typically don't come easy for indies.

"It was a plan from the beginning to do it this way," says Copley. "We started the studio first to get the capital coming in. First and foremost I'm a writer and musician, so I started doing some commercials and recorded some smaller demos to get the capital up, and then I started developing the plan for the label. Eventually we went to doing full albums for bands that were bigger in the region."

"There's so much good music here and these bands just don't have a way of getting it out to people because it's so expensive. I try to work with the artist. Sometimes we'll work out a smaller fee for the studio and build a different percentage into the distribution. I'm trying to be accessible to indie artists. I'm still an artist myself. I was lucky enough to do a movie soundtrack, so I took that money, invested it into gear, and started the studio. I'm definitely all about the music. This is all I do, so I'm just trying to grow it all."

Ledge 7 Studios has a growing list of recording credits since opening its doors nearly two years ago, and the management arm and label have followed suit in the past year. Distribution is one facet of Ledge 7's operation that seems to be in full blossom, boasting a fairly eclectic roster of acts. The artists on the Ledge 7 label are getting distribution, as are a number of others unrelated to the studio or the label.

"I'm distributing a number of bands in the Atlanta area that do not have a contract with me as a label," asserts Copley. "A lot of these bands don't have access to distribution and don't have a way to market their album. On the label I have Crazy Anglos, they were the John Lennon Song Contest winners and they've been on the Warped Tour. They've got Japanese distribution, so they're the band that's moving the most. We also have Streetlight Syndrome. Their singer was on the TV show Rock Star. Then there's a jazz artist Jake Sharp and Brandy Lindsey from South Carolina, who is doing more of an Americana style of music. They're fun to work with because they're way outside the realm of your typical rock band. I'm trying to work with different styles to keep a balance. It's an indie label so I can kind of do what I want."

Copley enjoys the flexibility his business model offers, and its genius lies in it's modest size and easy adaptability. Rather than try to fit artists into a standard contract, Copley can meet the individual needs of different musicians by personalizing his offer and services.

"If you hit the store site, you'll see a band on there called the Antibodies from North Carolina. Then I've got a couple of friends here in town. I recorded Rae Ven Rae, she's got a deal with someone else, but I'm selling it. Mercury Drop's singer is a real good friend of mine. They don't have a deal with me, I'm not technically distributing them, I'm just helping them sell their album."

Meeting the artist's needs also translates into Copley's work as an engineer and producer in the studio. He has a small group of engineer/producers who have experience with different genres and production credits to help round out his own engineering skill set. And like anything else, going from musician to studio owner has provided some lessons for Copley.

"One thing that I've learned with the studio that I never really understood as an artist is that some people come in thinking they want a producer and they don't, they just want an engineer. Some think they want an engineer, but then they're asking you to do harmonies and help arrange songs. The cool thing is sometimes I'm working just as an engineer, some other times I'm approaching it more as a producer. Each band brings in a totally different vibe and set of skills to apply and I love getting into each individual project for what it is. There's no one agenda or set way of working."

And while Copley has real experience as a road musician and a performing/recording artist, he recognizes things have changed since his days on the scene. In addition to dishing out advice and services to the indie crowd, he's also learning a few things from the new generation of musicians.

"The indie bands are just getting smarter and smarter," Copley says. "They've got a lot of savvy using the internet as a marketing tool. I've actually learned a number of things from some of these 20 year old kids telling me what they're doing online and I'm thinking, "That's brilliant!' It's a different world than what I came up in."

Learn more at www.ledge7.com