Twisted Penguin Productions: Making waves in Alaska’s recording industry

February 21, 2012

Ken Sease wants to share the humanity behind music

Ken Sease feels most at home with a guitar in his hands. The owner and chief audio engineer of Twisted Penguin Productions in Anchorage began his career as a house musician in Nome with his band Notice To Appear.

Ken and Joseph Simer, Notice To Appear’s drummer, had started to write and record songs in his apartment. When the time came to get the album professionally mixed, the two researched facilities in Alaska and settled on Mirror Studios – where Ken eventually would work.

Not long after recording his album at Mirror Studios, Ken moved to Anchorage and started hanging out at the studio as often as possible.

Mirror Studios founder Charlie Hewitt told Ken, “God helps those who help themselves.” Ken took this to mean that if he wanted to work in the music business, then he would have to take initiative.

Ken began showing up every day and did whatever was asked of him, including cleaning the bathrooms and making coffee. Little by little, he became one of the main house engineers.

Twelve years after Ken started at Mirror Studios, the economy took a turn for the worse, and the traditional approach to recording began to change. Ken was laid off.

“At first I was freaked out and didn’t know what to do,” Ken said. “So I thought, ‘Do what I know how,’ and I started a recording studio in my house.”

Soon the house was taken over by gear and musicians, and Ken’s wife insisted he find a studio space. Mutual friends had purchased a building on Spenard Road and 30th Avenue. A space in the back of the building turned out to be perfect for a recording studio.

With the help of friends, his wife and his family, Ken began renovating in November 2010. Twisted Penguin Productions opened March 21, 2011 – almost a year to the day he was laid off from Mirror Studios.

Making waves

Within weeks, Ken met Evan Phillips, who plays in the band the Whipsaws. Evan wanted Ken to listen to Juneau singer Meg Mackey. Both were blown away by her voice and agreed to help her record and produce her new album.

With Ken as the engineer, Evan acting as producer and James Glaves providing the final mix, they realized they had a great team in place at the studio.

It was decided that Twisted Penguin Productions would offer artists the ability to reduce daily and hourly rates by working on a per-project basis. Unlike traditional recording facilities, Twisted Penguin lets artists eat, sleep and hang out without having to watch the clock, which allows for more creativity.

This approach has been so successful that Ken gets calls from bands all over the state that want to record at Twisted Penguin.

Ken believes that to succeed at what you love, you cannot get hung up on money.

“In the end, if a project is over and there is an issue, taking that extra time to fix the problem is worth all the effort, regardless of whether there is money left in the budget,” he said. “Going the extra mile to make sure an artist or client leaves happy gains you a customer for life.”

It’s that little extra customer service that Ken insists is the humanity behind the sharing of music.

“The bottom line is the people,” Ken said. “Do the right thing. Have a heart. It’s not about the money.”

Today, Twisted Penguin Productions mainly attracts younger singer-songwriters and indie bands and musicians. However, the business also has its fair share of corporate accounts for radio and video production houses. Ken regularly works with Alaska Native Heritage Center, Alaska Dance Theatre, FrostLine Productions and SprocketHeads. He also provides restoration and digitizing services.

Broadcasting himself

Ken believes word of mouth is the most valuable marketing tool. He promotes his business through his website, which he plans to soon revamp, and Facebook promotions.

Though it can be hard running a business in Alaska, Ken does not want to be anywhere else.

“Alaskans are a different breed,” he said. “We’re not dealing with the same stuff as the rest of the U.S. You’ve got to be brave to be up here and endure because it’s a real challenge.”

He feels that if he went outside Alaska, there would be thousands more people trying to do what he does, and in Alaska, his individuality and skills really have the opportunity to thrive.

Sound advice

Ken says as an entrepreneur, the most important thing he has learned is to be consistent.

“Cross your T’s, dot your I’s and keep it simple,” he said. “You don’t need to complicate it more than it is.”

Ken also recommends having a solid business plan and being conscientious about money.

“Make sure you have twice as much money as you think you need and really do your research,” he said. “Don’t go in blind. Have the facts to back up your feelings because it’s going to help you be that much better. You don’t need millions to get a great collection of gear when you can do much more with less.”