Mastodon are giving back to the community, with a place to jam! The metal quartet are opening up a rehearsal studio. The facility, which will be named Ember City after the Mastodon song (from Once More 'Round The Sun), is being spearheaded by guitarist Bill Kelliher, who has taken on the bulk of the workload. They purchased a building that will soon be used to house rehearsal and practice spaces for local artists and musicians.

"I want this to be a cool place where people feel safe, and can express themselves in an artistic way," Kelliher told Creative Loafing. "Do what they want to do in their room. Over the years there have been practice rooms that I've used that just didn't feel good. I didn't feel a spark there. I don't want this to be like that. I want this to be somewhere that people look forward to," he continued.

The building will be a haven not just for musicians, but for any type of artist who requires a studio space for their chosen medium, whether its music, ceramics, painting, etc. The inspiration came when two of Atlanta's rehearsal studios, Thunderbox and Avatar Studios, closed down, leaving musicians without a space to practice. Kelliher projects the first rooms will be open by the summer and has already made significant headway, commenting, "I already have plans drawn up, and I think they're already in the city's hands. I've been talking with contractors and builders. And I've been known to swing a hammer here and there. So you might see me in here doing something pretty soon."

Source:	clatl.com
Band profile:	Mastodon