You don’t have to drive to Nashville, St. Louis or Muscle Shoals to make a professional record anymore.
That’s the message from Bill Tweedy, partner in EXP Productions, a community-rooted recording collective based in the basement studio space affiliated with Guitar Shop on the Square in downtown Perryville.
“We have so many good artists in this whole area,” Tweedy said during an interview Thursday at The Guitar Shop, 7 West St. Joseph St. “You don’t have to go to Nashville. You don’t have to go to St. Louis. Come right here.”
EXP Productions was formed by long-time collaborators Tweedy, Stan Denninger and Rebekah Roth, along with producer and musician Jason Heeter. After years of playing together and traveling to outside studios, they decided it was time to build something closer to home.
Denninger already had a studio foundation in place. The group invested in additional equipment to complete it, creating a full-service recording space where artists can record, mix and master projects without leaving southeast Missouri or southern Illinois.
“We’re going to serve the song, not ourselves,” Heeter said. “We’re not in it just to make the money. We’re in it for the music.”
Heeter, a Potosi native who studied music at Southeast Missouri State University, wears many hats for EXP. On any given day, he may be tracking bass or vocals, running a recording session, mixing and mastering tracks, designing promotional materials or coordinating bookings and radio outreach.
“I just wanted to make music,” Heeter said with a laugh. “But a lot comes along with that. You learn the business side over time.”
Tweedy, a lifelong guitarist, traces his musical roots to Bakersfield, Calif. His father was a multi-instrumentalist associated with Cousin Herb Henson’s television and radio scene, where artists like Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and Tex Ritter were regulars. Music, he said, has always been part of his life.
Beyond performance, Tweedy is passionate about encouraging young people to learn instruments.
“Music is a release,” he said. “It relaxes you. It stimulates nearly every system of your body. You learn math, language, rhythm, and coordination. It’s good for anxiety. It brings out the best in people.”
That philosophy ties directly into EXP’s location. Much of the recording happens in the basement studio connected to the guitar shop, creating what Heeter describes as a natural pipeline.
“Kids take lessons here,” Heeter said. “When they start writing their own music, where better to record it than the place they learned to play?”
The studio offers access to a wide roster of session musicians, allowing artists to shape projects however they envision them. Recently, the team completed an album for regional artist Logan Chapman, blending alternative and emo influences with red dirt and outlaw country elements. A violin and mandolin player from Columbia contributed additional texture to the project.
“We can provide musicians, suggest ideas, help bring a song to life,” Tweedy said. “And it’s fun. There’s no pressure. If you mess up, no big deal. We just start again.”
The finished product, they say, is often a moment of revelation for artists.
“When they hear the mix, they’re amazed,” Heeter said. “It’s like, ‘When did it sound like that?’”
EXP Productions will showcase its regional focus Saturday, Feb. 21, at Scout Hall in Cape Girardeau. The original-music lineup includes Chris Welch, Heeter and his wife Jessie’s band Missourado, Snowbird Street Band, and Logan Chapman, who will headline. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. They are available for purchase at www. thescouthall.com.
For those interested in recording, artists can contact EXP Productions via its website and social media, or by calling the guitar shop.
Tweedy summed up EXP Productions’ mission simply: “Let’s have some fun. Come play your music.”
