LA Weekly

Aaron Espinoza, best known as one half of the band Earlimart, is smoking a Winston Light in his Eagle Rock recording studio, the Ship. Dressed in a sweater, sneakers and, yes, somewhat ironic mustache, the almost-too-handsome 32-year-old is listening to new tracks he produced and mixed for the young band Castledoor.

“There is this whole new crop of hot-shit Silver Lake bands, I am like the old guy now,” says Espinoza, who recently, along with bandmate Ariana Murray, set up their own label Majordomo Records, which is being distributed through Shout/Sony.

“It’s cool. We did this deal with Shout, the guys [who] used to run and own Rhino. And, I think they still have a passion for music. It’s licensing, it’s a 50-50 partnership. Basically, we met these guys in a dark alley, and it was like, ‘I want to be in a situation where we can put out Earlimart records, and I also want to be in a situation where I can sign artists and bring people to ‘the dark side.’”

Espinoza laughs and exhales a puff of smoke.

“Ariana and I got A&R positions — we aren’t answering phones or anything likethat. I’m producing this Castledoor record here, and now ... I can offer them a record deal.”

Not bad for a Fresno kid who once aspired merely to getting good enough to play Spaceland. When Espinoza began building the Ship eight years ago, he had very little money or equipment, but he did have a lot of like-minded friends, and he wanted to create a space where they could develop as artists, as well as record music whether they had a record deal or not. Earlimart was then somewhere in the middle of their now-five-album career. Since then, the band has evolved from what might be described as a post-punk to chamber-pop sound, with harmonious vocals emerging from a once-edgy Cobain-like yell.

Along the way, the Ship not only served as a place where Espinoza could write, rehearse and record — and sometimes live — but it also allowed him an opportunity to develop his engineering skills and producer’s ear. Let’s Go Sailing, the Silversun Pickups, Elliott Smith, Grandaddy, Irving and the Watson Twins are among artists who have recorded there. It boasts a Neve console and custom API mixer, gear is abundant and a new cheery white paint job accentuates the 1970s wallpapered panorama photo of an awe-inspiring view of the California coastline.

Last year, Espinoza completed two Earlimart albums here, as well as the Castledoor project and another for the band Rademacher, whose members coincidentally are also from Fresno. “I really love being a part of all this stuff. In the last couple years I’ve been busier then ever. I think [when I started making music] I just threw myself into it. I still remember my [early] dreams, and the thing is, they are starting to come true. Having this place, paying rent, that’s a dream,” Espinoza says, looking around. “Now it’s about goals.”

Photo by Kevin Scanlon