http://www.nme.com/news/111638.htm

INFLUENTIAL STUDIO BADLY DAMAGED

The studio JEFF BUCKLEY was recording in when he died has been destroyed by fire.

The Easley McCain recording studio in Memphis suffered considerable damage after an electrical fire broke out on Wednesday last week (March 2).

"The (fire) inspector said that two fires broke out at the same time at opposite ends of the building, due to some electrical reason," engineer Kevin Cubbins told Rolling Stone. "Within 15, 20 seconds, the whole place was engulfed."

The studio has witnessed sessions by Sonic Youth, The White Stripes, Guided By Voices, Wilco and Loretta Lynn among others.

Along with damage to the studio the new album by the band Silver Jews – which features former Pavement members – was also destroyed. The record had apparently been delivered to the studio to be mastered on the morning of the fire.

The studio’s future is now uncertain while the insurance is being examined, however Wilco bassist John Stirratt insisted it would a great loss.

“It’s unbelievable. Really, really sad," he explained. "If you tried to record in Memphis before Easley, you had to work with, well, born-agains. Easley was the first place to reflect how hip and weird and diverse Memphis really is — the great, weird underbelly."