Profile
Interest in studios spawned Easterling's m career
BY JILL ANDERSON
Chapel Hill is the hometown of Wyatt
Easterling.' Easterling, a young, ambitious
musician, has just released his f irst album.
Both Sides of the Shore. He had been in
terested in music since he was a child and "
took the typical music lessons and sang
along to tunes on the radio.
What is not so typical to Easterling's
younger years is his interest in recording
studios. His interest lead him to build a
recording studio in the attic of his home,
with the help of his twin brother Brian. That
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Wyatt Easterling relaxes at home, plays guitar
. . .worked as carpenter to earn studio time.
DTHJayHyman
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was in 1973; 8Vi years later Easterling has
built another studio, TGS Studio, located
outside of Chapel Hill.
TGS Studio began in 1975 with an idea of
Steve Gronback's, the owner of TGS. Gron
back and Easterling eventually collabo
rated and in 1978 Easterling began building
TGS with Gronback and other local musician
friends. Easterling exchanged his carpentry
time for studio time. He worked in con
struction TGS and in return used the studio
free of charge. Easterling's recording was
one of TGS's first projects. TGS has since
recorded other local bands.
It took Easterling three years to plan and
record Both Sides of the Shore. The album
is on Moonlight Records, a local label. He
worked at Sjanky's restaurant while record-.
ing in order to make ends meet.
But before his album was released Eas
terling played in local; bars. "I was only 18,
a very young performer and scared to death
of performing."
Besides being young, Easterling was a bit
uneasy playing in his hometown. "It's not
always easy. You don't always feel comfor
table playing in your hometown. Your
frjends are out' there .and you'd hate to
rriess up."
Easterling was not always a musician
in, the career1 sense. He graduated from
Chapel Hill High School and went to UNC
CH for awhile. He had moved around the
country and lived in Los Angeles, Nashville
and Colorado. Now at 23 Easterling is back
in Chapel Hill. Easterling said he believed
growing up in Chapel Hill was a good expe
rience and that it had contributed to his
music.
"Chapel Hill is an incredible place to
grow up. I was exposed to a lot of different
cultural activities and university input
Chapel Hill is a place to broaden a young
person's mind."
Chapel Hill's WCHL has done a lot for his
career also, he said. WCHL was the first sta
tion to play Easterling's album.- He was also
-on Ron Stutts morning show. WCHL, a .top-40
station, had made a concession to play Eas:
terling's album and this had helped Easter
ling get public response. . ' .
With Both Sides of the Shore Easterling
said he hoped to start building his career as
a musician. He said his music was not the
type that was "here today, gone tomorrow,"
like disco music was. Easterling wants to re
vitalize the music of groups such as America,
ones that have good music, as well as under
standable lyrics, he said.
Easterling said he was not in the music
business to only make money. "I love to
write. I want to develop my talent into a ca
reer. I am not in it strictly to please, I am a
writer, a musician."
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lie, he must write songs that appeal to
them, he said. "I want to share an emotion,
write a song that means something to some
one else. Yet. it is confusing. I hooe to know
more about my writing from response, know-'
where to take things, songs that will please."
As far as his future is concerned, Easter
ling wants to work on his writing and even
tually make a move to Nashville. He said he
believed he had made a big step so far, in
releasing his first album
lill Anderson is a staff writer for The Daily
Tar Heel.
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