Cayman gets State of the Art Studio and 2 New Record Labels: Ironshore Group Hosts Grand Opening

The music business in the Cayman Islands has been catapulted into a new dimension with the opening of Ironshore Studios on the George Town waterfront.

A grand opening for the facility and an introduction to the public was held at the Lobster Pot Restaurant, on North Church Street on Tuesday evening, 31st January.

Overlooking the Islands’ most famous harbour and featuring a breathtaking view of Cayman’s pristine waters and stunning sunset, there is no doubt that Ironshore studios will be one of the most sought after studios for musicians both near and far.

Owned and operated by the Ironshore Group, which consists of two record labels (Everheart Records and Ironshore Records), in addition to the Ironshore Studios, the operation is spareheaded by  Mr. Jacob Olde, along with Cofounder Nathan McLean.

The Ironshore Group is described as an innovative music management group headquartered in Cayman Islands with a global reach.

With a Focus on disruptive businesses, Ironshore’s portfolio spans all pockets of the music industry including an artist management company and a first of its kind blockchain based distribution company, and fan management platform, according to the Company’s website.

Of the two record labels under the Ironshore Group’s umbrella, one will service local creatives, while the other will focus on heavy metal and a more international soundscape.

Members of the Cayman Islands’ Parliament attended the grand opening and gave a few remarks to show their support for what could quite well be one of Cayman’s major draws for a new type of visitor.

With medical tourism already a huge part of the tourism offering in Grand Cayman, the argument for music tourism just got considerably louder.

In his remarks, Tourism Minister, the Honourable Kenneth Bryan expressed pride for the Island’s music scene and what the addition of Ironshore Studios means for the marketplace.

“I am inspired by the addition of this new facility, which will certainly be a good thing for our tourism product and attracting people from overseas.

“It also means that now creators in the Cayman Islands will have access to state of the art facilities without having to leave home,” he remarked.

The Minister added that the government was also looking at amending current copyright laws so that creators can be paid for their works.

Minister for Culture, the Honourable Bernie Bush echoed Mr. Bryan’s comments and added that the facility has come at the right time.

He also noted that the amendments and updates to Cayman’s copyright laws would be a great push for creators to become more active.

Those developments with respect to copyright updates are in large part due to the work of local Musicians Stuart Wilson and Jean-eric Smith, whose efforts have lead to local musicians being paid for the use of their works on at least one radio station in the jurisdiction and the realisation that the statutory framework should be updated to compel other stations, as well as hotels and nightclubs to pay the blanket license necessary for the formal use of recorded music in a commercial setting.

“This will also be a place for high quality ads and production in many forms,” added the Minister, noting that the facility had already been used by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation for Gimme Story and school students for various projects. 

According to the Ironshore Studios website, “Ironshore specializes in giving musical teams the integral support and mentoring they need to be leaders in their field.

“Ironshore is dedicated to giving Cayman a voice on the music industry’s global stage but with offices in London, and Nashville, Ironshore is a Global Music Management Company.”