When someone walks into SŌL Studios, they're walking into a space unlike many — if any — in the region.

The music studio's high-performance, Augspurger speakers and tapestry-laden walls invoke a kind of industry standard and charm reminiscent of studios in cities like New York City or Los Angeles.

But SŌL's location — upstairs from Garrison Music, where downtown Fort Smith connects with the rest of the city — is 100% on purpose, said studio owner and founder Grant Thomas. Thomas said he hopes the studio is a vessel for artists to enjoy state-of-the-art music production, promotional material and amenities while contributing to Fort Smith's music scene and the development of downtown.

"We want people to come here and find new creativity, to find new inspiration, to experience the Natural State," Thomas said.

Thomas said he had the idea for SŌL to be a "one stop creative shop" for artists. Renovated from the former Omega Sound studio space, Thomas took on the project in January 2018 and opened it Nov. 30, 2019.

In the construction, Thomas brought in Professional Audio Design President Dave Malekpour to aid in the acoustic design of the facility. Malekpour's fingerprints are on studios including Snoop Dogg's and Jungle City.

Thomas said the construction process included "a lot of custom DIY" that Malekpour helped them design. He also said Malekpour sold them his very own Augspurger studio speakers.

Malekpour was present at the Nov. 30 grand opening and showed the crowd what the speakers could do at the event, Thomas said.

"You can essentially tune the speakers to the room," said SŌL Sound Engineer Anton Rasmussen. "You’re hearing a more accurate sound."

Aesthetically, the space is adorned with Indian tapestries and Turkish and Moroccan light fixtures. Artists will see these decorations under ambient lighting that can be adjusted to their liking.

The look and feel differentiate from many studios, which Rasmussen said often take on a "cookie-cutter" appearance.

"We’re firm believers that the environment you’re creating in has a direct effect on your ability to create," Thomas said. "We really wanted to make this an experience for someone. They come here, and they witness something they can’t find anywhere else."

The studio as of Thursday had already hosted several artists and was receiving inquiries "every day," Thomas said. The first project to be released from SŌL will be a seven-song set from Dallas act TryMoreMOJO, which will drop Feb. 1.

Rasmussen said he and Thomas value every artist that comes through their quarters "very independently." He said he wants to make sure every artist gets the exact sound they want before leaving the studio.

Thomas said the partnership between him and Rasmussen allows him to produce the band's promotional material while they're recording.

"I’m giving them great content they can use to promote their stuff with," he said. "When you spend time with us, I’m going to send you home with session photos, I’m going to send you home with a quick 30-45 second recap of what you did here at no extra cost."

Outside the studio walls, artists who record at SŌL will likely be treated to a meal at restaurants like AJ's Oyster House or Neumeier's Rib Room and can stay at Hampton Inn at no additional cost, Thomas said. He said he might even be able to get them a show booked at downtown venues like Harry's Downtown or The Majestic.

An amenity offered to artists inside the studio — their own signature raspberry ginger wheat beer, brewed at Fort Smith Brewing Co. — even ties back into the big picture of downtown Fort Smith, Thomas said.

"The downtown scene is a big community of people working and feeding off each other," he said.

Thomas said he hopes all of these amenities and the studio experience give the artists who use the studio a "retreat" experience when they visit Fort Smith. Rasmussen said the community-mindedness of downtown Fort Smith ties into this idea.

"Some people have made a comment that the hospitality in Fort Smith is really genuine and unique," Rasmussen said. "I think that’s partially because of the size and the fact that you’re in this small orbit of this world. It’s really nice, and it feels like home."

Ultimately, Thomas hopes the entire experience of the studio "raises the bar" for the Fort Smith music scene.

"(I hope) it pushes it to a level that’s never been reached before," Thomas said. "Fort Smith has been stirred for the last several years. The culture is starting to shift, and I thoroughly believe businesses like this are only going to help push that further."