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Time’s up for Doubletime Recording Studio
Owner Jeff Forrest is trading El Cajon for Portugal
Back row, L-R: Zach Knoblett, Declan Halloran, Kyle Wright, Josh Blevins, Christian Borja. Front right: Tommy Andrews. Front left: Jeff Forrest
“You’re the last drummer I’m ever recording in this room,” Jeff Forrest tells Declan Halloran (of Gunner Gunner) in a moment shared on social media by Halloran. Forrest, whose Doubletime Recording Studio in El Cajon is set to close after more than three decades, is changing both his residence and his lifestyle by moving to Portugal. “I’ve been here working seven days a week for over 30 years, with very few days off,” he says. “Although it’s been very rewarding, I just feel it’s time to slow down and enjoy life. Perhaps even take the time to read a book or two.”
Forrest most likely has enough material to write a book of his own. His resume includes work with Lucy’s Fur Coat, The Locust, Rocket From The Crypt, Deadbolt, The Dragons, and Blink-182. But he probably won’t gift us with a memoir, because some experiences are impossible to articulate. For instance: “Working with Mike Keneally, guitarist for Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, etc. Anyone who knows this musician knows he is out of this world. I worked on five albums with him, and the things that went on in here were just completely magical. It’s very difficult to put into words the thing that went on while working with him.”
Forrest also directed several videos, including “I Wanna Grow Up to Be a Junkie,” by The Shot Out Hoods. Some tapings became real life drama: “A few years ago, I was doing a video shoot in the parking lot. Usually on Sundays, the industrial complex I’m located in is quiet, with no one around. We were shooting a scene with a man walking down through the parking lot, and in the scene, a truck pulls up and two guys with ski masks jump out and cover him up in a blanket. Then they throw him in the back and speed off. I didn’t know that there was someone working across the parking lot who thought it was really going down and called the police. A few minutes later, there was a banging at the door and someone yelled out, ‘Hey, it’s the police.’ I opened the door to five police officers with their guns drawn and a helicopter overhead. I explained we were shooting a video, and I was very sorry I hadn’t contacted the neighbors about it. When all was said and done, the officers all had a good laugh, and in fact, one of them asked if they could be in the video.”
Any interview or discussion with Forrest inevitably contains a variation of, “If you love what you do, it’s not a job.” It’s a good way to approach life, and Forrest has lived it. Elvis Southwestly of Fangs of the Heart put it this way on his social media: “Jeff’s a great mentor to us all. It’s not working hard if you love what you do. Passion is contagious, work ethic is taught and emulated, and follow-through to completion is well, rare, since many never hone those first two skills.”
Forrest isn’t leaping the pond blindly. He’s visited Lagos, and has felt drawn toward it for some time. “My son lives in Portugal with his family, so my wife and I spent the last three Christmases with him and absolutely fell in love with the city. It’s a small beach community where everything we need is within walking distance, so no need for a car. And if we need to travel farther, there’s the bus and the train. They have great public transportation. The food has no preservatives or steroids, the produce is all locally grown, and there is no gun violence. Shortly before our last visit there, my wife sent me a photo of a condo with a view out the window of the marina next to the beach. I sat here staring at it for a few minutes, and realized that’s where I needed to be.”
What about access to Mexican food? “I know Lagos has two Mexican restaurants that have great reviews, but I have not eaten there yet. On the other hand, I also love seafood, and a half a block away from us is a seafood market where it’s delivered fresh every morning.”
While Forrest may leaving America’s Finest City, his work will continue, though remotely and on a smaller scale. ”I’m taking a lot of my gear with me and working online with a handful of people I’ve worked with for many years. The power of technology is a wonderful thing.”
Here's something you might be interested in.
Time’s up for Doubletime Recording Studio
Owner Jeff Forrest is trading El Cajon for Portugal
Time’s up for Doubletime Recording Studio
Owner Jeff Forrest is trading El Cajon for Portugal
Back row, L-R: Zach Knoblett, Declan Halloran, Kyle Wright, Josh Blevins, Christian Borja. Front right: Tommy Andrews. Front left: Jeff Forrest
“You’re the last drummer I’m ever recording in this room,” Jeff Forrest tells Declan Halloran (of Gunner Gunner) in a moment shared on social media by Halloran. Forrest, whose Doubletime Recording Studio in El Cajon is set to close after more than three decades, is changing both his residence and his lifestyle by moving to Portugal. “I’ve been here working seven days a week for over 30 years, with very few days off,” he says. “Although it’s been very rewarding, I just feel it’s time to slow down and enjoy life. Perhaps even take the time to read a book or two.”
Forrest most likely has enough material to write a book of his own. His resume includes work with Lucy’s Fur Coat, The Locust, Rocket From The Crypt, Deadbolt, The Dragons, and Blink-182. But he probably won’t gift us with a memoir, because some experiences are impossible to articulate. For instance: “Working with Mike Keneally, guitarist for Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, etc. Anyone who knows this musician knows he is out of this world. I worked on five albums with him, and the things that went on in here were just completely magical. It’s very difficult to put into words the thing that went on while working with him.”
Forrest also directed several videos, including “I Wanna Grow Up to Be a Junkie,” by The Shot Out Hoods. Some tapings became real life drama: “A few years ago, I was doing a video shoot in the parking lot. Usually on Sundays, the industrial complex I’m located in is quiet, with no one around. We were shooting a scene with a man walking down through the parking lot, and in the scene, a truck pulls up and two guys with ski masks jump out and cover him up in a blanket. Then they throw him in the back and speed off. I didn’t know that there was someone working across the parking lot who thought it was really going down and called the police. A few minutes later, there was a banging at the door and someone yelled out, ‘Hey, it’s the police.’ I opened the door to five police officers with their guns drawn and a helicopter overhead. I explained we were shooting a video, and I was very sorry I hadn’t contacted the neighbors about it. When all was said and done, the officers all had a good laugh, and in fact, one of them asked if they could be in the video.”
Any interview or discussion with Forrest inevitably contains a variation of, “If you love what you do, it’s not a job.” It’s a good way to approach life, and Forrest has lived it. Elvis Southwestly of Fangs of the Heart put it this way on his social media: “Jeff’s a great mentor to us all. It’s not working hard if you love what you do. Passion is contagious, work ethic is taught and emulated, and follow-through to completion is well, rare, since many never hone those first two skills.”
Forrest isn’t leaping the pond blindly. He’s visited Lagos, and has felt drawn toward it for some time. “My son lives in Portugal with his family, so my wife and I spent the last three Christmases with him and absolutely fell in love with the city. It’s a small beach community where everything we need is within walking distance, so no need for a car. And if we need to travel farther, there’s the bus and the train. They have great public transportation. The food has no preservatives or steroids, the produce is all locally grown, and there is no gun violence. Shortly before our last visit there, my wife sent me a photo of a condo with a view out the window of the marina next to the beach. I sat here staring at it for a few minutes, and realized that’s where I needed to be.”
What about access to Mexican food? “I know Lagos has two Mexican restaurants that have great reviews, but I have not eaten there yet. On the other hand, I also love seafood, and a half a block away from us is a seafood market where it’s delivered fresh every morning.”
While Forrest may leaving America’s Finest City, his work will continue, though remotely and on a smaller scale. ”I’m taking a lot of my gear with me and working online with a handful of people I’ve worked with for many years. The power of technology is a wonderful thing.”
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