Echo Mountain To Reopen In Early 2026 Under New Ownership

Echo Mountain will reopen on February 1, 2026, continuing nearly two decades of work as one of the country’s most respected independent recording studios. The studio will operate out of its original Church building in downtown Asheville, preserving the space, the staff, and the recording experience artists have trusted since 2006.

After announcing plans earlier this year to close permanently, the future of Echo Mountain changed course in December when longtime studio manager Jessica Tomasin acquired the studio’s brand and equipment from founder Steve Wilmans. Tomasin now becomes the owner, with support from investors who recognized the deep cultural significance Echo Mountain holds within the music community and believed in her vision to steward and grow its legacy with the Church building leased from current property owners GBX Group.

“I have spent nearly twenty years building this studio alongside our staff and community,” said Tomasin. “Letting it disappear did not feel right. This place matters to people, and I was determined to find a way to keep it alive.”

The transition follows a challenging year for the studio and for the wider Asheville community as it continues to recover from Hurricane Helene. While earlier plans to relocate Echo Mountain to a new property outside the city were halted following Wilmans’ decision to retire, this new ownership structure allows the studio to continue operating where it has always been rooted.

The Church studio will reopen in February with its existing layout, acoustics, and gear. Several longtime engineers and staff are returning, maintaining the collaborative environment that has defined Echo Mountain’s reputation nationally and internationally. The adjacent API building will no longer be part of Echo Mountain and will be repurposed by GBX as office spaces.

The reopening coincides with Echo Mountain’s 20th year in operation, a milestone that now doubles as a transition point rather than an ending. The studio will relaunch its subscription membership model as well as “new and exciting offerings we don’t want to reveal just yet,”  says Tomasin, and begin booking projects for 2026 immediately. Artists are encouraged to reach out to secure their sessions.

“I am grateful to Steve, to GBX, to the investors, and to the staff who make this place what it is,” Tomasin said. “If this next chapter is going to work, it will be because artists choose to make their records here.”