Former North Richland Hills Jail is turned into the nation's biggest recording complex
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS — About 150 bands practice at an almost 80,000 square-foot recording and rehearsal facility in Tarrant County. The huge building is now living its second life and telling a tall tale.
Recording songs in the brightly lit Platinum MUSIC Complex studios brings a sense of belonging to musician Justin Ross.
"It's like one big family," Ross said.
The history buff enjoys the colorful notes of the complex built in 1975.
"I think it's the nostalgia of it," Ross said.
Writer's block can feel like hell on some days, but Ross can go to his own slice of heaven in solitary confinement.
"We are at the original North Richland Hills Police Department Jail, which is inside of Platinum studios," Ross said.
The imprints of the jail's past remain untouched from the intake area and visitation rooms to jail cells and the interrogation room.
"Oh my gosh! This is crazy," Ross said. "I can't believe this is here. It is 100% a jail just like you would see in most towns."
Owner Duane Tyree said finding the unusual gem came as a total surprise.
"My main objective was to have a concert hall and have rehearsal and recording rooms for bands," Tyree said. "As I toured this building, I stumbled across this jail."
That's because the building also housed North Richland Hills' Municipal Complex until 2016.
"We're sitting on 78,000 square feet, so that does make us the largest rehearsal and recording facility in the United States," Tyree said.
The music complex has been used for several television shows and dozens of music videos. The musicians said the former jail adds authenticity to their art and helps keep them locked in.
"You get to be alone, turn your phone off, and you're by yourself," Ross said.
Music isn't Ross' only talent.
"We have a television show called Para Theory that's on Paraflixx," Ross said.
Ross also works as a paranormal investigator and said some of the former jail's invisible inmates are featured in several episodes.
"I would say what is in this place is definitely haunted," Ross said. "We caught something on film that out of all of the years I've been doing this, I've never seen before, and that will be on the season finale."
The owner believes he's encountered spirits who sent objects flying in the air and even locked him in a room!
"I would hear doors shutting. I would hear footsteps down the hallways knowing that nobody's in this building," Tyree said. "What was going through my mind is, 'Someone get me out of here!'"
Ross plans to continue hunting ghosts and good tunes at the complex in the future.
"I'd love to come back, set up, and do an acoustic record in here because the sound of this room, playing soft music, it can just carry through all these different halls and doorways," Ross said.
It's a community of musicians coming together in quite an unlikely location and building their own jailhouse rock.