Sound Biscuit Studio

It’s never too late to chase a dream. Dave Maggard turned a retirement hobby into a full-fledged recording studio and independent label, focused on bluegrass and Americana artists. A sculptor by trade, Maggard now extracts the art of music from wood and wire at his Sound Biscuit Studio in Sevierville just off Tennessee Route 66. His farm is tucked away on 10 acres, close to the tourist mecca of the Great Smoky Mountains but on a gravel road a world away from the hustle and bustle of Pigeon Forge. Maggard made his living as an artist known for intricate wood spirit carvings. A palm-sized, bearded sculpture named “Pawley” sits on his desk, holding business cards for his second career as a studio owner and record label executive. It was sculpted from driftwood that he and his daughter found during a vacation to Pawley’s Island, South Carolina, decades ago. The Kentucky native spent his early days pursuing a career in bluegrass and classic country music, but life got in the w