TOP 100 MAGAZINE

Lawrence F. Archambault

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For Lawrence F. Archambault, music is more than a profession—it’s the heartbeat of his family’s story, echoing through generations, from his great-grandfather to his son.

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Nestled in the heart of Standing Rock Sioux Nation in North Dakota, Grey Willow Music Studio LLC embodies a legacy of passion, carrying forward an enduring history in music with pride and purpose. At the helm of this 100% Native American-owned and operated enterprise is Lawrence, serving as its visionary founder and president.

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Lawrence’s inspiring career began long before his 1995 entrance into the event production industry. As a young adult, he played alongside his father in local bands before graduating from the Musicians Institute of Technology in Hollywood, California. Now, following the traditions established by his ancestors, he mentors his own son, Xavier, the studio’s chief engineer.

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Founded in 2017, Grey Willow Music Studio LLC serves Native American communities, offering ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) and pre-post production services to major players in the entertainment industry, including Disney, Marvel Studios, and Skywalker Sound. Their reputation extends far beyond the Sioux Nation, however, having earned accolades such as the 2024 Juno Award for Best Traditional Indigenous Artist of the Year for their work on Joel Wood’s, SING. PRAY. LOVE. Additionally, they landed a Sports Emmy Award for their contributions to the ESPN/E60 documentary, Sacred Dog.

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Under Lawrence’s leadership, Grey Willow has evolved into more than just a studio—it’s a bridge between tradition and innovation, amplifying Indigenous voices on some of the world’s largest stages. We spoke with Lawrence to learn about his journey and how Grey Willow is redefining the landscape of Indigenous artistry.

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Lawrence, what inspired you to start Grey Willow Music Studio? 

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About eight years ago, when I moved back to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, I noticed something was missing—there were no musicians and the schools didn’t teach music anymore. When I grew up there, musicians were everywhere. You’d hear someone playing on every corner, and I knew them all. I wanted to bring that back. We started small, as a music shop and music school, teaching young kids the basics. We’d hand them instruments to try—drums, guitars, you name it—and they loved it.

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Now, it’s amazing to see how it’s grown and to see the main schools on Standing Rock have reinstated their music programs. We’ve got kids playing guitars and singing in their basements and bedrooms, but I wanted to take it further, so we built our state-of-the-art recording studio. 

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Music has always been in my blood. I’ve been playing since I can remember, in bands with my dad since I was 10. I’m 53 now, and this goes back generations—my dad, his dad, my great-grandfather, and beyond were all musicians and my dad always had a studio at home. It’s hard to explain unless you’re a musician, but it’s something you have to do. When you’re not creating music, it feels like you can’t breathe. That’s the passion we’re passing on here at Grey Willow.

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What makes Grey Willow Music Studio unique?

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We specialize in ADR work for movies, including the Lakota dubs of The Avengers films available on Disney+. Those translations were done in our studio, where my son and I, as well as my Sundance brothers; Ray Taken Alive, Dallas Nelson, and my younger brother, Cyril Archambault, our PR director, worked with first language elders as well as the Lakota Language Reclamation Project.

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What truly sets us apart, however, is that we’re a “by Native Americans, for Native Americans” enterprise. Our focus on Native American artistry makes us stand out in an industry where that representation is often missing. It’s this commitment to amplifying Indigenous voices and stories that makes Grey Willow truly one of a kind.

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You’ve worked with award-winning music legends and some of the most well-known filmmaking companies. Is there one project that was particularly memorable for you?

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The Avengers project with Disney+ and Marvel Studios stands out the most because it was deeply personal to me. We created the Lakota dub in Hunkpapa Lakota, the language spoken by Sitting Bull. It’s fading as fewer people speak it, and it’s rarely taught anymore, but through our nation and people, we’re making a strong effort to bring it back. In fact, the elders, the original first-language speakers, transcribed the scripts alongside us. Watching them work and translate words they haven’t spoken in years was incredible. They laughed, shared stories, and had so much fun bringing the language to life. We also worked with 32 voice actors from local and other reservations, as well as the original cast of actors. The thing that really got me though, is when movie was released and the elders in a Pine Ridge Reservation retirement saw it and said, “That's our language on TV!” and they were just so amazed by the work that we did. That really hit home—it was a stamp of approval that we did it right. Now, to preserve their stories, we record and translate elders’ interviews so that others can enjoy them.

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What do you enjoy most about your work? 

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What I enjoy most is the creative process—not just on the engineering side, but also working with the artists, especially my eldest son and our chief engineer, Xavier. Now I know what my father felt when I worked with him all those years. As a musician, it’s incredible to watch how everything comes together, like pieces of a puzzle forming something magical. That magic never gets old. Music is our passion, our love, and it’s something that continues to inspire us every day. The most rewarding part, though, is knowing that one day I’ll pass this legacy on to Xavier, allowing him to carry it forward and keep the music alive for generations to come.

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Lawrence F. Archambault
Founder/President: Grey Willow Music Studio LLC
Website: https://www.bygreywillow.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-archambault-533b76291/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greywillowmusic&production
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greywillowmusic