When Bay Area-based The Onyx decided to record their latest album, its five members turned to Women s Audio Mission in San Francisco. The all-Black women s group spent several days in the nonprofit s studios South of Market last December laying down eight new songs.
Due to the COVID pandemic, the group had to split up who could be in the recording booth on different days. Masks had to be worn the entire time, and everyone had to abide by social distancing requirements. They had great COVID protocols to make sure no one got sick while we were doing this, recalled Rhonda Kinard, a queer woman who performs bass in The Onyx.