In the rapidly changing city of San Marcos, Texas, Alchemy Records transforms from a vinyl shop by day into a DIY music venue by night, offering a lifeline to young artists and the city’s shrinking grassroots scene. Despite rising costs and missed grant opportunities, owner Walter Thorington fights to keep the music alive—one accessible, community-driven performance at a time.

Fresh off of a performance in San Marcos, Texas, Hover violist Casey Boyer and frontman Matt Abajian discuss the state of experimental music in central Texas, the role of music in their own lives, and the vital role of intimate spaces in sustaining truly genuine art.