December 26, 2024
Citizen Vinyl, North Carolina’s first vinyl record pressing plant, is celebrating its second year in production, along with the successful growth of its manufacturing capacity. The company’s transformative approach to manufacturing is helping expand access to high-quality vinyl records for musicians, record labels and distributors... View Article
Your first steps inside Citizen Vinyl’s entryway are upon the surface of a colorful granite floor. The brass inlay outlines the counties of Western North Carolina that surround the mountain town of Asheville. It’s a reminder of the building’s past, but that history still remains... View Article
About three years ago, Armando Bellmas and his wife were partaking in a familiar, weeknight activity – cooking dinner, while listening to music on Spotify. But after playing a few songs recommended by the app, their passive listening session evolved into a critical conversation about... View Article
We’re kicking off our vinyl collector series with a local music lover who’s spun records at Citizen Vinyl and across town. Annelise Kopp, who also goes by DJ Lil Meow Meow, manages and does marketing for Harvest Records in West Asheville. She started collecting at... View Article
Over the past year, Wyatt Grant’s paintbrush has grazed the surfaces of brick, plaster, and concrete walls, across town and beyond. His latest mural, at Citizen Vinyl, is a soft and playful display of abstract shapes and bodies. Wyatt says he wants the artwork to... View Article
A film processing lab that opened during the pandemic is just one indication of a revived interest in analog photography, seemingly in spite of these digital, smartphone times. In February 2021, roommates Alex Cox and Bryce Alberghini started AVL Film Lab out of their basement,... View Article
Sooner or later, what’s old is new again. So goes the sentiment when it comes to trends in fashion (thanks for the cardigan, Nanny ♥), and as it turns out, in audio equipment. That’s what led me to Audio Service Co., a repair shop located... View Article
For a young person with aspirations in music, a recording studio can be an intimidating space – but a critical one. “Because there are so many important life lessons that can be obtained from the creative music process,” David Kennedy said. Kennedy is the... View Article
This month, Coda Analog Shop is adding a music-making device to its inventory. We’re excited to introduce the 0-Coast synthesizer, from Asheville-based manufacturer, Make Noise. In addition to stocking the groovy apparatus in the shop, we’ll also be hosting a series of live demonstrations, called... View Article
A new technology in the vinyl pressing world aims to take up a larger share of the industry. It has to do with blockchain – that’s the same technology used behind the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. It may seem ironic, even contradictory, that vinyl – an older... View Article
from the desk of Cassidy Ann, Citizen Vinyl Staff Producer Timelessness. It’s a rare quality found only in a select number of albums. They seem to be in constant communication with the present, wherever the record spins. Like the instantly recognizable clangs of conga and... View Article
from the desk of Cassidy Ann, Citizen Vinyl Staff Producer Music this past year served audiences in numerous ways. Songwriters lent us their words and helped us feel and process the disorienting shifts of the pandemic. Electronic beats and funky basslines got us back... View Article
from the desk of Cassidy Ann, Citizen Vinyl Staff Producer Vinyl records are having a bit of a revival, you might have heard. Sales have been rising steadily over the past decade. The pandemic drastically turned up the volume on that trend. In just the... View Article
from the desk of Cassidy Ann, Citizen Vinyl Staff Producer A new space for experiencing live music is growing a following in Asheville. The series, called Open Folk, rises from the ashes of isolation and canceled shows, due to the pandemic. The nomadic event series,... View Article
from the desk of Cassidy Ann, Citizen Vinyl Staff Producer Hosting Thanksgiving is a logistical feat. Ordering the bird, or whatever preferred protein is the main event. (I did ribs one year, to the horror of the traditionalists in my family). Assigning side dishes (or... View Article
from the desk of Cassidy Ann, Citizen Vinyl Staff Producer Asheville is a unique destination for artists, not just the musical kind. This month, we’re introducing you to three local artists whose work can be found at Coda. Amar Stewart Amar Stewart’s paintings often depict... View Article
from the desk of Cassidy Ann, Citizen Vinyl Staff Producer Music is the passing of a cultural torch. Every genre is laced with history and precedent. Bluegrass, arguably one of the most Americana of sounds, is no exception. At Citizen Studios, that time continuum lives... View Article
from the desk of Cassidy Ann, Citizen Vinyl Staff Producer – Tickets to the 2021 Showcase at Citizen Vinyl on Dec 4 available here – NewSong Music’s annual performance and songwriting competition returns this year, with its final showcase at Citizen Vinyl in early December,... View Article
from the desk of Cassidy Ann, Citizen Vinyl Staff Producer Tickets for this event can be purchased here. Afro-Carolinian poet Glenis Redmond is reaching out to her ancestors and calling them into the present, like a seance. “They’re interested in my life, and they’re in... View Article
A Talk by Bill Kopp with André Cholmondeley: TUESDAY 10.14.2021 // Doors at 6pm – Tickets for this event can be purchased here – Son of famed r&b bandleader Johnny Otis, Shuggie Otis released Freedom Flight, his second solo album, before his 18th birthday.... View Article
from the desk of Cassidy Ann, Citizen Vinyl Staff Producer In the vinyl pressing plant, not all machines are made of steel. Susanne Aurich is a manual press operator at Citizen Vinyl. Her components include endless stories gathered from two decades of van life, a... View Article
Citizen Vinyl’s upstairs recording studio was recently featured in the December 2020 ProSound News Magazine for their “Studio Showcase” series. Learn all about Citizen Studios’ unique history as the former broadcasting headquarters for Asheville’s historic WWNC radio station, and check out photos of the newly... View Article
BGS & #COMEHEARNC CELEBRATE THE CULTURAL LEGACY OF NORTH CAROLINA DURING #NCMUSICMONTH We are delighted to be a part of this initiative spearheaded by the North Carolina Arts Council, Come Hear NC, and The Bluegrass Situation to celebrate North Carolina music throughout the month of... View Article
Our founder and CEO, Gar Ragland, contributed a heartfelt letter to Capital At Play Magazine’s November Music Issue, to share what the Citizen Vinyl project means to him and what he hopes it will be contribute to the Asheville community. You can read the full... View Article
Thanks to Asheville based music writer Bill Kopp’s excellent feature on Citizen Vinyl for Goldmine Magazine. The three page spread originally ran in their November print issue, but you can read an excerpt on Bill’s personal blog, Musoscribe, here. Truly Fine Citizen: Citizen Vinyl Launches... View Article
Gar recently caught up with radio hosts Paul Foster (WNCW) and Matt Peiken (Blue Ridge Public Radio) to discuss all things Citizen Vinyl on the airwaves. You can stream both conversations down below! Friday Feature: Asheville’s Vinyl-Record Pressing Facility (WNCW) This Friday Feature Interview of... View Article
Garret Woodward caught up with Gar Ragland to discuss the Citizen Vinyl project for Smoky Mountain News. Check out an excerpt down below, or read the full interview here. In a seismic move that will further propel the Asheville and greater Western North Carolina music... View Article
Thanks to Alli Marshall and Mountain Xpress for helping us share the Citizen Vinyl story. Check out the full feature online or read an excerpt down below. This year is proving a difficult time to run most businesses, let alone launch a new enterprise. But... View Article
The Laurel of Asheville featured a spread on Citizen Vinyl in their September 2020 print issue. The full article is also available online – read the story here. “A local landmark, the Asheville’s Citizen-Times building is making room for Citizen Vinyl, a boutique vinyl pressing... View Article
Our founder and CEO, Gar Ragland, spoke candidly about his vision for Citizen Vinyl and introducing the art of record manufacturing to the cultural hub of Asheville in this feature for American Songwriter. You can read the full article here, or check out highlights down... View Article
Monday, July 20, 2020 (Asheville, NC) – A full circle revival is underway for Asheville, NC’s Citizen-Times building. While still home to the daily paper’s staff, the historic site will soon be unveiled with a new identity as a boutique vinyl pressing plant, record store... View Article
I guess you could say that we’re into a good groove with our construction as we build towards (safely) opening our doors with the public. While we love seeing the hustle and bustle of craftmakers moving throughout the building, we cannot wait until the space... View Article
In October 2019, Capital at Play – an monthly entrepreneurship and business magazine based here in Western North Carolina – covered the Citizen Vinyl project in its ‘Insight’ column. You can read the entire article here. “In 2018 the sale of a familiar downtown Asheville... View Article
Last summer, Mackensy Lunsford of the Asheville Citizen-Times wrote a comprehensive piece about the Citizen Vinyl project. You can read the entire article here. —————— June 21, 2019. ASHEVILLE — “Synergy” is a word that comes to Gar Ragland’s mind often as he talks about... View Article
