April 20, 2024
Apr 20, 2024
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 below.
“Hidden in the hills of North Carolina lies the city of Asheville – a cultural hub of bountiful delights. Thriving from a recent uptick in tourism, the town is bustling with independent artists and venues. A rich history seeps through the music scene, closely tied to the Appalachian traditions on which the city was raised.
In the heart of the downtown district is a grand, three-story art moderne building that previously served both the Asheville Citizen and Asheville Times newspapers and WWNC. The radio station, ‘Wonderful Western North Carolina,’ began in 1927, welcoming the ‘Father of Country Music,’ Jimmie Rodgers, on stage that same year. Over the next decade, regional music traditions spread down with their purveyors as they fled Appalachia in masses, seeking work in larger cities. Bill Monroe made his debut on the third floor of the building in 1939, introducing the world to a new sound he popularized as ‘Bluegrass.’
CEO and music industry veteran, Gar Ragland, announced the revitalization of this iconic space this month, unveiling its new identity: Citizen Vinyl. The historic site will serve as a boutique vinyl pressing plant, record store, and locally-focused bar and cafe.”
Aoife O’Donovan’s first self-produced LP, All My Friends, comes out March 22. It’s available in four vinyl variants — opaque violet, opaque yellow, opaque green, and opaque deep purple — all proudly pressed at Citizen Vinyl for Yep Roc. The album is inspired by the… View Article
Drum Major Instinct (Jeff Arnal on percussion and Curt Cloninger on modular synthesizer) gives a special free performance at Citizen Vinyl on Saturday, March 16. Doors at 1:30, show at 2 p.m. Jeff and Curt had known each other for a while, but it was… View Article
If you’ve been to Citizen Vinyl in the past six months, you’ve probably noticed the exhibition of large-form porcelain vases — inspired by Greek vessels for storing oil — featuring a variety of portraits of rock stars. These were created by Anja Bartels and her… View Article