Vinyl Destination

By Felicia Carter

Dylan Freely can vividly remember when he received his first record player. He was 14-years-old, laying in his bedroom floor in Floyd County, Ky. reading “The Outsiders,” by S.E. Hinton, for his English class. His dad entered his room, presenting the turntable to him as if he was holding a birthday cake, and there were three records lying on top of it. Dylan recognized the record player — he had been admiring it since he was six-years-old. The needle malfunctioned if there was not a nickel placed on top to act as extra weight and the speakers were blown, but it was his. He listened to it until the speakers completely gave out.

Four friends in Whitesburg, Ky., who share a similar story to Dylan, were growing tired of traveling over 50 miles to purchase vinyl records. Though they ordered vinyl off of the Internet, it was not the same experience as picking it up from the store. They teamed up, found a location in downtown Whitesburg, and opened up a record store called “Roundabout Music Company” for those in the community to enjoy.

“We know so many people who buy records, and like us, they were driving to Johnson City, Tn., Lexington, Ky., even Asheville, Nc. to go shopping for records.” Says Jonathon Hootman, co-founder of Roundabout Music Company.

They have a selection of record players that are quality and affordable, and since their opening, they have made it possible for people in the community to come purchase their first (or fifth) record player.

“That’s what is kind of neat about the resurgence of vinyl; we have guys in their 50s and 60s who never broke from the format of the 1970s who say nothing ever sounds as good as vinyl. Then you’ve got people who are more on the new upswing of vinyl, so they’re into it that way. It is really cool to get to see that dynamic.”

In conjunction with records both new and used, Roundabout Music Company also has a selection of instruments for customers to buy and trade.

“There isn’t a place within 50 miles to buy guitar strings and picks, let alone a place with a variety of instruments. We wanted to provide music supplies and instruments for music lovers in our area,” co-founder Matt Carter explains. Carter grew up in Eastern Kentucky playing music with his friends.

Hootman and Carter, along with the other owners, Josh May and Ben Spangler, wanted to create an environment where everyone could contribute in some way.

“We are filling a void and creating something that everyone can be involved with,” explains Carter.

Local artists have their paintings for sale on the walls and a display of locally-produced greeting cards stands beside a shelf of books written by local authors. Buying local is a huge push for the founders of Roundabout Music Company.

Another focus is providing a place of support for local bands. Each month, they have shows in the store where local bands come and play. It is a welcoming environment for everyone and usually draws a large crowd. They also have CDs and cassettes of local bands available on their shelves. This allows the bands an outlet for their music that would not be an option otherwise.

Simultaneous to CAP’s work with poverty relief in Appalachia, local upstarts like Roundabout are helping to invigorate the economies and enhance the communities of Eastern Kentucky.

Roundabout Music Company has been a successful endeavor thus far. The guys joke that they don’t know how they’ve made it as far as they have, but they are glad that they’re in this business. They celebrated the oneyear anniversary of their opening in June and intend to continue to provide a space for people to gather for music, art, and community.

“It’s like a barber shop here,” Hootman laughs. “It seems like every time I come in here someone is talking Mike’s (their associate) ear off. This location is very strategic. We are all invested in Whitesburg and we are participating in the economic transition in a fun, cool way.”