Austin Archive's First Newsletter

I moved to Austin before I could walk, and Spencer got here a few years later, after Hurricane Katrina brought his family from New Orleans. We ended up at the same elementary school, and somewhere along the way, we became friends. Neither of us can say exactly how or when, but there’s a picture of him at my 4th grade birthday party.

Fifteen years later, we’re still friends, roommates, and now business partners.

In all those years being friends, we’ve seen Austin change quite a bit. Before run clubs flooded the streets and Lime scooters infested our neighborhoods, Austin had a much different feel: slower, weirder, and definitely less curated.

But change isn’t always bad. Austin’s become a hub for young creatives, active lifestyles, and new ideas. That’s exciting. But the energy and opportunity this city’s known for didn’t just happen overnight. It was built, slowly, by the people and places that have been here all along. And they’re still here, and they always will be. They're just not interested in shouting over the noise, but we don’t mind doing it for them. The familiar faces, the local businesses, the traditions, the cornerstones of Austin. Those are the stories we want to share and celebrate, and that’s the heart of Austin Archives.

So how are we going to do that? Well, each of our projects will feature a documentary-style video focused on a single “entity,” whether that’s a local business, a person, an event, or something else, and the impact they’ve had on the city. Alongside each video, we’ll release collaborative merch inspired by that story, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to a local nonprofit chosen by the subject we’re featuring. We want to tell real stories and put real support behind them and our community.

We’re still figuring it all out, but we have a lot of fun stuff coming, and we are looking forward to what’s ahead. This newsletter is where we’ll keep you updated with new projects, behind-the-scenes, and much more.

Thank you for being here, we’re just getting started.

- Andrew Peña (and Spencer, he is busy editing our teaser video dropping on our socials this Friday)