Lone Star Music Could Be In Trouble
If you’re paying attention at all, you probably know that music magazines, music blogs, independent record stores, and other institutions of independent music are under threat and closing down left and right like never before. In the case of Lone Star Music, it is a Texas music mainstay that falls under the category of “all of the above.” And according to the current owner Zach Jennings, it is significantly under threat.
Lone Star Music is one of the last remaining independent music entities where you can buy music directly from their website, while their Superfly’s Lone Star Music Emporium in San Marcos, TX is one of the last remaining record stores in the region. Lone Star Music also used to operate a store front in Gurene, TX, right near Gruene Hall, and Lone Star Music magazine was a mainstay in Texas music for years. The online website remains a resource for many of the region’s music fans from all over the country and world.
But now the institution first stared by Chad Raney in 1999, then taken over by Michael Devers until 2009, is facing incredible hardship after taking multiple leaps of faith to modernize the business to the changing music climate, so says Zach Jennings in an in-depth open-letter to readers, fans, and patrons.
After overhauling the print magazine and growing the subscribership, like so many print operations, Lone Star Music hit a snag.
“Long-term advertisers were losing their print budgets and printing and shipping costs were only going up,” explains Zach Jennings. “In an attempt to shore up our marketing side, we made a hire that could only be described as disastrous. This guy had handled marketing for a couple high-society Austin mags and we trusted his vision of turning on higher profile advertisers with money in their coffers and and a widespread need to get their vision out to a number of demographics. He proved to be a fraud, left without ever selling so much as a single ad and the damage he did was irreparable.”
Then came major issues with the Lone Star Music website, which had many long-term customers fleeing for the major online distributors.
“The e-comm site, our flagship property, ran smoothly for awhile — right up until I attempted to ‘upgrade’ it … Monumental mistake. LoneStarMusic.com made a comeback but there was a good 10-month period where I fielded more hate mail than Steve Bartman in October of 2003. I’d like to think the website survived because people enjoyed pouring money into the scene via LoneStarMusic.com rather than lining the pockets of Amazon or Apple, but the truth may also be that we had exclusive autographed copies and other perks … before labels also started feeling the pinch and our longtime contacts were unceremoniously let go or reassigned.”
Lone Star Music also had similar bad luck with their Superfly’s record store, including unforeseen construction and permitting issues ahead of their opening in 2012, the fact that nearby road construction that was supposed to last 18 months dragged on for four years, and the general lack of enthusiasm for the establishment in the local population despite being right across from Texas State College. Superfly’s will likely leave their current location in April in hopes of staying somewhere in San Marcos, but as Zach Jennings puts it, “To be honest, we’re not sure … As for the Lone Star Music brand, its future is similarly up in the air. We’ve had a dedicated staff of three (and only three) working for so long that it’s astounding.”
So Zach Jennings is reaching out through the Texas music scene looking for any sort of assistance or relief, not limited to new partners or sponsorships. “We believe that this little company,” says Zach Jennings. “We just need some assistance from those to whom we’ve dedicated so much time, effort and money over the years. All in the name of a love for the music. All for the sake of the song.”
February 14, 2017 @ 7:40 pm
Outside of Amazon and direct from artists, Lone Star Music is the only website I have ever really bought new music from. It is such a great operation and would be a huge loss. I will commit to buying my next few records from them. I hope others will do the same.
February 15, 2017 @ 12:50 am
That’s a nice gesture albeit somewhat Mickey Mouse. Hell, do you know How Music Works? I didn’t, caint say I do much now as far as where the calculus, but I do more after reading the book. . .
Strategy, that’s what’ll save us. And good music. A block buster. Amortize what you have as expenditures and projects with what’s accruing viral equity. I can only give hints, lest hate mail for SCM, and for LSM incur.
That clue is: patriots unite! We’re in a reprieve. Behold a revenant!
I’m currently working for an alarm company — the owner a Texan (Galveston / Ft Worth), we’ll partner if we can talk, try to figure something out. Give us a Mother’s Best Flour jingle and draw and we’ll route what you need — hypothetically — I wouldn’t want to be like that sombeech carpet bagger in that quote!
February 15, 2017 @ 9:40 am
Uh . . . . .
February 14, 2017 @ 8:03 pm
Man, this is terrible. Lone star music was the go to for all tx, red dirt and americana music info. Picking up the monthly magazine was a highlight every month while going to tx state. It was the Saving Country Music before there were blogs. From album reviews to interviews, LSM covered it. I had high hopes when they took over the old Sundance record store, I saw it as a passing of the touch.
I hope they can weather the storm. LSM introduced me to so many new artist. Best of luck.
February 14, 2017 @ 8:16 pm
I hate to hear this. Best music outlet in the business. I’ve bought many cd’s from Lonestar Music. Most pre-ordered cd’s were autographed, and music could be found there that was hard to find elsewhere. I guess I became a lazy shopper and relied on Amazon too much as of late. Going to put an order in with them asap
February 15, 2017 @ 5:57 am
Me too. And I’ll share on FB as well.
Maybe my favorite country music web site will work out an Affiliate deal with them and add them as a link above the Amazon one. Seems like a much better synergy. Win-win, and all that.
February 14, 2017 @ 8:42 pm
Thanks for covering this story. Yesterday when I read the full account of everything they have been through, I could hardly believe it all. I live a plane ride away from their storefront, but would make a point of a shopping trip whenever I was close by, starting with their original Gruene location and placed regular internet orders too. I subscribed to the magazine for years and probably still have all my issues. I hope they can pull through.
February 14, 2017 @ 9:13 pm
I won a signed Dwight Yoakam CD from Superfly’s just a month ago, and I’m considering moving to San Marcos full time. I wish them the best.
February 15, 2017 @ 8:31 am
Sad to hear. I’ve always thought it would be great for SavingCountryMusic to do the same thing in regards to having a central hub online where someone could also buy merch and music from all of these bands you cover. Since the only place to really buy merch for alot of these bands is just at one of their live shows. I’m not as concerned about music since most people are hooked on Itunes or Amazon and you really can’t compete with big boys like that, but more about merch like clothing, coozies, posters, etc. While alot of us like printed magazines and online mags don’t really have the same attention getting swagger, it really is a sinking ship. I always thought the best thing would be to have SavingCountryMusic compilation online downloads, CD’s, or USB’s, that could have online magazine type articles featured in it also.
February 15, 2017 @ 8:45 am
Believe it or not, I actually looked into this and other ways to expand Saving Country Music over the years, and what I found is it would be more hassle than it’s worth, and may jeopardize the core business. If I had done something like that, there’s a good chance I would no longer be around. One of the reason’s Saving Country Music has been able to survive the recent purge of websites is because I’ve kept it small and not brought on overhead, inventory, or employees. Ultimately, I’m a writer, and anything that takes me away from that is probably a bad idea.
February 15, 2017 @ 10:07 am
That’s the smartest thing you’ve said on this blog. And you know what I high opinion I have of this blog in general.
February 15, 2017 @ 1:49 pm
This sucks, there’s really no answer or solution to this problem. It’s a dying business and no matter how much love, support and money you throw at it, I don’t see how these stores will survive. I have no doubt you could start something up, but as you pointed out, no matter how you slice it, there’s no way to keep the project funded or be in business.
I hate to see that LSM tried everything they could and failed due to poor management from a fraud. IMO, that would be the pill hardest to swallow in this situation. Support and buy local as much as you can. This issue isn’t just affecting record stores.
February 15, 2017 @ 7:10 pm
Yeah probably not a good idea. We were selling unauthorized SCM merch, but the market dried up. Now I got a garage full of shirts with the logo overstretched and mousepads but nobody uses them anymore…..
Sorry I couldn’t resist, lol, 100% just kidding. But if you wanted to do a limited time merch thing, limited run, you probably wouldn’t have a problem moving it. Wouldn’t really compromise your integrity in my opinion.
Don’t want to comment too much on LAM, they do good stories, but kinda dilute tx country with everything they include. Location over quality of you know what I mean, but that’s not a real stab. They do support my favorites, but some of the music they push, I don’t personally put in the same spirit as the original tx reddirt/singer songwriter vein. But I still support them.
February 15, 2017 @ 1:37 pm
Zach’s a cool dude trying to stay afloat. While I as running Ourtracks.com several years ago, my day job is in IT for AT&T. Zach’s mother is a previous AT&T Executive and working in Executive Support at time and I was asked to go help a business in New Braunfels get their DSL back online. Turned out to be LSM and we had a great time discussing music while I worked on his network. I’d also been reached out to tab songs for magazine. Some of my most fun tabs were in a few of those copies. The previous owners you mentioned were also great guys and we had a running “fued” with Chad and Michael and our website. I’ve always enjoyed their stores.
February 15, 2017 @ 7:31 pm
Man, I sure hate to see this. That letter from Zach was quite an enlightening read. I really hope LSM pulls through, though I have to admit in the interest of full disclosure after they left Gruene I got lazy myself and just shopped via Amazon. It really sounds like they got hit by the perfect shitstorm.
(Also, small world! I didn’t know this before, but LSM founder Chad Raney is from my hometown of Texarkana. He and I actually graduated from the same high school, albeit about 7 years apart.)