On a recent Thursday evening, Alienated Majesty Books in North Campus transformed into a lively venue, drawing an enthusiastic crowd eager to experience an unusual performance. Attendees, nestled among the shelves, gathered to enjoy a show by People. Make Me. Make Things!, a unique band proudly claiming the title of the “only cottage core emo band to ever exist.”
The vibrant night was a culmination of efforts from various artists, with the band’s final performance featuring a puppet act known as Puppet Bucket, alongside the emo group Woodcutter(s) and folk musician Bad Luck Penny. Additionally, Fishboy, a solo project, entertained the audience with heartfelt tunes inspired by characters from a fictional community.
Members of the performing bands actively participated in the event, sharing equipment, managing sound, and even handling door duties, all while cheering each other on from the crowd. “Many of us may not have felt accepted in conventional venues,” remarked Juniper Card, one of the lead singers of Bad Luck Penny. “The DIY scene allows us to express ourselves freely and create the music we want.”
DIY, or do-it-yourself, shows are often organized without a budget, relying on musicians and their supporters to bring events to life. This grassroots approach has become a staple at Alienated Majesty, thanks to a partnership with the booking collective Tiny Sounds.
“Tiny Sounds is a DIY collective,” explained Mat Zuniga, a co-founder of the group. “We primarily assist touring bands in securing shows in Austin and facilitate tape releases for local artists. We collaborate with various venues, including houses and bookstores, to host performances in unconventional settings.”
For bands that struggle to attract mainstream attention, DIY shows offer a vital sense of community. “We never take a cut from the shows we organize. Our focus is on building the scene, not profiting from it,” Zuniga emphasized. “In the DIY realm, there’s little financial gain, and when cuts are taken, there’s hardly anything left for the traveling bands. Supporting these artists is our priority.”
Zuniga and his friends founded Tiny Sounds in 2022, initially sharing videos and photos on social media to document the emo and punk bands they were both watching and performing with. “It began as a way to document live sets from house shows,” he recalled.
Later that year, the group moved into a shared house in East Austin, where they utilized the Tiny Sounds Instagram page to book and promote performances in their new venue, known as Arnold House. They realized that many touring bands with a DIY ethos struggled to find suitable venues in Austin, and local punk and screamo acts were often overlooked outside the city. Tiny Sounds and Arnold House emerged as a solution to this issue.
While similar music scenes thrive in places like Denton and San Antonio, Zuniga noted that Austin’s shortage of all-ages venues posed challenges for these bands, many of which primarily attract fans under 21. In March 2023, Tiny Sounds hosted the Philly Cheesekate fest, a celebration of skateboarding and cheesesteaks that drew about 100 attendees to Arnold House, featuring an array of punk and emo bands.
Following the success of the festival, Tiny Sounds began receiving more requests from bands, leading to an increase in shows and outreach. However, finding another consistent all-age, no-fee venue proved difficult until the opening of Alienated Majesty in the summer of 2023.
Zuniga recognized that the shop’s progressive values aligned with those of Tiny Sounds. “Everyone at Alienated Majesty is compensated fairly, and there are no bosses or managers. They believe the musicians should receive all the door revenue, just as we do,” he stated.
Alienated Majesty became the new headquarters for the collective. Michelle Zhang, who manages PR and marketing for the shop, also plays violin for People. Make Me. Make Things! “We kind of adopted Mat,” Zhang shared, who is engaged to Zuniga. “Screamo and punk have historically aligned with leftist ideals, and we embody that ethos here.”
As of today, Tiny Sounds boasts over 6,000 followers on Instagram. Zuniga attributes this growth to the collective’s commitment to encouraging community participation, stating, “Everyone can get involved, even if they don’t play music. From managing door duties to ensuring we have the right equipment, everything is entirely DIY.”
The collective is dedicated to ensuring that fans feel just as valued as the artists performing. “Tiny Sounds has always believed in equal recognition for those playing and those watching,” Zhang noted.
This inclusive approach has fostered a thriving community within Austin’s music scene. “It’s easier to start conversations and forge new friendships at Tiny Sounds events,” said Michael White, a long-time fan and artist associated with the collective.
At the heart of Tiny Sounds is the mission to make music accessible and enjoyable for all. “Music and magic should be for everyone,” White declared. “By lowering barriers to participation and enjoyment, we can cultivate a vibrant and welcoming community.”
Correction: An earlier version of this article mistakenly identified Mat Zuniga as the main booker for Alienated Majesty. He solely books shows for Tiny Sounds.
