Harvest Records expands as Asheville’s independent music stores thrive

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Story by Tony Kiss of the Asheville Citizen-Times:

Asheville’s four independent record stores remain in a steady groove. This week, Harvest Records in West Asheville is unveiling a major expansion, almost doubling its inventory floor space.

The city’s other record shops — Karmasonics, Static Age Records and Voltage Records — also report strong business. All four stores have found a growing market for old-fashioned vinyl recordings, one segment of the music business that is on the upswing.

The expansion of Harvest Records is a “leap of faith,” said Mark Capon, who with partner Matt Schnable, opened the store in August 2004 in what has become a fast-growing stretch of Haywood Road.

“The opportunity (to expand) was here,” Capon said, after the Custom Boutique shop closed next door.

“We’ve always felt that Asheville is a unique place,” he said. “People here want to support local businesses. There are places 10 times the size of Asheville that don’t have a single record store.”

The expansion at Harvest will provide more room to display new and used 12-inch records and CDs, and “we will add things that we haven’t been able to carry like turntables, accessories, and maybe more cassettes,” he said. There will also be a small stage dedicated to live performances in the store.