Tell us about a time curiosity led you somewhere unexpected.

I’m working on an experimental electronic album with a friend, and the reason I took on the project was to explore sound design and non-traditional musical structures. I go into every writing session with a no-rules, no-boundaries mindset—just seeing what sticks. One piece I wrote recently had thirteen layers of guitar feedback routed through sequencers and effects. A friend told me it sounded “like a dark laboratory turning on.” I’ll share it with anyone who wants to listen.

What magazines are inspiring you right now?

I have two. One is more informational and newsworthy, and the other is one I actually bought at TOMO mags a while back. I read The Week, a weekly publication that covers domestic and international news, culture, and politics. It keeps me informed without feeling dictated to by an algorithm. The other is Indie Hits Issue 71. It feels like holding a piece of art that happens to take the shape of a traditional magazine. It’s got everything—articles, photo shoots, interviews, even ads—but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Maybe that’s what art is.

How has curiosity led you into the music scenes you’re part of?

HELL, this whole DJing and music production part of my life is one big exercise in curiosity. From wondering how a new track will sound to seeing how a crowd reacts to the next cue, music is the audible result of curiosity. It’s led me into different communities here in Austin and even helped me build one of my own—Very Disco (@verydisconight). I’ve also gotten to be part of so many music-centered and music-adjacent spaces: Coconut Club, Queer Vinyl Collective (@queervinylco), and Sunshine Vinyl (@sunshinevinylatx), just to name a few. If anyone’s interested in the Austin dancing or club scene, hit me up—I love swapping recs and stories.

Was there a moment that pushed your curiosity in a new direction with music?

Watching Thurman Jackson DJ house music for @sanctuary_austin back when it was at Ah Sing Den (RIP!) made me want to try DJing with vinyl. That moment of curiosity led me to the Austin Record Convention and Sunshine Vinyl, where I started collecting records and found lifelong friends along the way.