When Audrey, James, and Sadie Jean Wilcox heard that Sound Spectrum had closed its doors following owner Jimmy Otto’s passing, the siblings teamed up to rescue the local staple. The shop has been selling music since 1967 and is currently the only record store remaining in the city. The siblings are no strangers to the music industry; they’ve been working together for years to support Sadie Jean’s journey as a singer-songwriter, with Audrey and James helping to manage her career. Under their ownership, the store reopened with the same staff and a fresh remodel. We sat down with Audrey to talk about the family’s new business venture.
What inspired the three of you to buy Sound Spectrum?
We’ve always wanted to support the Orange County music scene, being from the area, and with Sadie pursuing music. Preserving physical media is really important for arts and culture, especially in these local communities. We always had an open mind on what ways we can support the music scene. It seemed like the alternative to us not buying it was that it was going to close down forever.
Why do you feel it’s important to keep record stores around?
It’s less about the item itself and selling something than it is about having a space where the community can gather. I think in person experiences will always continue to be really important. It’s kind of that third space where you’re actually meeting your neighbors, you’re making new friends, and getting inspired. The store has gone through so many iterations. I can’t predict what stuff we’ll be selling in the future. I think what will be consistent is a place that locals and travelers from afar can all connect and be surrounded by great music and take that back home with them at the end of the day.
Credit: Irvin RiveraIs there anything that has surprised you about the store?
I didn’t even know what to expect at all. I’ve discovered so many new artists since working there. People are talking about the music they’re really excited about, and it’s a really cool way to connect with different artists that I probably would have never heard of. There are other fields that are more predictable and, from a monetary standpoint, more consistent. But there’s something special on a soul level. I love working at the register and seeing customers shop and have fun. It’s the best part of their day. Sometimes they’re traveling from somewhere, and this is a highlight of their trip.
What do you think the future holds for Sound Spectrum?
This year was kind of like, let’s lay the foundation, let’s dip our toes in. Once things have settled a little bit, I would love to host listening parties and have artists come in and do meet-and-greets for their album releases, and also have local artists do live shows. It’s a historical place, but it’s also not a museum; it’s still a modern store. We tried to really take a lot of input from local people and make sure we’re only making positive changes. There definitely originally was some fear of change, and we did do some renovations. We’re being intentional with what changes need to happen for this place to be successful for another 50 years.
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