Fans who are still thinking about their top musical discoveries from this July's Hot Summer Nights (HSN) festival may soon have the chance to help an artist on the lineup press a custom vinyl record. That's thanks to a new Red River Cultural District initiative called the Gold Record Club.
The Gold Record Club highlights Austin's local music scene by giving an extraordinary Hot Summer Nights performer 250 free limited edition vinyl records produced by local record manufacturer Gold Rush Vinyl. The contest is open to all artists who performed at this year's donation-based music festival, with more than 140 musicians, DJs, and bands eligible to apply.
Applications are currently open and will run until 10 pm on Monday, August 26. Following the application's initial deadline, a panel of industry leaders and local community partners will review submissions and select five finalists. A press release indicates the panel will include representatives from Marshall, Mohawk, 13th Floor, Barbarella, Swan Dive, the Austin Music Venue Alliance.
Fans will then get to pick the winner through a public voting period starting on Wednesday, August 28, and ending on Friday, September 5.
The winner will be announced via Red River Cultural District's Instagram on Tuesday, September 9, and vinyl records are expected to be released by mid-November.
The Gold Record Club is a collaboration between Gold Rush Vinyl and British music manufacturing company Marshall, which sponsored this year's festival. Sponsors help ensure that artists and musicians get paid for their appearances, which also means donations can have more lasting power for the district. The release states 2025 was the festival's "biggest year yet."
More information about the contest, applicant requirements, and a link to the application is available on the Red River Cultural District's website.
"Hot Summer Nights embodies Austin’s spirit of making music accessible to everyone, whether you’re playing one of Red River’s iconic indie venues or singing along from the crowd," said Marshall marketing specialist Alex Sieklicki in the release. "By partnering with community champions Red River Cultural District and Gold Rush Vinyl, Marshall is proud to provide Austin’s music community with a platform to be heard and an opportunity for their voices to reach new audiences."
