Tiny Sounds, Big Noise

By Chloe Rawlinson

Local music Journalist 

For the last couple of years, Mat Zuniga and friends have been building up the DIY emo/punk scene in Austin. From throwing shows in their living room to feeding the creative community, both literally and with fun performances and new music, the KTSW 89.9 alum has certainly made an environment much bigger than just tiny sounds underground. 

Talking with Zuniga, it’s clear that he’s a cool guy with cool interests. With an interest in punk music, he used his closeness to new releases through his position as a music reviewer to play more punk on the air, really opening him up to the scene. By the winter of 2022, Mat and his friends Peyton and Joey were booking shows in their house. 

“Initially [Tiny Sounds Collective] started to serve as a way to document the emo DIY scene in Austin, it quickly grew to something much bigger when [Peyton, Joey, and I] moved into Arnold House that same winter. We started booking house and DIY shows in our living room,” Zuniga said. “Word gets out quickly, and by the time SXSW came around, we were throwing a full fest and had 100 people at our house, which was absolutely terrifying.” 

Since then, Tiny Sounds has launched into a full-blown operation, with Zuniga doing everything he can to keep the machine running as smoothly as possible. 

“I do the planning, booking, social media and generally the overall guiding of which direction Tiny Sounds goes. We are completely DIY, so I’m making spreadsheets one minute then loading PAs so we can run a show at a bookstore, then running the door. Honestly, so much of DIY is just moving things everywhere,” Zuniga said. 

On top of their shows, Tiny Sounds Collective is also very involved in their community, utilizing their community building skills to make East Austin a better environment. 

“The most rewarding part of Tiny Sounds is seeing how we’ve helped build a community in the aftermath of 2020. Yeah, we put on shows, but we also host street cleanups, have a community garden plot open to anyone that takes part in Tiny Sounds, and host a Friendsgiving Potluck every year. Genuinely, community building has been my favorite part of this experience,” Zuniga said. 

When he isn’t booking shows, making spreadsheets, or serving his community, Zuniga spends his time being a librarian and dreaming about bands and artists he’d like to book. 

“I am still totally listening to tons of local emo. Drunk Uncle and Midcard have both put out perfect EPs this year, I would love to book them. In general, Texas has been putting out incredible DIY emo music as of late,” Zuniga said. “Out of all Texas bands I’d want to book, Driver Friendly is the one. I saw them in the Rio Grande Valley in High School, and they occasionally do reunion shows in Austin. I will make it happen one day.” 

Tiny Sounds Collective is definitely a fun experience for everyone involved, especially the week following SXSW as Zuniga and friends combine their booking power with a personal tradition. 

“[Philly Cheeseskate Fest] is our annual DIY fest we do every March, the weekend after SXSW. It’s for the homies, not the yuppies. The idea came from the made-up holiday my friends and I have been doing for eight years,” Zuniga said. 

“Basically, every year the weekend after SXSW, we would skate and eat cheesesteaks. Now, we turned it into a full-blown festival with multiple stages, vendors, bands from all over the country and, of course, cheesesteaks. Every year we do it, it becomes the biggest show in our short history.” 

Though Philly Cheeseskate Fest has come and gone, there are still many ways to get involved with TSC’s projects. 

“We always have shows coming up! We love to do shows at Alienated Majesty books and our house venue, Arnold House. Also, we’ve been working as a label for emo bands in Austin and have two releases coming out for our friends in Fine! I guess. and gulfwargameboy, so stay tuned for those,” Zuniga said. 

“We like to say, ‘Tiny Sounds is a gang and you’re in it.’ If you want to get involved, just come hang out and say hi! If you want to share your music, photos, or art our DMs are always open. We love bringing new people in and having new faces at the shows and cleanups,” Zuniga said. 

You can find more about Tiny Sounds Collective on their Instagram, @tinysounds.cltv.