Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen Mery.
Hi Stephen, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in San Antonio, and I picked up a guitar for the first time when I was eleven years old. I have been obsessed with music ever since. After high school, I attended Texas A&M University, where I studied Construction Science. When it came time to choose where to build my career, Austin was an easy decision. I wanted to be closer to the music scene, and it didn’t hurt that the company I worked for at the time, and still work for 12 years later, had an office here doing exactly the type of construction work I wanted to be a part of.
My first few years in Austin were entirely career driven. After about five years in, I decided to get out there more and joined a bunch of organizations (Young Men’s Business League, Real Estate Council of Austin, ACE Mentorship Program, and many more) centered around personal and professional development. This is where I caught somewhat of an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to build something from scratch.
A major shift occurred during a Shinyribs show in December of 2024, followed by a coffee with a friend, in early 2025. During the concert intermission, I struck up a conversation with an employee of ACL Live who, as it turned out, had grown up next door to Tommy Shannon. In just fifteen minutes, I heard personal stories of this individuals relationship with Tommy, interactions with Stevie Ray Vaughn, and I just felt like I had some inside scoop to a life and world past. I drove home that night thinking to myself, those kinds of stories are everywhere in this town, and I want to hear more.
The coffee with my buddy Valin, who goes by Zeale, is where everything started to take shape. That conversation gave me the confidence to pursue my idea for a show, and it’s also where the name Austin Music People was born. My original plan was to call it the Austin Music Podcast, but I knew I wanted the show to center on the people themselves, on who they are rather than just what they do. I still remember Z saying, “if it’s about people, why not Austin Music People.” And here we are.
I have only been working on the show for about a year and a half, but in that short time I have already had the chance to sit down with guests I would have considered dream guests back when I was first starting out.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The conversations themselves have always felt natural. That part has never been the struggle. What has been difficult is everything else that goes into making a show like this. I do not have a background or experience in writing, production, audio engineering, social media, journalism, or any of the other skill sets you might expect a typical podcast host to carry. I still cringe at the term “podcast” for some reason. It just never really entered my mind as something that I would ever be a part of and for some reason just feels weird to me. So the challenge there has been fighting any self doubt and really focusing on why I am doing what I am doing. That is hard to accomplish when operating in a space where clicks, likes, subscriptions, comments, and your public facade is seemingly more important than the quality of the conversations I’m having.
Another conflict, and honestly one of the main reasons I decided to start the show when I did, was having to learn all of these things while simultaneously trying to get the show off the ground. It was a personal choice to challenge myself to try something completely out of left field. Music is medicine and a passion of mine and so I think it makes these “struggles” a little more manageable when I see the end result.
The other major stressor has been balancing everything with my personal life. On paper, the timing could not have been worse. My wife and I had a one and a half year old at home when I started the show and shortly thereafter learned we had two more on the way. I was in the middle of building the most important project of my career, and there was a lot happening personally and professionally that really could not afford any distractions. But something told me I needed to do this for myself, so the struggle became about finding the time to learn, the time to execute, and just as importantly, finding the time to make sure I was still having fun with it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I wear a lot of hats these days. I am a father, a husband, a builder, and now, I suppose, a podcast host as well. Through Austin Music People, I specialize in highlighting the people who have created, or who continue to shape, the greater Austin music scene and culture. I want to interview some of the artists and other major players who make this city what it is, but I also want to talk to the small business owner whose family has been here for three generations and who is just as important to our scene. My goal is not only to give these people a platform to share their stories, but to help audiences walk away understanding who they are as an individual. If that helps someone connect to a business, a musician, or a cause, then I feel I have accomplished what I set out to do.
I am not entirely sure what I am known for, but if I had to guess, I would say I am the guy who invites strangers over to his house to talk about music, and that is very intentional. I want people to meet my wife, pet my dog, step over my kids’ toys, and feel a sense of realness the moment they walk through the door.
I am proud that I now have guests I can call good friends. I am proud to be supporting independent artists who face hurdles and barriers the moment they step off the stage, and I am proud to be a part of the Austin music scene in any capacity.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was very much an introvert, but responded to well to my environment which eventually created an extrovert. I come from a huge family with deep traditions on both sides, and I think that upbringing shaped how much I have always valued connection and community. Like mentioned before, I’ve been obsessed with music and the guitar since I was in elementary, which I have my Mom and Aunt Cathie to thank for that.
In high school, I was part of a pop punk band, but I also played football. I say that to say, I took pride in being able to connect with people from all kinds of backgrounds and interests.I was not a particularly good student, but I learned early on that respect, communication, and the importance of relationships, meaning who you know rather than just what you know, will take you further in life than your grades or accolades ever could. That lesson has absolutely carried over into my professional and personal world now.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/austinmusicpeople?u
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/austinmusicpeople/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571258587733
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@austinmusicpeople
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/5jnItpvTY4uZcgkQ8ssbUq
