If you’ve ever visited Breakaway Records, you’re likely aware that they have an incredible collection of records and music.  

Only seven minutes from campus, it’s become a spot many students check out, full of vinyl old and new. What you may not be aware of is that the owner is a UT alum. 

Josh Larue, owner of breakaway records, graduated from the Butler School of Music in 1992. 

Larue said he remembers a lot from his years on campus, including residing in Jester. Plus, he recalls his time as a musician. 

“I was in the School of Music, so not only did I like to play in bands outside of school, but I played in the orchestra and the new music ensemble, and I played in the pit orchestra for a couple of different operas,” he said.  

During his time as a student, he said he remembers a great deal of record stores; places like Sound Exchange, previously located on Guadalupe, along with Inner Sanctum Records and Alien Records. 

“I have great memories of going to record stores. I've been buying records since I was young, like 10 or 11 years old, and even when I was in college,” he said. 

His passion for records was integral to his college experience and later, to his career path. 

“I find everything that I learned in the music department valuable, all the music history classes, the music theory and performance classes. I'm not a super active musician anymore, but I still do play, and constantly think about music,” he said. “I hear something and I think about the chord progression. All that kind of stuff that I learned in music school I use on a daily basis, just because I'm constantly thinking and analyzing.” 

After college, Larue relocated to Washington D.C. to pursue music for 18 years, before returning to Austin in 2010.

He remained deeply involved with records. 

“I had always been collecting, buying and selling records, and doing record shows and  eBay as a hobby and an extra income type of thing.” 

It was through a friend he’d met selling records that Larue first heard of Breakaway Records. 

“A guy named Gabe Vaughn originally started breakaway records, and he had had it going for about two years by the time I moved back. He needed some help here at the shop. He was looking for somebody to help him figure things out, because the shop was still pretty new. So, I bought into Breakaway Records. Then 14 years ago, and we became partners, and then over the next 13 or so years, did great things and expanded the shop” 

The shop has since then gotten involved in Austin life, including Djing for Equipment Room, a Hi-Fi bar in South Congress at Hotel Magdalena.

A year ago, Larue became the sole proprietor for Breakaway Records when his partner decided to leave the business and sold Larue his share. 

From his time as a student, Larue recalls the music and the people. 

“Austin has always been a super music town, like, that's always been true, so it was just cool to see, you know, even back then, how open minded people at the school were, and people in Austin in general were about all kinds of music. I would see the same people at a hip hop show that I would see at a punk show or an experimental music show or at a classical thing. There's a lot of people in this town who just love music and are very open minded about different styles.” 

Larue’s advice to students is to “Slow down a little bit, and appreciate things in real time.”