Tucked into a business park off of South Congress Avenue sits Arlyn Studios, a recording studio deeply rooted in Austin’s live music scene. As its founders celebrate the studio’s 40th birthday, they are reflecting on the years of history within Arlyn’s walls and making Austin the “Live Music Capital of the World.”

The backstory

Before it was home to Arlyn and the surrounding businesses, 200 Academy Drive was the site of Austin Opera House, a live music venue opened by Willie Nelson and his business partner Tim O’Connor in the mid-1970s.

The venue hosted artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Etta James and the Red Hot Chili Peppers among many others.

In 1984, Nelson’s nephew Freddy Fletcher, who was on his way out of the music business after time spent touring as a drummer, built Arlyn Studios in the 7,000-square-foot space attached to the venue.
Pianist Bobbie Nelson, Willie Nelson's sister and the mother of Arlyn Studios founder Freddy Fletcher, records at Arlyn Studios. (Archive photo courtesy of Joshua Black Wilkins/Arlyn Studios)
Pianist Bobbie Nelson, Willie Nelson's sister and the mother of Arlyn Studios founder Freddy Fletcher, records at Arlyn Studios. (Archive photo courtesy Joshua Black Wilkins/Arlyn Studios)
“Willie convinced him to build a recording studio,” said Lisa Fletcher, Freddy Fletcher’s wife and managing partner of Arlyn Studios. “Freddy was like, ‘I want out of the business,’ and he stayed right back in it, built this studio, and it was wired into the opera house so they could record the shows. The Opera House closed in the mid-'90s, but the studio just kept chugging along.”


What’s special about it?

Today, Arlyn Studios’ walls are lined with records and photos of artists such as Sublime, Los Lonely Boys, David Crosby and more who at some point called it their home base.

The facility houses three recording studios. Lisa Fletcher said it’s been special to meet everyone who has gone in and out of the studio over the years, from major touring artists to the new generation of smaller, local musicians.
Country music artist Miranda Lambert records at Arlyn Studios. (Archive photo courtesy of Arlyn Studios)
Country music artist Miranda Lambert records at Arlyn Studios. (Archive photo courtesy Arlyn Studios)
Part of what makes the studio special, she said, is the community they have built that is keeping the “magic” of “old Austin” alive.

“South Congress doesn't even look like the same street that it did even five years ago, but I think overall, the new and the old are blending together nicely, and I still think Austin is really special,” Lisa Fletcher said.


They recently hosted the studio’s 40th anniversary, “For The Record: Arlyn Turns 40,” with live performances from some of the studio's artists.
Local musician Calder Allen (left) and singer-songwriter Charlie Sexton perform to a private audience inside Arlyn Studios at its 40th birthday party. (Courtesy @GaryMillerShoots)
Local musician Calder Allen (left) and singer-songwriter Charlie Sexton perform for a private audience inside Arlyn Studios at its 40th birthday party. (Courtesy @GaryMillerShoots)
The event stage’s backdrop included Arlyn’s name plus signs for Saxon Pub, Antone’s Nightclub, Broken Spoke, Waterloo Records and The Continental Club to acknowledge their contributions as fellow longtime Austin music establishments.

“It really is a community," Lisa Fletcher said. "We support each other, and I think that grows stronger and stronger as this city gets bigger.”