The Analog House

The Analog House in Havana, Florida, brings a love of physical music formats to a small town near Tallahassee. In this interview, its owner discusses building a local gathering place, record collecting, and an unusual cassette discovery.

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Interview with The Analog House

The Analog House — the name plants a flag on analog. What's the shop's philosophy, and how did it start?

While I do love analog formats it’s more of a nod to how sometimes the best means by which to move forward is to go back, and throughout the last couple of decades there was such a push to minimalist culture that we declutterred and moved away from physical artifacts. Unfortunately that has lead to some great and now well documented losses. I think much of my focus was providing a haven in this world that would be, hopefully, as life giving as bookstores and arcades and video stores and most importantly to me music shops were for me.

You're in Havana, just up from Tallahassee. What role does the shop play locally, and who's coming through?

Well, honesty, right now, it’s been a bit of a struggle to get Tallahassee folks over. There’s multiple reasons for that, one of which is very much my fault. I was a co-founder and owner of another shop in Tallahassee that’s become rather popular but there were real disagreements between myself and my previous business partner over direction and business decisions in general and I had to get out. So I am very much in competition with myself on some level, however, the benefit of being outside of town gives me the space to build something without being held back but also without claims of going after territory—not that that’s a true concern but, right or wrong, I do worry about that perception. In terms of Havana, though, we are building something culturally that’s really never been there and it’s needed and it’s exciting. It’s a cool little town and they deserve to have some things that other towns have without always having to go elsewhere for it. And as far as Tallahassee goes, we’ve struggled these last 10 years or so to really find our cultural footing and prices are skyrocketing to the point that what we are doing is nearly impossible to get going in town without deep pockets…Havana offers opportunity on a DIY budget.

The biggest factor right now, though, is logistics, getting folks to understand that it’s outside of Tallahassee—but only 10-15 minutes…it’s a nice little getaway!

What's the record that's far more common than people believe?

The Beatles butcher cover and the Velvet Underground with peelable banana.

What's the sleeper — the stuff that moves better than anyone expects?

I don’t think it really counts as a sleeper but I’m AMAZED by how many copies I’ve sold in recent years of Fleetwood Mac - Rumours. It’s WILD. Can’t keep that in stock.

Do people who take store credit actually come back and spend it, or does a lot of it sit on the books?

Oh they spend it. Gift cards tend to sit on the books but the store credit crowd are VERY serious about itemizing that tool and we loooove it!

The Florida panhandle is hot and humid most of the year. What condition damage do you see most, and what would you tell a seller to do differently?

Don’t leave records in garages/storage units without climate control! Also don’t leave your lps in your car. Most damage is from water damage to covers, which turns to mold very quickly. That said Florida gets a bad rap as far as that stuff goes, most collections are fine.

What's the rarest recording you've had come across the counter?

It’s actually a cassette tape. A full length demo of a young country upstart from Australia in 1989 by the name of Keith Urban. I have found no other copy of the version I have. No idea of the value but it’s definitely in the 4-figure range. Honestly I hope to one day get some more info on it, maybe get it signed or even back in his hands. It’s definitely the rarest thing I’ve come across though.

Who's a regular whose taste has quietly shaped what ends up in the bins?

I have one regular named Jason, that I’ve really turned onto some killer post hardcore and metal but that was easy with him, his tastes in those genres overlap so well with mine, he just really likes it when I dump some of my personal stash as I am prone to do from time to time! But in general I love when my Houseguests (as we call them) realize THE greatest evolution in their record collecting experience is when they stop looking for specific titles (those are always in your mind and of course you snag them when you find them) but rather, come in and just see what the universe is giving you in the bins—THAT is where the magic happens.

Last updated: 2026-10-28

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