NuWu Sessions Podcast | EP. 46 – Cody Leavitt (Asteroid M Records): Mutants, Outcasts & DIY Culture
Mutants, Outcasts & DIY Culture: A Conversation with Cody Leavitt of Asteroid M Records
Underground music doesn’t survive on hype.
It survives on community, persistence, and people willing to build something from nothing.
In Episode 46 of the NuWu Sessions Podcast, we sit down with Cody Leavitt, founder of Asteroid M Records, an independent Las Vegas–based record label, recording studio, and creative hub built for artists who live outside the mainstream.
Punk, hardcore, surf, garage, experimental if it’s honest and DIY, Asteroid M has made space for it.
Recorded inside Sky High Lounge, located within NuWu Main Dispensary, this episode blends underground music culture, cannabis, and creative resilience — the core of what NuWu Sessions exists to document.
Building a Home for Mutants & Outcasts
Asteroid M Records wasn’t built to polish artists into something marketable. It was built to protect what makes them real.
Cody talks about creating a home for musicians who don’t fit neatly into industry expectations — artists driven by expression, not algorithms. Over time, Asteroid M evolved into more than a label. It became a recording space, a documentation project, and a community anchor for Las Vegas’ underground scenes.
“Mutants and outcasts” isn’t a slogan. It’s a signal — for anyone who’s ever felt out of place in traditional creative spaces.
The identity is intentional. “Mutants and outcasts” isn’t a slogan it’s a signal to anyone who’s ever felt out of place in traditional creative spaces.
Failure as a Tool for Growth
Rather than avoiding mistakes, Cody embraces failure as a necessary part of building anything meaningful.
From early recording sessions to running live shows and managing a label, every misstep sharpened his instincts and pushed Asteroid M forward. Growth didn’t come from perfection. It came from doing the work, learning publicly, and refusing to quit.
In DIY culture, failure isn’t a setback it’s proof you’re actually creating.
Documenting Underground Culture
Live music is fleeting. Once the show ends, the moment is gone unless someone takes the time to document it.
Cody shares why recording sets, archiving sessions, and filming shows matters beyond promotion. It’s about preservation. Underground scenes rarely get written into official history, and Asteroid M treats documentation as cultural responsibility, not content farming.
This philosophy extends to YouTube archives, live recordings, and visual storytelling that capture scenes as they actually existed.
Cannabis, Community & Accessibility
Filmed inside Sky High Lounge, the conversation naturally weaves into cannabis culture not as spectacle, but as part of creative life.
Cody reflects on accessibility, evolving cannabis norms, and the importance of keeping creative spaces welcoming rather than elitist. Whether it’s music or cannabis, community thrives when people feel safe, included, and respected.
Advice for Artists Walking Independent Paths
For musicians, producers, and creatives navigating DIY worlds, Cody’s advice is grounded and honest:
Do the thing you’re afraid to try
Document everything
Build community before chasing validation
Independent success isn’t about virality it’s about sustainability, relationships, and staying true to why you started.
Watch the Full Episode
NuWu Sessions Podcast – Episode 46
Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify
Recorded at Sky High Lounge inside NuWu Main Dispensary, Downtown Las Vegas