Record Store Day is back this weekend (Saturday, April 20) for one of the biggest annual events in the music calendar. It’s a day for special releases and artist performances across the UK and indeed the world.
The hugely successful British edition will see 270 independent record shops taking part this year. And as revealed by ERA, the number of indie music stores has reached a 10-year high with a further 35 shops added to the estate in 2023.
So to mark this year’s edition of Record Store Day, Music Week spoke to four shops established in the last 18 months about their new business, the growth in vinyl and getting involved with the annual music celebration…
SHRUBS & DUBS, Bethnal Green, London
Why was it important to be part of Record Store Day?
Kieron Wright Wilson (pictured with Faye Wright): “This is our second time participating in RSD, and we knew from our first time being a part of this incredible day that we had to be involved again. It’s such a great day for everyone involved, both customers and record stores. There are always incredible releases and it’s a great way to celebrate the culture and get people back into independent record stores and buying physical releases. The team at RSD have done an incredible job each year of putting together a day that really helps to keep the community spirit alive around record shopping.”
How is the new business going at a time when vinyl sales in particular are growing in the UK?
“It’s been great, we’ve noticed a real surge in people purchasing vinyl. We’ve got our regulars but we’ve noticed that there are more and more younger people taking an interest in vinyl. We get a lot of first-time buyers that we’re able to talk to in the store and show them how the turntable works and recommend records for them.”
Why did you want to launch a record store and is there a particular audience of vinyl buyers you are catering for?
“Opening a record store was something I’d always dreamed of doing. My background is as a DJ playing a variety of underground electronic music from house and garage through to jungle and drum & bass. A lot of what we stock in store is centred around those genres as well as electronica, hip-hop plus new release and classic albums. I spent years growing up going to record shops with my dad and then eventually shopping myself, finding music to DJ with and learning the musical landscape. The places I shopped at, such as Boogie Times and Rhythm division, always seemed like the coolest places on earth but were also essential to music culture; I really wanted to do my part to help keep it going. With the genres we stock, we get a lot of younger clientele, but good music knows no bounds so we also get a lot of older customers in digging through the racks discovering new music also."
What have you got planned on the day for RSD? And how much planning and work goes into making this a successful event for you?
“For RSD this year we will be opening our doors early at 10am for everyone to grab their RSD exclusives. We’re looking forward to connecting with everyone and chatting all things vinyl. We will also be sticking to the Shrubs & Dubs ethos and we will be giving away a free plant with every RSD purchase because you can’t have dubs without shrubs!”
How are your customers getting excited ahead of Record Store Day, what's the reaction been to having the opportunity to be part of RSD with you?
“We’ve had a lot of DMs on Instagram and customers coming in store telling us how excited they are for the titles we’ll be stocking on the day. We’re hoping for a repeat of our first RSD experience where we had a small queue of people outside waiting to come and shop, which we didn’t expect. It was really nice to see that there were people as invested in the day as much as us.”
Which 2024 RSD titles are you and your customers most excited about?
“There are too many to pick from but if we had to narrow it down to then it would have to be… Fatboy Slim – Everybody Loves A Remix, there are some amazing tracks on there and also the vinyl itself looks incredible. De La Soul – Live At Tramps, a legendary live performance from hip-hop royalty. And Rebirth 10 compiled by Larry Heard: this classic compilation is the definition of house music, any and everyone can appreciate this. Whether it’s an introduction to house music or you’re an experienced connoisseur, this release is a must!”
DASH THE HENGE, Camberwell, London
Why was it important to be part of Record Store Day?
Tim Harper: “This is actually our second Record Store Day, the first was a couple of months after opening so was a bit of a blur but an incredible day. We have regular live music in the shop anyway and extended that to DJs in the shop and live bands over the road at The Old Dispensary, it was a proper festival vibe! This year we’re stepping it up again with four venues – the shop, the Old Dispensary, The Bear Camberwell with a dub sound system and The Greyhound Peckham hosting the after party with The Cause DJs playing into the early hours!”
How is the new business going at a time when vinyl sales in particular are growing in the UK?
“We already ran a record label called Dash The Henge. We heard legendary Camberwell shop Rat Records was closing down, and took it as our cultural duty to keep it as a record shop. A few of us got together and the Dash The Henge Store was born.”
Is there a particular audience of vinyl buyers you are catering for in terms of age, genre, catalogue or new release etc?
“We’re a genre-fluid store stocking new and reissues across all genres plus second hand records, books and merch. We cater for all buyers from the old timers to the new collectors, we sell an entry level Bluetooth turntable by Audio Technica and reckon we’ve sold 40-plus since opening – that’s 40 new collectors made!”
What have you got planned on the day for RSD? And how much planning and work goes into making this a successful event for you?
“SXSE x RSD24 is the title of our event, four venues, 30-plus artists and DJs from 9am Saturday until 2am Sunday, it’s gonna be a long day! Highlights will include a La Roux DJ set celebrating 10 years of Trouble in Paradise with an RSD special edition, local legends Meatraffle and Sleaze plus Connected Youth on the soundsystem, acoustic performances from Misty Miller, Lando Manning and Azu Yeche, and so much more.”
How are your customers getting excited ahead of Record Store Day, what's the reaction been to having the opportunity to be part of RSD with you?
“We’ve had the posters up for a month or so now and there’s a good buzz around South East London about the event, we’ve sold nearly 100 priority access wristbands which come with a bunch of perks but also allows us to sort the artists out with a bit of cash. The event is great for all businesses in and around the venues as people will be moving about a lot and buying drinks, food and other bits.”
What 2024 RSD titles are you and your customers most excited about?
“La Roux reissue for reasons stated above, the Kate Bush picture discs, Young Thug [Jeffrey] people have been asking about, the Anne Briggs reissue [1971 self-titled album], Murder Was The Case soundtrack [Snoop Dogg], a few of the jazz bits… Loads really!”
SPINNING AROUND RECORDS, Wellington, Telford
This is your first Record Store Day. Why was it important to be part of this vinyl celebration?
Emma Perks: “As a pop lover, I know that the pop releases do tend to get missed or under-ordered in even though there's a massive market for them. So I'm excited to be able to stock them in the quantities that are usually reserved for the rockier releases.”
How is the new business going at a time when vinyl sales in particular are growing in the UK?
“I opened in September 2023 and, touch wood, it's going from strength to strength. I do specialise in pop which, as a collector myself, I always found to be a neglected genre with many stores not knowing the current crop of pop artists that so many are into and collecting. Being a woman who loves Taylor, Kylie, Lana etc does make me stand out, but so many have embraced what I'm doing, have got behind me and travelled into my shop after watching me on TikTok.”
As well as pop, are you catering for a range of customers?
“Of course, I stock a variety of genres in store but my customers love that I'm able to spot the special releases which are typically hard to find with retailers who aren't pop tarts like myself.”
What have you got planned on the day for RSD? And how much planning and work goes into making this a successful event for you?
“With it being my first one in store, I'm keeping it relatively simple on the day and am just aiming to get everyone in and out as smoothly as possible. The amount of planning and prep behind the scenes is mind blowing, though, it's like planning the biggest party and wanting everyone to have the best time and leave happy. Having previously done RSD from both sides of the counter I have an idea of what works and what's frustrating, and I've spent many nights thinking how to make it the best experience for both myself and my customers. Black Friday was the warm up and I learnt to go with my gut as my gut is generally right.”
How are your customers getting excited ahead of Record Store Day, what's the reaction been to having the opportunity to be part of RSD with you?
“So many customers are excited to finally have this event in town and not have to travel further afield to it anymore. I've also got many travelling in from out of the area as they know I'll be stocking plenty of the lines they're after.”
What 2024 RSD titles are you and your customers most excited about?
“Olivia [Rodrigo] and Noah [Kahan] is most definitely the one I've had the most requests for [seven inch single of cover versions], followed by Lily Allen’s It’s Not Me, It’s You, Maisie Peters’ The Good Witch, The 1975 [Live At Gorilla] and Emma Bunton [A Girl Like Me]. For me, it's that Fleetwood Mac picture disc [Rumours] as it's my favourite album of all time! Along with the Kim Wilde [Special Disco Mixes], Sophie Ellis-Bextor [Remixes], and Maisie and Lily releases.”
DARK EARTH RECORDS, Wallasey
Why was it important to be part of this vinyl celebration?
Jim Brady: "This is actually our second RSD, yet equally as exciting! Dark Earth and its family are part of a counterculture community. If we can help to represent the diverse field of metal music and its culture during this important, national day of celebration, then we've done our humble job."
How is the new business going at a time when vinyl sales in particular are growing in the UK?
JB: "We've been open almost two years, but still finding our feet as a business. We thank our dedicated customers for keeping us going so far. We're very niche, so that's certainly one aspect to our High Street survival."
Why did you want to launch a record store and is there a particular audience of vinyl buyers you are catering for in terms of age, genre, catalogue or new release etc?
JB: "Dark Earth is also an art space – we have exhibitions – and there's nowhere like us in the whole UK. We exist because there was a need for a hybrid cultural place like this. Needless to say, we've invested a huge amount financially and emotionally into our crazy little venture!"
Deb Steventon: "It may surprise some people, but the audience for vinyl buyers is pretty wide and the demographic is too. Put it this way, there are very few shops that can claim to sell an obscure drone metal album to a schoolboy, and an Alice Cooper LP to a retired lady – both on the same day!"
What have you got planned on the day for RSD? And how much planning and work goes into making this a successful event for you?
JB: "Crikey, the logistics are a bit nuts! Because we're such a niche place, deciding on which RSD releases to order is tricky. We try to get all the obvious metal and heavy rock albums in stock, plus a few outside-of-genre curveballs (some of our customers listen to more than just metal, of course)."
DS: “To coincide with this year's RSD, on Sunday, April 21, we have a very special double album launch and signing for two of England's most notable doom bands, Arð and My Dying Bride. The frontmen of both bands are treating us to a unique, one-off collaborative live performance. It's almost sold out, and we even have a fan coming all the way over from Belgium specifically for it!"
How are your customers getting excited ahead of Record Store Day, what's the reaction been to having the opportunity to be part of RSD with you?
JB: "We're receiving quite a lot of direct messages asking about our plans and the titles we're going to be stocking. There's a great buzz on social media. Being a part of RSD brings us kudos and certainly attracts new followers."
What 2024 RSD titles are you and your customers most excited about?
"Highlights include Black Sabbath – Paranoid, Motörhead – Remorse? No!, At The Gates – Slaughter of the Soul, and even Goat's original soundtrack to The Gallows Pole."
Subscribers can read our feature on indie retail here.
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