Taylor Swift, 2023 Record Store Day UK ambassadors The 1975, Foals, Loyle Carner, Elton John, Nas, Madonna, Bastille, Pixies and many more have confirmed special releases for this year’s Record Store Day, taking place April 22.
Taylor Swift, last year’s global ambassador for Record Store Day, will be releasing the first and only edition of Folklore: Long Pond Studio Sessions. The release features collaborators from the album including Aaron Dessner (The National), Jack Antonoff (Bleachers) and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), and will be released as a double LP on grey vinyl and in a bespoke gatefold jacket.
Other special releases to look out for are from artists including Dolly Parton, Grammy-winning duo Sam Smith and Kim Petras, Carole King, former Record Store Day UK ambassadors The Big Moon, Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Kae Tempest.
Emerging UK-based artists who will be joining the star-studded list also include Yard Act, Baby Queen, Greentea Peng and BBC Sound Of 2023 nominees Piri & Tommy, whilst Sam Fender and Dermot Kennedy join the roster for the second year running. The cast of Bluey will also be taking part.
The 16th edition of Record Store Day has seen hundreds of artists coming together to celebrate independent record shops across the UK, and the event this year follows a recent report from the Digital Entertainment And Retail Association, which showed vinyl sales overtaking CDs in value terms in the UK for the first time in 35 years.
Artists, labels and stores across the world have signed up for Record Store Day, with special record releases spanning a host of genres including jazz, hip-hop, reggae, classical and folk.
"We've been part of RSD a number of times before and we have some exciting releases for you, which look and sound awesome,” said Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago. “The local independent record stores are the lifeblood and hub of any local scene, and I feel they have played a big part in the success of Pixies over the years”.
Scott Gamble from Crash Records in Leeds said: “We can’t wait to be taking part in Record Store Day UK. It’s such a great chance for us – and others stores all over the country – to shout about what we do and see the local music-loving community out in force. Having such a great list of releases from household names through to brand new artists means we get an opportunity to introduce our world to people who aren’t necessarily already part of our brilliant set of regulars. So we’re excited to welcome back some of those new faces after 22 April too.”
