Record Store Day returns on Saturday, April 12, and Northampton’s music retailers are gearing up for the important date on the annual calendar.
But while music fans scramble to get their mitts on some of the limited releases – this year more than 400 will be issued – the event is not without risk for the stores.
“It takes a huge amount of organising, and is frankly a major risk for all record shops…it’s a huge investment and often a gamble,” said Alex D’arcy from Vinyl Underground, “However, putting any potential financial risks and rewards for a small independent retailer to the side, and remembering entirely why we do what we do, it’s all about a passion for music, a passion for the humble vinyl record and sharing that passion with likeminded people.”
Vinyl Underground has been a force in the town for more than three decades and those behind the brand are rightly proud of their reputation for ‘supplying the freshest and deepest music to DJs and collectors around the world.’
But the industry has undergone insane change since the store welcomed its first customers back in 1993. RSD delivers some of that early year community and buzz.
“The thing we love the most on RSD is the whole VU community coming together and bringing back the feeling from those heady days in the 90s, when the hangout was just as important as picking up the latest releases. You would learn so much from talking to people; learning crazy musical facts, expanding your tastes, sharing ideas, collaborating to promote a night, getting a gig…”
VU will open its doors from 8am, signalling the start of nine hours of vinyl junkie fever. DJs will be in store, and liquid refreshments – including a limited supply of RSD beer from Deya Brewery – will be available.
“Our shop is something of a treasure trove for those with patience and an open mind. We are very grateful to have a long standing and regular customer base, from the town, the surrounding areas and a number of people who pilgrimage from far away to support us.
“RSD in 2025 is a chance for customers old and new, young and old, and with tastes from across the sonic spectrum to come together as one and celebrate their common love of music and records, to reconnect, and to make new connections,” added Alex, “For this reason, we celebrate RSD, and it makes all the financial risk, all the late night preparations, the super early Saturday morning, the Sunday aftermath and the pure adrenaline of the day worth it.
“We can’t wait to see all our customers and friends on the day.” Staff are just as busy in the lead up to the big day over at Spun Out.
“I strongly believe that a big part of the growing success of vinyl records in the face of the digital world is down to the presence of independent record shops on the high streets,” said store owner Chris Kent, “They are one of the few visible continuations of a historic traditional town centre shopping experience that both intrigue our modern artistic taste buds while appealing to a sense of connection to disappearing pasts, they provide both a wormhole of interest to dive into, and a warm community engaged refuge.”
SpunOut will have live music, including a set by psychedelic rock band Ratatouilles Revenge, and DJ sets throughout the day, from 8am.
Queues are expected to build outside during the early hours, with music-lovers keen to secure 2025’s big releases by artists including Taylor Swift, Oasis, Post Malone, Charli XCX & Sam Fender, who has been a great ambassador for this year’s event.
“RSD has played a big part as a highly publicised focal point for our interest in records, and is an exciting day to get involved with.
“The buzz that it has created about record collecting has helped generate a snowballing appeal that can’t be underestimated,” Chris thinks, “I remember our early RSD’s from 2010 onwards becoming an ever bigger event year on year – now it is our biggest yearly advert for Spun Out, letting more and more people know about the presence of a good record shop in their area.”
Spiral Archive might not be ‘doing RSD’ in the traditional sense, but every year Alex Novak’s Hazelwood Road store gets busy with a half price sale and it’ll be business as usual on that front, with cut price class between 11am and 3pm.
“RSD has been a key driver in getting people back into record shops,” Alex said, “It is an event with multiple things going on – it’s a great day out from early morning to late at night for all music lovers.”
There will be record stalls at The Lamplighter from midday to 3pm too, with DJs from midday all the way through to 1am – and Alex will take control for some of that. It’s free to get in.
RSD is also celebrated over at The Black Prince, which will once again be hosting a record fair from 10.30am to 4pm, and DJs will be spinning the round stuff in the Prince’s garden through to 11pm. Entry is free. Go catch the groove.
SpunOut: 57 Gold Street, NN1 1RA
VinylUnderground: 2nd Floor, A Watts & Sons Ltd, NN1 2BB
Spiral Archive: 43 Hazelwood Road, NN1 1JG
The Lamplighter: 66 Overstone Road, NN1 3JS
