Tell us a little bit about your store? What's the vibe?

I have a lovely new space inside The Neighbourhood in Leamington town centre. Downstairs is a coffee shop, bar and foodhall. We’re upstairs where there’s also a gym, barbershop and office spaces. I’d say it’s pretty laid back and the perfect place to lose an hour crate digging.
I’ve always tried to welcome music lovers of all ages instore. My tastes are pretty eclectic, and the shop stock reflects this, so I sell most styles of music. I truly believe a good tune is a good tune, it doesn’t matter what genre it is.
Bastien Keb is one of my favourite artists from Leamington and I’m still secretly hoping Beck & Jon will get the band back together and reform Coves.
I work alone here for most of the year but have a few trusted helpers who pitch in for the Record Store Day events and the busier times when needed.

Can you remember the first record you sold in the shop? And the last?

The first record sold in the shop was The Prodigy – Voodoo People (Pendulum Rmx) 12” …. the most recent Yard Act – Overload (LP)

Do you remember the first record shop you went to? And you do you remember the first record you bought?

There was a great little shop in Leamington called Soundhouse which was the first proper record shop I went to. The first record I bought would have been a 7” from the newsagents near us that sold 45”s .. possibly The Bangles – Hazy Shade of Winter.

What is your favourite record shop (apart from your own!) and why?

I’ve always liked Honest Jon’s in London. They’ve been going for years and still have their finger on the pulse. Always offering up the best in alternative music and running a great label too.

What’s your most memorable record store experience?

My previous shop was inside the music venue in Leamington and the bands would often come down to have a browse in the shop in between sound checks.
The Misfits played in 2014 and two of the band came down in full makeup along with Dez Cadena who used to play with Black Flag and just started flicking through the racks.
I remember a lady came in soon after asking me to order something for her and she didn’t bat an eyelid. Very surreal. I’m still annoyed I didn’t get any photos of that. I think I was in shock. Lovely guys though and I even ended up posting a handful of LPs out to Dez Cadena’s home in the U.S. so he didn’t have to carry them round on the rest of the tour with him.

How successful has RSD been for you?

RSD has been great for the shop and snowballed in popularity year on year until Covid hit us. Things have been less chaotic since the pandemic, and I think it was always going to be a few years before we’re back to those kinds of levels of in-store parties.

What's the best gig you've ever been to?

That’s a tough question. I’ve seen some great bands over the years. My first gig was Alice Cooper at 14. Highlights have been The Ramones, Nirvana, James Brown, Soundgarden, Breakestra & Kyuss.One of the most memorable was Primal Scream’s 20th Anniversary tour of Screamadelica when they played Leamington. The atmosphere was unforgettable. It was a weeknight but everyone partied like it was the weekend. I dread to think how many people missed work the next day because of that show!More recently I’ve had the opportunity to promote a few shows myself and highlights without a doubt have been The Bonnevilles, Sleaford Mods, and the Mystery Lights.

What's your all-time favourite book?

Joseph Conrad – Heart Of Darkness

What's your all-time favourite film?

Bladerunner

What would make up your desert island discs?

The Mystery Lights – What Happens When You Turn the Devil Down ?
Alt-J – Tesselate
Dreadzone – Dream Within A Dream
Moodymann – Let Me In
The Slits – I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Cynty & The Monkeys – Lady Lady 
Aldous Harding – The Barrel
R.L Burnside – Someday Baby
Sixto Rodriguez – Sugarman
Tom Misch – Beautiful Escape

Who would form your all-time festival line-up? (past & present)

Operation Ivy
Erykah Badu
The Jesus & Mary Chain
LCD Soundsystem
Lady Blackbird
Frank Zappa
Can
Little Ann
Talking Heads
The Oh Sees

OTHER RECORD STORES