16th February, 6pm: Highlighters at the ready for the 15th time! From Frightened Rabbit to Future, PinkPantheress to Pixies, here’s “the list” of Record Store Day UK releases heading to record shops on Saturday 23rd April.
There’s a huge range of special UK releases this year with an offering for a whole spectrum of tastes. Artists, labels and stores all over the world have signed up this year to deliver a diverse range of additions to vinyl collections spanning jazz, rock, reggae, folk, soundtracks… and the Radio 4 Shipping Forecast.
This year’s list sees household names including Madonna, Global Record Store Day Ambassador Taylor Swift, Elton John and The Rolling Stones alongside acts seeing their career’s go from strength-to-strength like Sam Fender, Lady Blackbird, Chrissi and Glass Animals.
PinkPantheress, who is releasing her 2021 mixtape To Hell with It, said: "I’m happy to present my first vinyl for people to put in their homes this Record Store Day. I hope that fans enjoy listening to this record as it was intended, through some vintage speakers. Records are such an important part of music history and the reason a lot of people were able to inspire the artists we love today”.
Record Store Day regular Billy Bragg also appears on the list this year. The musician has seen the event evolve over time, having been on board since the first edition in 2007.
“I was excited to be involved in the first Record Store Day and, 15 years later, I'm amazed to see how this initiative has grown,” he said.
“But this year it feels more important than ever to be taking part. The pandemic has been tough for retailers and artists alike, causing havoc at vinyl pressing plants and making it difficult for musicians to tour. So it’s crucial that we all get involved and make this year’s RSD the best one so far.”
Record Store Day is the annual event that celebrates the unique culture of independent record shops and the art of vinyl. The event shines a light on the hard-working music lovers behind the counter who play a key role in championing local music and talent.
This year’s edition of Record Store Day follows a recent report from the Entertainment Retailers Association which revealed that vinyl sales in the UK are at their highest level in over 30 years, growing a further 23% year on year in 2021.
Mina Koroma, store manager at Liverpool’s Jacaranda Records, said: “We can’t wait to see Record Store Day back in full force at Jacaranda Records. Our community of musicians, DJs and record fans thrives on getting together to share ideas and experiences. RSD is always a great chance to do that, especially at such a challenging time for shops like ours. We’re excited for scenes all over the UK to keep growing their collections and adding to their fond memories of times spent at record stores.”
With that in mind we’ll be expecting well-mannered, but deceptively competitive, queues as fans aim to get their hands on releases from the likes of Miles Davies and Scott Walker or Katy J Pearson and Childish Gambino. So before you click the link to dive into the full list, just a gentle reminder that all stock will be sold on a first-come-first-serve basis. Click here to find your nearest participating store.
If Record Store Day releases are affected by the current vinyl manufacturing delays, they will instead be available to buy in participating RSD stores on Saturday 18th June.
Keep your eyes on our website and socials for the latest updates.
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