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Interviews for
Unedited responses to questions asked by Dave Hughes to two local record store owners, a local musician, and a local record collector.
Unedited responses to questions asked by Dave Hughes to two local record store owners, a local musician, and a local record collector.
Michael "Sesh" Sessions
TONE ARMY RECORDS
1460 Washington Blvd c1, Concord, CA 94521
Michael "Sesh" Sessions
TONE ARMY RECORDS
1460 Washington Blvd c1, Concord, CA 94521
What about our region made you decide that opening a record store was a viable business move?
Knowing the closest record shops were in Berkeley and Oakland, I liked the idea of having a shop close to home. And with Concord being a central location in Contra Costa it made sense to open here. Not to mention I grew up here so it’s a place I’ll always love. The shop is literally across the street from our old skate spot as kids where an abandoned bank used to be. Good times.
Why is your collection made up almost entirely of used records?
The Bay Area has always been a Mecca for music. So many groups and artists came from the Bay and those records are still circulating around or waiting to be discovered from a box in your grandma’s closet. Used vinyl records are a historical record of the culture here and I enjoy helping keep that spirit alive.
If someone is just getting into vinyl, what are a few reasonably priced turntables that won't disappoint?
Audio Technica LP 120 and U-turn Orbit are the two new tables I recommend to people just starting out.
How would you explain the vinyl boom?
Music has been digital for so long we’re just now remembering what it was like to have a tangible experience with music. Spending time digging at a local shop, buying a physical copy of an album, admiring the cover artwork, and watching a record spin as you’re listening to the music. For me, those were things I missed even after having an iPod with 10,000 songs in my pocket. And for the younger generation, this vinyl boom is literally their first time having this tangible experience with music. Pretty crazy to think about it that way.
Do you think the vinyl boom varies regionally? Generationally?
Regionally, no. Vinyl has reached everyone everywhere. Some places sooner than others I’d say. Generationally, I’d also say no. At my shop, I’m meeting vinyl enthusiasts of all ages.
Is vinyl collection a rich man's game?
It can be, just like anything else- depends on what you’re hunting for. Overall, vinyl collecting is not exclusive to yacht-owning elitists but is meant for everyone. There’s loads of inexpensive records and stereo gear to do the game justice. When you’re just starting out frequent the cheap bins at your local shop, check thrift stores and flea markets for deals. I will say though, most people are unaware of the startup cost of listening to records. A classic two-channel stereo system involves three components: turntable, amplifier, and pair of speakers. These three parts are vital to listening to records and can cost you around $400 for a robust beginner system. The other cheaper route is an all-in-one suitcase style and those cost around $100. But anyone who plans to really get into collecting it’s worth your time and money to spend a bit more upfront to get a system that sounds good and makes you want to listen to your music on vinyl. It’s no fun buying a new record that costs $30 and when you play it on your system it sounds like a turd.
Why are new vinyls often $30 and more?
Packaging and the vinyl pressing itself. A lot of new records will have nice glossy record sleeves, photo booklets providing info on the group or artist, and other inserts like posters and digital download cards included inside. Many new records might be special colored vinyl. Other times, special anniversary editions of older albums might be made from the original master tapes and remastered on thicker heavier vinyl, all of which increases the cost.
Why are used vinyl's sometime even higher than that?
Used record values depend mostly on two things: how rare is the record and what condition is the sleeve and record itself in. Some used records were only made when they originally came out- these would be more rare and likewise more costly than an album that’s been reissued constantly. As for the condition of the record, just like if you have a BMW car that has tons of miles on it and is a total beater, it’s no longer worth BMW prices. A Beatles record with tons of scratches and a torn cover is no longer worth Beatles prices.
Do you see any other physical format enjoying a boom like vinyl has in the future?
LASERDISC. Kidding. But for reals, VHS. And yes, I collect both.
Do you purchase your own personal records in-store or online mostly?
Mostly in-store. But at some point your collection starts to get full and you’re tryna track down hard to find titles, you start looking online. I couldn’t for the life of me find the 12” single of Barbie Girl by Aqua, so I had to find it on discogs.
Nic Taylor
UP THE CREEK RECORDS
1840 Tice Valley Blvd, Walnut Creek, CA 94595
Nic Taylor
UP THE CREEK RECORDS
1840 Tice Valley Blvd, Walnut Creek, CA 94595
When did you open Up the Creek?
June 1st was our 4 year anniversary, so we are starting to get the hang of how to do this!
On average, do you move more used or new vinyl?
I love new music, and the shop is primarily stocked with new vinyl records. We stock new releases from major artists and lesser known indie artists in a variety of genres. We have a great used section too, and that turns over really quickly, so each week, there are new treasures to be found in there.
If someone is just getting into vinyl, what are a few reasonably priced turntables that won't disappoint?
We sell Audio Technica turntables because they are great quality and look fantastic. The LP 60 is the entry level at $99, and we also sell LP 120, 140 and LP3 turntables that go for $200-$400. Researching a turntable setup online can make your head explode when you see all the different options, so we went for the simplest setup that gets you great sound. All of our turntables have the preamplifier built in and the speakers have the amplifier built in, so all you need is the Turntable and the speakers and you are spinning vinyl.
How would you explain the vinyl boom?
There are so many reasons this format stuck around and is now booming. My theory is that when we all started accessing music through our phones, we lost the personal, human interaction around music. Yes, we now had access every song ever, but when was the last time you asked a friend to scroll through their playlists on their phone? But if you walk into someone’s house and they have records on the shelf, I head straight over and flip through and all of a sudden you are connecting around music. “Cool, you have a Beastie Boys record! Oh man, I saw them live during the Licensed to Ill tour…” and you are off and running. I see it all the time in the shop too. Someone might be looking at a record and another customer comments on it, and all of a sudden two strangers are trading old stories. It is a beautiful way to connect both to the music and the people in your life. And it just sounds better too. There is that!
Do you think the vinyl boom varies regionally? Generationally?
Any time I think I have a handle on it, a customer will come in and blow away my pre-conceived notions. It is super cool that young artists like Girl in Red or Tyler The Creator for example are pressing vinyl that might be aimed at a younger audience, then a young customer will pick that record up and then also grab a John Denver record out of the used bin, so who knows. Music hits so many different emotions whether it is the thrill of discovering something new, a memory of a past time in your own life or a connection to a parent or grand parent. We are really proud that at our shop we make customers from all different generations feel welcome.
Is vinyl collection a rich man's game?
Not at all. Of course, if you are desperately in need of a specific colored vinyl pressing of a specific artist or you only want original Beatles pressings, then you are going to pay a premium for that. However, there is plenty of great music to be found in our $2 used bin, so depending on what you are looking for it can be a fun, affordable hobby.
Why are new vinyls often $30 and more?
I would say the average price in the shop for a new record is around $24. You have to pay the artist, the label, the folks who made the sleeves, the people running the presses, the recording studio, the person who mastered it, and the shop has to pay rent too, so it all adds up. Nowadays too, a lot of folks are going the extra mile on packaging, colored vinyl, or special Mastering techniques like Half-Speed Mastering, and that all demands a premium. I was never really comfortable with the idea of getting music for free, or for a minimal monthly subscription, and we have been hearing a lot lately about how poorly it pays the artists too. I read recently that as far as paying the artist for the music they made, one vinyl record purchase is equal to 312,000 streams of that same album. (https://pitchfork.com/features/article/8993-the-cloud/) Especially this past year when live events were shut down, buying physical product is a great way to support artists so that they can keep making this awesome thing that we love!
Why are used vinyl's sometime even higher than that?
Because of simple supply and demand. With older records, if you are looking for an original pressing of a Rolling Stones record from the UK let’s say, well they only made so many of them back in the day, a lot of those were lost or scratched over the years, a lot ar ein collections and not for sale, so there are only a few available, so the price is high as a result. For newer records, artists often press a certain number on a cool colored vinyl. We love it because those variants are called “Indie Exclusives” and are only available at local independent shops like ours, so it is a way to get folks into the shop rather than just pressing the “buy” button at home. The wonderful and frustrating part is that vinyl is a physical product, so if they press 2000 of the cool pink splatter vinyl version, once they are sold, they are sold, and that’s when the price starts going up. The cool thing is that we do not sell online and we do not increase prices on our new records, so we sometimes have folks find those exclusive ones in the bins at the shop that are sold out everywhere else. A few times, excited customers say, “Oh my gosh, this is $200 online!” and I say, “Well, it is $24.95 here.” There is nothing like connecting a fan to the thing they have been searching for. Treasures!
Do you see any other physical format enjoying a boom like vinyl has in the future?
It has been super fun to see cassettes make a comeback. A lot of smaller bands are making cassettes in part because the vinyl boom has flooded the pressing plants. In the old days, if you were a punk band and wanted to press a 7”, they would go wake up the dude who worked the press and you could get them for .50 cents each and sell them at your shows. Nowadays, because the pressing plants are all backlogged, it is more expensive and it might be a 6 month wait time before they can press your record, so the upfront cost for artists is much higher, but you can make a cassette at home, so it has become a more cost effective way for artists and fans to have a physical product.
How would you describe your relationship to the local music scene?
Whenever I travel somewhere new, I like to find a local record shop and ask them for a recommendation of a local artist to buy and bring home. It is a really cool way to remember a place, so we do the same in our shop. We carry a bunch of local artists in the shop and I always enjoy sending someone home with a Muncie, Desiree Cannon, or The Sandwitches record. Also, before pressing Pause a year or so ago, we had live music in the shop almost every Saturday. We started it as an occasional thing, but word spread really quickly that there was a spot folks could play their original music in a record shop at a nice sane hour when your parents and friends might want to show up and not get beer spilled on them, and we quickly had folks signing up to play every Saturday. From folk to electronic, punk, hip-hop and metal bands, we had them all. We would pass the hat for the band and everyone went home happy. Man, talking about this is making me miss the live music so much, but we will get back to it at some point. Not sure I’m quite ready to pack the shop with folks for an event yet, but we’ll see.
Collector: Rob Ferrier
Collector: Rob Ferrier
interview with Rob Ferrier, local record enthusiast
How many records do you have in your collection?
LPs-About 2400. Probably another couple hundred 7 inches.
At what point did you really start getting into record collecting?
Probably when I got deep into free jazz. Most of that stuff was never available on any other format. If I wanted to hear it, I had to go find the record.
Do you purchase most of your vinyl online or in-person?
In-person by far. I do order stuff I simply can’t get around here. Spend a lot of time of Bandcamp.
What do you suppose is the driving force behind the vinyl boom?
This has been talked about to death, but I think young people are curious about physical media, and people our age are either pursuing nostalgia, or have a lot of money and too little to do with it.
Is there anything unique about our region regarding record hunting?
Definitely. The available pool of records in local stores is dependent on what people were buying twenty or thirty years ago. Smart, curious people buy great records. There are a ton of colleges here and an ever-churning base of young people who will eventually move and will drop their heavier stuff off at Goodwill or Amoeba. The area has tremendous ethnic diversity as well. That leads to a lot of different genres selling well. This is a used record paradise.
Have you made purchases at Tone Army, Up the Creek, Half-Priced, and Rasputin in recent years?
All of them. Not so much at Half-Price since they moved. Rasputin is very hit and miss. Up the Creek caters to a demographic that isn’t me. But I still buy things on occasion because they’re nice guys. Tone Army is by far the best store this side of Paklsnd.
Is record collecting a "rich man's game"?
Sometimes. You don’t find kids buying deep-groove Blue Note records. The good thing is that rich collectors aren’t digging at Goodwill. They’re buying the records I don’t want on Discogs to fund my habit. If you’re willing to dig and you can open your ears to a lot of sounds, anyone can build a great collection.
Do you collect any records exclusively for their value?
No. Not into special colors, etc. I buy what I want to hear. Sometimes that stuff is expensive. But I’ve never bought a record as an investment.
Do you know of any active local musicians who have records for sale?
Not to Concord. I have bought vinyl releases by artists from the City and Oakland.
How many records do you listen to any given day?
I listen to records every day. At least three or four, sometimes ten to fifteen if I’m working from home.
Band: Radiokeys
Band: Radiokeys
interview with Stewart Patrick of Radiokeys (last on the right in photo)
Why did Radiokeys decide to cut a vinyl record?
We are ourselves huge collectors of vinyls and love the medium. With streaming services today the experience of listening to an entire album front to back with the song order being as the artist intended is somewhat lost. That's something that we grew up with! Listening to Sgt. Pepper, Zeppelin IV, Paranoid... those records changed our lives and what's magical about them is the journey from one song to the next. A record can be like a movie or book but with streaming services today it would be like reading one good chapter over and over or watching a couple scenes out of order. With vinyl you gain an appreciation for songs that may not have jumped out at you at first because you sit through all of the songs since it's a pain in the ass to move the record needle, so let it play! We also wanted to have physical copies that felt nostalgic... It's been a dream of ours for a long time to have our own vinyl, and it felt more hip than CDs.
Why is producing a record so expensive?
In terms of pressing it and all of the costs of physically making an order of vinyl records I'm not so sure what the cost factors are other than parts and labor, but with the creative and recording process it doesn't have to be! Some great records were recorded relatively Inexpensively if you take a DIY approach (although the hardware and software can come at their own cost!) I personally have a lot of the tools that were needed to edit and mix the raw files so we saved a bit of money on the editing and overdub processes. Like any quality product you get what you pay for so spending the money on the right recording studio is a huge factor because they have quality gear, space, and personnel to help your recordings shine. We used Prairie Sun Studios and Nate Nauseda was our mix engineer. It was a magical experience!
Do you use a vendor to sell your records or is it a DIT effort to get them into local record shops in the East Bay (and beyond?)?
It's a little bit of everything! We sell them on our website first and foremost to avoid fees from secondhand sites and stores but we have partnered with a few local record stores like Tone Army Records. The pandemic definitely hurt our sales with the economy slumping and us not being able to play live. The few shows we have been able to play since the release of our vinyls we've sold quite a few! I think a full schedule of touring would tip the scales in our favor.
Are there any plans to offer other physical formats for future releases?
It's tough to say, we were able to finance this record with proceeds that we've earned from live shows so its cost wasn't felt as heavily as if we were digging into our personal bank accounts. I would hope that we release another vinyl for our upcoming record but we're still bouncing back from the first one!
At this point, has the investment paid for itself?
With the pandemic we've been unable to play live and that environment is where we sell the most records. When the band starts getting out there again later this year I have no doubt we can earn it back and more. We are close, and once we hit a certain threshold it will be a great profit margin... we just have to keep hustling!
Would you recommend that (good) local bands consider pressing to vinyl?
If you have a product that you're proud of and you can afford it I would recommend it! Always bet on yourself if you're working as hard as you can. Just be sure to go through a scrupulous vendor. We definitely had some issues with our vendor and would not go through them again. Make sure all of the fees are transparent and that the production deadline is set in stone.
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