Jenn D’Eugenio is a force in the vinyl world. As Vice President of Gold Rush Vinyl and founder of the nonprofit Women in Vinyl, she’s committed to inciting change in the industry. In this Q&A, Jenn shares her journey from art school to the pressing floor, and how a meme sparked a movement…
How did you get into the vinyl industry?
I’ve always loved music, but I didn’t initially see a clear path into the industry. While I have been a vinyl collector for over 25 years, I was always friends with musicians, but didn’t play instruments myself and wasn’t aware of the various job opportunities available. I ended up going to art college – I graduated and worked as a textile designer for major retailers doing childrenswear design. After getting burnt out on drawing bunnies and bears I became a career adviser for my art college, where I developed a love for higher education, and career advising. However, when record pressing was something that was beginning to thrive again, I saw an opportunity to transition into the vinyl world, combining my design skills and love of helping people, with my passion for music.
What’s your role at Gold Rush? Describe your typical day…
I am the Vice President of Gold Rush Vinyl, one of a handful of women owned pressing plants in the US. My days are filled with lots of emails and spreadsheets, but also the opportunity to see records getting pressed day in and day out as I prefer to sit out of the floor with the team. I plan and coordinate our production schedule, communicate with clients about project specs and help them work those around their timelines and budgets, while guiding a team to ensure that each release meets our quality standards within the client’s timelines. Of course my role also means that I work with the owner Caren to ensure we are meeting financial goals, and brainstorm on how to continue to grow the company in an ever-changing vinyl landscape. So evaluation of vendor pricing, recent tariffs, etc. are also a part of my job. Being trusted through my experience in this field, allows me to contribute to a more inclusive and innovative environment in the vinyl industry.
“Our mission is dedicated to educate, demystify and diversify by empowering women, female-identifying, non-binary, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and other marginalized individuals in the vinyl community”
Women in Vinyl is such a great initiative! Tell us more about it
I founded Women in Vinyl in 2018 after noticing the significant contributions women were making in the vinyl industry, often behind the scenes. I was working at Furnace Record Pressing at the time and Ali who is now the CEO, then VP doing a lot of what I do in my role now. I had never had the opportunity to explore careers in physical media, or mastering, or the various other careers involved in this industry. These STEM focused opportunities were never things high school counselors mentioned. I knew that I wanted to start something to showcase women doing these jobs that we rarely heard about in school, or saw in a collector culture that is very male focused.
At the same time there was a meme going around with a 1950s couple, a man is holding a record and nerding out about the variant, while his wife sits by and knits saying she doesn’t give a s*it. I have over 50 copies of Black Sabbath’s Master of Reality, and am the guy in that photo. Between the above mentioned and this meme I decided to do something.
Women in Vinyl began as a blog and Instagram account to share the stories of the women in these careers and their passion for vinyl. With my love of advising and higher education, I knew if it took off I’d want to someday make it an educational nonprofit. Turns out, other women also felt the same as I did and that blog has evolved into a thriving community, podcast, and nonprofit organization and more. Our mission is dedicated to educate, demystify and diversify by empowering women, female-identifying, non-binary, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and other marginalized individuals in the vinyl community. We now have scholarships and other opportunities due to fantastic partnerships we’ve developed over that time. Our future plans include continuing to expand our educational resources, mentorship programs, and of course highlighting the diverse voices that make up the vinyl industry.
What’s your favourite thing about the vinyl community on Instagram?
I love the sense of community and shared passion for vinyl that Instagram fosters. It’s a platform where collectors, enthusiasts, and industry professionals can connect, share their collections, and support one another. As I’m typing this, I actually just finished the #MayVinylChallenge graphic – a challenge that I’ve been hosting for the past nine years where people in the community suggest ideas and I curate a 31 day post prompt for us all to connect. It’s a wonderful way to make friends, and learn about new music, as well as the people behind the collections.
“I’m so inspired by all the women that we interview for our features, or who volunteer or are a part of our board of directors”
Which women in music inspire you most?
I’m continually inspired by women like Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth), or Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill), and Allison Wolfe (Bratmobile) to name two who led the Riot Grrrl movement, and fought to pave the way for equality in music. And while it may seem like a cop out, if I’m honest, I’m so inspired by all the women that we interview for our features, or who volunteer or are a part of our board of directors. These women’s dedication and passion to start a business, lead change, or volunteer for free for a nonprofit because this cause is so important – and their love of vinyl is such – that they dedicate their life to it, is really what keeps me going when the long hours or day to day business of life start to feel overwhelming. Highlighting these women’s achievements through Women in Vinyl is one way I can give back and honour their contributions.
What’s the most prized record in your collection?
Outside of some records which were passed down from my parents, my Black Sabbath collection is definitely the most prized part of what I own. If I had to choose one, the Japanese Vertigo pressing of Master of Reality with the obi was my white whale for the longest time. That obi, and it being a Japanese pressing, meant that this was always listed for thousands of dollars by second hand sellers which was way out of my price range. I was lucky one day to find a Japanese seller who was so happy for me to find it and add it to my collection, that he gave me a price that was much more reasonable. I’m still very thankful!
What’s your go-to crate digging spot?
I’ve lived all over, and with my husband also being a collector and long-time vinyl DJ we used to travel a lot as well just to visit record stores, so this is a tough one. Here in Austin, my favourite shop is End of an Ear. It’s always got a great used section and their Goth / New Wave and Stoner Rock sections are always stacked.
Some other favourite shops are Mobius Records in Virginia where I’m from, and Easy Street in Seattle where I lived briefly and Graveface in Savannah where I met my husband. I love an indie record store, and one that isn’t too large that you can’t get through it, and one that has a good used section. People should also check out our women owned record store list – as there are so many good indie shops out there.
Learn more about Women in Vinyl and join Jenn’s #MayVinylChallenge throughout this month on Instagram.
