For Lex – aka @lexfortherecord – it all started with a crush on a record. When Harry Styles released his solo debut, it sparked her inner fangirl and opened the door to a whole new world: record collecting. Since then, vinyl has become more than a hobby; it’s how she connects to music, memory, and a tight-knit online community that feels like home. We caught up to talk crate digs, favourite pressings, and the album that started it all.
How did you get into record collecting?
I owe it all to Harry Styles’ debut solo album. Something about that album reignited the fangirl in me and I remember on a random day passing by the record section of a Target and seeing the album on the shelf. I stopped and picked it up for a moment, but then moved on because I didn’t have a turntable at the time. I remember not being able to stop thinking about it for days… just how cool it would be to own and listen to the album that way. I ended up getting a turntable and a copy of the album for my 18th birthday a few months later!
“I get to have this little library full of music that tells the story of my life over the years.”
What is it about vinyl that you love most?
I would say the visual aspects. I love being able to see the album art on such a large scale and watching the record spin. I always have at least nine albums displayed on my wall that I rotate monthly. It’s like I have my own personal, ever-changing art gallery right at home. It all makes me appreciate the music even more. Even if I’m not looking directly at the album art, I love to see my collection as a whole sitting in the storage cubes. I get to have this little library full of music that tells the story of my life over the years. Each record coincides with a certain time in my life and says something about that time, like, “these albums get me through the bad days” or “I played this album after this really great thing happened to me.”
How long have you been sharing your collection on social media, and what made you start?
I’ve been sharing my collection online since 2022, so three years. I started because I had all this passion and so many thoughts about music/collecting and not a whole lot of people around me who I could share it with or who could relate to it. I was like “even if nobody follows me and this is a total flop, at least I can still feel like I’m getting these thoughts out somewhere.” I had no idea there was this entire online vinyl community, and I was discovered and welcomed instantly. It was such a nice surprise for teenage Lex.
What’s your favourite thing about the vinyl community there?
Oh there’s so many things. But I would have to say my most favourite is how supportive, kind, and genuine everyone is. I have never felt more welcomed and supported in my entire life. This is just one example, but this past October, I lost my very beloved cat Spooky who I shared a lot on my page. I still haven’t gotten over all the kind and heartfelt messages and comments I received from the vinyl community during such a terrible time. People even played their favorite Halloween records in his honor, sharing it on their story and tagging me. Because of the vinyl community, my beautiful best friend was honoured by people all around the world. That’s real stuff right there. I always share this example to anyone who tries to say the internet is only a bad place.
What’s the most prized record in your collection?
My signed copy of Luke Hemmings’ When Facing the Things We Turn Away From. I guess I have a thing for solo debuts from artists in popular boy bands haha. It’s signed in silver marker directly on the jacket, which I think is just the coolest, and it’s pressed on a beautiful translucent blue vinyl. It’s also an incredible album from start to finish that I love with my entire heart. I think it perfectly encapsulates being in your twenties.
What’s your go-to crate digging spot?
Again, there’s SO many. I love Mia’s MarketPlace in Hendersonville, NC, Mojo’s Island Records in Hilton Island, SC, and BJ’s Music in Spartanburg, SC, but I would say my go-to is Horizon Records in Greenville, SC. I’ve found some of my favorite albums and pressings there, and they have the best pre-loved bins I’ve ever looked through. I could spend an hour or two looking through them, and I do.
Follow Lex’s record collecting journey over on Instagram and TikTok.
