This week we’re chatting to Emma Perks, owner of pop-centric record store Spinning Around Records. Find out how Emma turned her passion for record collecting into a successful business, and why it’s important her store is welcoming to all vinyl lovers.
How did you get into record collecting?
I used to collect as a teen when people were getting rid of their collections at car boots dirt cheap as had switched over to CDs. Fast forward to 2015 and realising I’d stopped listening to full albums because of playlists on my iPod, and seeing that more and more was being released on vinyl, I decided I needed a player and to start collecting again.
What is it about vinyl that you love most?
It’s true that you can remember the first record you bought but not the first song you streamed. I love that it’s big and physical, it’s something tangible that you physically interact with… I’m also a sucker for all the coloured presses that we get now, it amazes me what they can do with vinyl.
Tell us more about Spinning Around Records…
I’m very popcentric and want to be welcoming to all – some record stores can be intimidating but I am bright and cheerful and airy.
I do stock a mix of music in store though, and can always order anything in that I’m asked for… never underestimate the pop gal – I had a wide musical education growing up from my older brothers ranging from Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin to Erasure and Deacon Blue to AC/DC and Iron Maiden.
What motivated you to open a record store?
I was being made redundant and was getting an enhanced redundancy package, I realised I could use this to change my lifepath somehow. Being a pop collector, I knew there were a lot of people like me that either couldn’t find the releases they wanted in stores or faced shops only getting a couple of token copies of the pop releases in for Record Store Day so decided to open a pop focused record shop!
“It’s true that you can remember the first record you bought but not the first song you streamed”
What’s the most rewarding thing about being a record store owner?
It’s great to be able to connect with so many likeminded people who share a passion for listening to and collecting vinyl. I’m very unpretentious and say I don’t mind what music anyone buys as long as its being listened to on vinyl, never any judgment from me like I’ve received in the past (the stallholder at a record fair who laughed at me for buying Bananarama: I’m talking to you!).
I also love the joy people get from finding something they love in my store or on my site, I’ve been able to find so many hard to get lines that regular indie/rock stores would ignore.
What’s flying off the shelves right now?
The ladies of pop always sell so well for me: Taylor, Sabrina, Chappell, Ariana etc.
What’s the most prized record in your collection?
Taylor’s Lover Live From Paris was one of them but now it’s had a repress it’s less of a Unicorn now. My other most prized record is my blue Kylie Light Years that I had to drive to Sainsburys at 7am, fresh out of the shower with soaking wet hair, to get. It’s still the only press of that album and knowing it’s pretty irreplaceable means it’s one I’d always take with me if I had a house fire.
Follow Spinning Around Records on Instagram.
