An Inside Look at Record Store Day Canada 2014

On Saturday, April 19, 2014, many music junkies will wake up early to stand in line out front of their favourite independent record store with the hopes of finding that one glorious treasure that’ll make getting up before a reasonable hour feel worthwhile. This, my friends, is Record Store Day (RSD).

For Tim Baker, Chairman of Record Store Day Canada and Head Buyer at Sunrise Records, this is the last day in an annual months-long journey dedicated to finding ways to get a big, diverse crowd of shoppers into non-corporate record stores and away from iTunes.

Starting in December, Baker, along with the international Chairs of RSD, gather in New York to meet with record labels and management companies to determine what interesting releases can be brought into the fold. For many years, rock bands have dominated the participant list of RSD, but that is beginning to change.

“The last couple of years, we’ve been trying to preach that we needed to broaden our genre mix,” explains Baker less than 36 hours away from the final swing of mayhem. “For the first several years we relied on – and thankfully they were there – rock oriented releases. You [soon] realize every year you’re now preaching to the converted. You really want to start bringing in other people, and that includes those into hip-hop, electronic…one important area we were sorely lacking in was [attracting] real youth.”

This year, admits Baker, RSD will be making a play for that youthful, more pop-oriented demographic, by offering exclusive, limited edition releases from the likes of One Direction and Katy Perry. He expects both to do very well.

“We want kids to come into stores,” he continues. “We want them to buy stuff. We want them to start experiencing the culture of music and what we have to offer. If that means I have to carry a One Direction piece, then I will carry it.”

That said, the RSD bread and butter will still be the rock n’ rollers. This year, Nirvana, Green Day, CCR, David Bowie, and Gordon Lightfoot all have releases in which Baker expects big things from. There’s even a secret 45 in the mix that, once revealed, should soar. Unfortunately, Baker was unable to let Riffyou.com in on what that’ll be.

So what’s really the point of RSD?

Well, for someone like Baker who grew up going to record shops and now holds a pivotal position within the Canadian music retailing business, it’s all about re-directing and/or introducing consumers to visiting stores.

“The whole idea behind Record Store Day is to help the independent record store – not the mass merchants…not the Walmarts, the Targets, or the hmvs,” explains Baker. “It’s all about the people who are in this business for the music.

“Three or four years ago, I could tell you that the majority of vinyl buyers in our stores were definitely an older demographic,” he continues. “Now, it’s the reverse – it is much more youth oriented.”

Let’s not forget about the labels and the artists upon them – of course, they too have much to gain from the growing popularity of RSD.

“They want to encourage people to remain collectors,” offers Baker. “Let’s face it…there really isn’t that much excitement to downloading, is there? You’re not making a connection with the artist.”

In terms of the merchandise that’ll be on-hand, it doesn’t end at the hundreds of special edition music (vinyl, CD, cassette) releases. On these days, stores can arm themselves with such items as a Peanuts-branded turntable, a Nick Cave figurine, and a ton of free promo items that’ll be handed off to customers once they make a purchase. These include – but are not limited to – 10” releases, CD samplers, and bags.

When asked how the 181 stores across Canada registered for RSD get their hands on these items, Baker says it really comes down to just placing an order and seeing what you can get. Not every store can get everything they want, nor can they afford to do so. He explains that most of these music retailers just need to determine what’ll work best for their store.

“It’s going to get to a point where we almost have too much,” says Baker of the amount of product now becoming available to the retailer.

So, what advice does Baker have for those dedicated souls who want to scoop up a ton of cool music and collectibles on Saturday? It’s very simple. Get to the stores early. Sunrise Records locations will open at 8am – that’s the earliest they’re allowed to open. As for other shops and their hours, those will vary.

“You do have to change if you want to survive,” concludes Baker. “Record Store Day has helped people do that – it’s been a shot in the arm and has reinvigorated the business.”

See you out there folks!

-Adam Grant

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