Aussie Artists Open Up About What Vinyl Records Mean To Them
We hear from Paul Dempsey, Meg Mac and Birds Of Tokyo's Adam Weston about the format's revival
Even in a world of streaming services, digital downloads, and more music formats than you can shake a stick at, the humble vinyl record is as popular as ever, if not more so.
Spurred on by nostalgia, romance, good old-fashioned tangibility and the mystical 'warmth' that pervades a quality LP pressing, the ol' black wax is in the midst of an unarguable renaissance. So, we touched base with three Aussie artists — Paul Dempsey, Meg Mac and Birds Of Tokyo skinsman Adam Weston — who currently, or soon will, have new releases out on vinyl to find out what attracts them to classic records to this day.
Paul Dempsey (Solo artist/Something For Kate)
Paul, what does vinyl mean to you, and why do you love it?
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I love the way you have to interact with vinyl and take care of it and go to a little bit of extra effort to put a record on the player and move the needle and change sides. It forces the listener into a physical, tactile relationship with the music they are about to enjoy. It’s a little like a Japanese tea ceremony; it ain’t just throwing a tea bag in a cup!
What’s your all-time favourite LP and/or cover art?
There are simply too many to mention so right now, I’m going to say Iron Maiden’s Powerslave. Blew my little mind as a kid.
What LP is the soundtrack to your childhood and what memories does it conjure up?
I really thrashed And Justice for All by Metallica for years. I reminds me of living on the Gold Coast, riding to the beach with friends. Trying to play the songs with friends in my first bands.
What was the first LP you ever bought and why?
I think it was Sesame Street Fever and the reasons should be obvious!
Did you have a record player in the house as a child?
We had a huge unit in our lounge room with built-in speakers and everything. I remember when my mum came home with the first pressing of her album A Touch of Ireland and how exciting it was to hear my mum singing on our home record player!
Adam Weston (Birds Of Tokyo)
Adam, tell us what vinyl means to you and why do you love it?
Taking a record out of its sleeve and putting the needle down trumps any other format in the process of playing music. A record collection can read like an autobiography; it speaks volumes.
What’s your all-time favourite LP and/or cover art?
Neko Case — Middle Cyclone. All vinyl looks badass.
What LP is the soundtrack to your childhood and what memories does it conjure up?
Elvis Presley — Live At Madison Square Garden. Whenever I hear the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey anywhere, I can't help but hear the crackling of the pre-roll before the concert intro begins!
What was the first LP you ever bought and why?
The first LPs I got were presents like Ghostbusters, Jive Bunny and Shakin' Stevens, but with my pocket money it was Roxette — Joyride, closely followed by Midnight Oil — Blue Sky Mining. Phew! I didn't own a CD player until 1995!
Did you have a record player in the house as a child?
Yep, I’ve always had a record player; currently have six! I have a 1910 upright phonograph and a '60s HMV cabinet, but need to fix one channel on a PM350 amp on my parents '81 gold Marantz (help!).
Meg Mac
So, Meg, share with us what does vinyl means to you, and why do you love it?
I only just started getting into vinyl and bought my first record player recently. I think, because it is before my time, the whole idea of vinyl has been romanticised. I like the style of it all, holding it, the large artworks. Listening to a record is a very different experience to how most of us listen to music now. You listen to the whole album, you can’t skip tracks. It’s something that doesn’t happen now so it has become special.
What’s your all-time favourite LP and/or cover art?
I love the Patti Smith — Horses cover. It is so simple and striking; I can put it on my wall.
What LP is the soundtrack to your childhood and what memories does it conjure up?
I have a lot of memories of my dad playing Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. He would lie down on the floor in a dark room and have the music playing so loud and he would just lie there - it wasn’t background music, he was just listening. So, I always knew that music was important, special and almost sacred to my dad.
What was the first LP you ever bought and why?
I bought myself a Sam Cooke record on the same day I bought my first record player. He is one of my favourite artists and I don’t know why I always thought the first record I would buy would be Sam Cooke. I liked the whole idea of it.
Did you have a record player in the house as a child?
My dad has a record player and I just found out that he used to be a bit of a DJ in London in his time. He always talks about this big vinyl collection he had to leave behind when he moved to Australia.
Paul Dempsey's newest full-length, Strange Loop, is available now, as is a limited-edition 2LP version of the release.
Birds Of Tokyo's most recent album, Brace, is out now.
Meg Mac's new album, Low Blows, will be released on Friday 14 July.
All three can (or will be able to) be purchased via online vinyl retailer The Sound Of Vinyl.
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