Robert Forster, Mark Gable & Steve Kouta Named As Oz Record Store Day Ambassadors

The first 2017 Australian Record Store Day ambassadors have been announced ahead of the event's 10th annual celebration this April.

Beloved singer-songwriter Robert Forster, fellow vet Mark Gable, and vinyl enthusiast and Instagram identity Steve Kouta will serve as the faces of Record Store Day Down Under.

While, yes, that list skews completely male (although more announcements are due in the coming days), there's no denying that the three selections are nonetheless arguably deserving of the role.

Though they likely don't need any real introduction, Forster is an indelible force in Qld and Australian alt-rock culture as an award-winning songwriter and founding member of The Go-Betweens, while Gable is renowned for his role with seminal Aussie act The Choirboys, who are still touring and releasing music (they've even got a new album in the works).

Even Kouta fits the bill on merit, with a 4000-record-strong collection and over 50,000 followers on the 'gram — as well as experience in the industry, as a one-time salesman for Universal Music Australia — that have seen him settle nicely into the adulation of being a social media star.

It bears mentioning that, internationally, St Vincent is the first female artist to be named as US Record Store Day Ambassador since the role was inaugurated by Jesse Hughes of Eagles Of Death Metal in 2009.

However, Megan Washington broke the mold for Australia in 2012, as did Marcia Hines in 2014, when she was named ambassador along with Dan Sultan, as well as Amber Lawrence in 2015 and Ella Hooper in 2016, so hopefully we'll be seeing more diversity on this year's line-up in the follow-up announcements.

Record Store Day 2017 will be held on Saturday 22 April across more than 170 independent music stores around the country, in addition to celebrations worldwide.

In the interim, get across all things Record Store Day at the event's website.