Behind The Counter Returns for a Fifth Series: Watch Now

We are delighted to share the return of our collaborative video series with Record Store Day and Classic Album Sundays: Behind The Counter.

Behind The Counter celebrates the unique culture and heritage of independent record stores by taking the viewer on a behind-the-scenes tour of much-loved record shops across the UK.

Throughout the series, we speak with the dedicated owners and staff in these stores, delving into their passion for music – be it listening to it or helping others discover their future favourites – how their record stores impact the local communities and more. This 8-part fifth series will run weekly leading up to Record Store Day on 20th April 2024.

As the resurgence of vinyl culture shows no signs of slowing down, with more and more record stores opening each year, Behind The Counter offers a snapshot of how this passion for collecting records and hanging out at your local record store with like-minded music lovers continues to grow.

From the likes of Vinyl Van in Dorchester, which began life as a record store selling vinyl out of a van, to Tough Love in St Leonards, which champions safe spaces for women to enjoy music, the series uncovers the magic behind every door of the treasured record shops of the UK. 

Vinyl Van, Dorchester

Vinyl Van started its journey as a record shop when Marcia, the store’s owner, began selling records out of a van at festivals. Now that the name has some context, Vinyl Van is based in Dorchester, where it’s celebrated for its excellent selection of vinyl, open deck nights, live shows and authentic community of music lovers. One of Marcia’s favourite things about running the record shop is that it helps bring together a diverse range of people from different walks of life who all have one thing in common – a passion for music. 

Hey Joe, Brentwood

Born into the record store game, Marc from Hey Joe spent his childhood hanging out at his parents’ record shops, Sgt Peppers, in the 80s and 90s. Fast forward to just after Marc receives his A-Level results, and he secured his first job working in HMV. Now, he runs Hey Joe Music and Coffee in Brentwood – a record store of his own where his partner and recently retired dad help out with the day-to-day activities. Although he’s got his own set of musical tastes, Marc gets a lot of inspiration for his listening from the customers who visit his shop.

Tough Love, St Leonards

Anja, the owner of Tough Love, has always been passionate about music, having worked at a recording studio in Willesden as well as Cyber Dog in Camden in her twenties. She set up her record store in St Leonard’s to escape the London life, but also to create a space for women who love music to feel safe in. Rock and Metal are at the core of Tough Love’s extensive vinyl offerings; however, it’s championed for its wealth of left-field music from many different genres.

Dreamhouse, Leyton

Having always loved visiting record shops as a teenager, John, who heads up Dreamhouse in Leyton, has transformed his passion for music into a career. Initially, when opening the shop, he wanted the records to reflect his tastes in music. But, over the years, Dreamhouse’s selection of vinyl and music media has evolved to cater to its loyal customer base as well. A place where people can come and discuss music, hang out and feel free to explore new sounds is what John loves about record stores, and at Dreamhouse, that’s certainly what you get.