Music independents are making a comeback

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I wrote this column on Independent Record Store Day, an annual event celebrating the joy of musical discovery in just such an establishment near you.

This year I’ve taken a particular interest, as a minor financial supporter of the movie Last Shop Standing. Due for release this autumn, it charts the rise and fall and the rise again of small record stores in the UK.

Their very name harks back to the days when music was by default served on platters of shiny vinyl, encased in packaging that was a visual merchandiser’s dream. It was long before such wonders as cassettes, CDs and MP3s were even a binary twinkle in a boffin’s eye.

Ultimately the music industry proved seductively suited to online channels and once the principle had achieved critical mass with consumers, the writing was on the wall.

That shift in behaviour dealt a death blow even to such behemoths as Tower Records, Zavvi and of course Virgin, which ironically started as a mail order company itself.

Indies were also pushed to the verge of extinction, with 540 of them closing in the space of four years. Thankfully those that remain are experiencing something of a comeback.

One reason may be the current renaissance of vinyl, but moreover they owe their survival to the provision of an authentic and engaging shopping experience that has remained beyond the reach of chain stores and the internet.

The quirky environments they thrive in are anathema to the slick operations of superstores. Giants like HMV may have started with an enthusiast’s ethos, but inevitably fell victim to the imperatives of scale and became soulless.

Conversely the indies, through necessity, remained specialist, eclectic and niche, sharing an enduring passion and understanding of the product with their customers. As many a jaded music lover will attest, this isn’t something you’ll find on iTunes.

It’s an encouraging example of how resourceful independents have found a refuge in the retail landscape that remains unassailable to big business. That’s something that makes me smile from one musical ear to the other.