“My first date was in December of 2015 filled with awkward silences, small talk, lingering eye contact and sweaty palms… with my record player.”
“But after the first flip of the vinyl, and onto the next side of Joni Mitchell, I realized the deep love I already had for the static sound coming out of this box on my floor. I fell in love instantly with the grooves and scratches that made each record unique—they had a life of their own before they graced my bedroom.
The angelic, old sound that came from each record became my relaxation in a world of Beats, UE Booms and Alexas. I’ve had many first dates since that and have fallen for old artists and fairly new artists such as Birdy, 1975, Ben Howard, and the classics like Billy Joel and Fleetwood Mac.
I grew up with half of my childhood in sunny California and the other half in cold, windy Chicago so my music has a flare for the dramatics. The sadder the song the better, I say. I want to feel something, and if you can’t make my heart race or make me question my existence, the universe, and everything in between in our first date, you may not be the one for me. Like I said—flare for the dramatics. I love men the way I love my music, mysterious and downright frustrating at times.
I’ve upgraded from my Aztec print Urban Outfitters record player this past winter, to a stunning black one with red velvet on the inside. Needless to say, its sexy. But I will always remember my first date with vinyl, as it was the night I fell in love with artists and albums I’d never had the chance to listen to from start to finish.
It’s an experience like no other, to flip the vinyl to the other side and hear the slight crackle while my cat believes he’s a DJ and continuously puts his paw on the record, stopping and starting the song. It’s a first date every time I buy a new record, put it on and listen intently for every beautiful imperfection and the life the record had before we met.”
—Annika Grace
Annika Grace’s new single, “Anybody Out There” is in stores now.
