“I was a late bloomer when it came to vinyl.”
“My parents had a fairly large vinyl collection, but their medium of choice was CD so that ended up being the most accessible music in the house growing up. I didn’t realize how different vinyl was until I’d moved out. In fact, I had already been making music for some time when I finally had my first taste of acetate.
The first record I really sunk my teeth into was a newer Paul Simon release—my girlfriend at the time and I had come into owning her family’s old record player, amp and speakers. A band mate had given me So Beautiful or So What for my birthday and it was my first foray into listening to music, one side at a time. I instantly loved that it was the activity, it wasn’t something that you just put on in the background. For 20 minutes at a time you were captive to this warm sound and spinning record. No fast forward, no skipping songs.
From there it was Springsteen, Bob Segar, Tom Petty and then in 2016 I had to opportunity to press my music on vinyl for the first time. I loved that experience too, listening to the master, the test pressings and then having this amazing physical copy of the record—felt like an accomplishment. We pressed 500 numbered and signed copies on that first run. Will be pressing my upcoming release Love Valley in the same way, and I’m looking forward to my first listen of that in October.
My most recent vinyl purchase was the I,I Bon Iver record. It’s definitely some of my favourite work of his to date. I also love what he and Jagjaguwar did with the packaging. The artwork is great, and there’s so much to look at while sitting on the coffee table listening to the record. My set up is slightly different now, a newer player through a Sonos speaker but the feeling remains. Such a calm way to listen to music, and in my opinion the best way to really take it in. Such warm sound, one side at a time.”
—Michael Bernard Fitzgerald
“Our River,” the new single from Michael Bernard Fitzgerald is in stores now. Love Valley, the upcoming full-length release, arrives in stores on October 9, 2020. Pre-order the vinyl right here.
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PHOTO: BROCK MITCHELL
