“I grew up in a musical family where everybody would sit around the table and play different instruments and sing along. It was easy and pretty natural for me to want to play around with the tape recorder in the house and record myself.”
“I would always pick the radio instead of the CD player because I liked the analog feeling when I pushed the buttons, switch and listen to different mix tapes I had recorded from the radio. I remember around the living room there were big speakers and a big stereo that we always used for tapes and CDs. On the left side of the stereo there was always a vinyl player that I never really noticed as a kid, because it didn’t work and I didn’t care to investigate.
It was only some years later when I found my dad’s vinyl collection looking through our kitchen’s wooden couch (one you could store stuff in) that my curiosity started. I could see the happiness on my dad’s face when he found me on the floor going through his old treasures. He sat down and told me about them and which ones were his favorites. It was easy to tell because they were pretty worn out. I love that about vinyl; when you can tell by the sleeve that it’s been listened to a lot. It tells a story about the people who own them and it’s a beautiful thing.
I started my first vinyl journey with my dad’s first picks, including Delaney & Bonnie, Otis Redding, Fleetwood Mac, and The Beatles. I went onto buying my own vinyl player and instantly fell in love with the sound of the music the player produced; it was like a filter that made it sound even better I thought.
On my last trip to LA, back in May, I went to Amoeba in Hollywood and went straight to the Country section—I knew I wanted to start off with a classic! I chose between Hank Williams and Emmylou Harris, and picked Hank. I found the Hank Williams Treasury “moderate condition” right in front of me and that felt like a sign. There was not much room left in my suitcase so that’s all I could bring.
Now my mission is to get a new vinyl every time I go back. I like mixing old music with new. I think listening to new music on vinyl is more interesting and feels like a better world there; there’s no skipping forward in a song or quickly switching to the next song. When you listen to vinyl, the music matters and you are able to give the artist a chance.
In my collection, my favorites are a mix between new and old. I love the Drive soundtrack by Kavinsky, I Love You by The Neighborhood, the Hank Williams Treasury and The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. Vinyl is such a beautiful way of releasing music and I can’t wait to release a Violet Days vinyl—I promise you it will be special.”
—Lina Hansson
Violet Days’ forthcoming EP “Made In My Head” arrives in stores September 2018.
