“I don’t think I realised exactly what vinyl would mean to people when I was growing up.”
“My parents and older brother both had large collections and I would play about with them like they were toys. Inevitably at some point I would experience the wrath of my Dad or brother when they came home to find their vinyl collections scattered around. “Pfft, they’re only records,” would be my stock answer, which is a bit hypocritical considering I would now spill blood if anyone ruined my music collection.
I spent a lot of time raking through record drawers and cases picking out albums I hadn’t listened to, and I always remember the feeling of finding something new and wanting to repeat it over and over; a habit which I still have to this day. I can get quite obsessive when I hear an album I like for the first time and will play it to death for weeks without listening to anything else. Radiohead’s OK Computer, Jeff Buckley’s Grace, Takk by Sigur Ros and The National’s High Violet have all got this treatment over the years.
I think this probably came from being a kid and hearing The Smiths, Talking Heads, New Order, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, and Fleetwood Mac for the first time and then sticking them back on once I got to the end of each album. It’s a nice thought that playing these records may have created a bit of a spark with me in music and resulted in me learning to play instruments and ultimately being a part of Alphas.
In an age of downloads and purchasing single tracks I really hope there will always be a place for albums. Alphas are releasing our debut full length A New Fire this September, and while we will follow the trend of having it available online and on CD, it will without doubt have a limited edition pressing on vinyl. Even if nobody buys them there is still a prestige to having your album on this format and something that will at least sit on my mantelpiece with pride.
To be fair, I probably owe my Dad and brother free copies as well due to the records of theirs I scratched as a kid.”
—Andy Kite, bass
Alphas’ “Waves” is out now via AlphaBravoCharlie Records.
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