The third Saturday of every April is a well-marked date in the diary of every music fan, as thousands make their annual pilgrimage to their local music store for Record Store Day.

 

The idea of Record Store Day was first conceived in 2007 by a group of American independent music store owners as a way of celebrating the culture which surrounds both independent stores as well as record collecting.

 

But the day isn’t just about independent music stores, as many established artists use the event as a springboard for exclusive releases. This year, artists such as Paul Weller, Public Enemy, Nirvana and David Bowie all delivered new or re-released content especially for Record Store Day.

 

For Record Store Day 2014, eight record stores across Edinburgh put on event-filled days, with many more taking part all over Scotland.

 

One of those stores was VoxBox music, located in the Stockbridge area of the Capital. The store laid on an entire day’s worth of entertainment with six artists, including The Pictish Trail and Law, as well as Q&A with Simon Goddard, who will also be reading from his new book Simply Thrilled: The Preposterous Story of Postcard Records, and Ian Rankin.

 

Darren Young, one of the owners of the store, was delighted with how the event went, and hopes it continues to grow in the future:

 

“We had people queueing around the block at half past eight, and we didn’t open until nine, so from a purely commercial standpoint, it was a great day for us.

 

“Of course, I think Ian and Simon probably pulled in a few more people who might not have normally come to this sort of thing, but both of them are big record collectors, so really I don’t think it made much of a difference.

 

“For us it was really all about inspiring new people to buy local and independent, and to give back to those who have supported independent stores in the past."

 

VoxBox music is open from 10:30 - 17:00 seven days a week at 21 St Stephen Street, Stockbridge.