Pop Recs Ltd isn’t your average record shop. It’s owned by a band, for starters: Mackem darlings Frankie and the Heartstrings. Earlier this month Frankie Francis eagerly talked about the the store’s opening. ‘I love records, and to be able to become part of that community of people who sell records in the UK is exciting and in some way a bit of an honour,’ he said.
Pop Recs wasn’t meant to stay open for business this long. But it’s become more than a fleeting passion for Frankie and co. While balancing touring duties with overseeing the ins-and-outs of the store, they’ve managed to do more than keep the Sunderland residency afloat. Here’s Frankie’s latest update on all things Pop Recs Ltd. Catch up with his first, second and third entries.
So, what’s happened since you last heard from us? Well we’ve just been really busy busting our balls doing something that we believe in. When you’re this heavily involved in something day in day out it’s hard to stand back and appreciate what’s going on.
We played a couple of festivals since we spoke last so we had to get our families and friends to mind the stall in our absence. It’s only when I was away doing a gig that I realised the importance of what we are doing here. While other bands talk of waiting for the next gig to come along, or have been writing at home in their underpants for 6 months (I can relate to that as I do that to) but to say that we have to rush back because of the responsibility that the shop brings us makes me feel that we are really trying to make a difference. Not just just for us, but for everyone involved in music, from band to fan to record label boss.
We are by no means the richest band in the world but if the five idiots that make up FATH’s can do this, why aren’t others? The shop has become a necessity to us, and the feedback from the community has inspired us to continue working hard to make it a success.
The space has become the place where young North East bands want to come and play their first gigs. This is what happened 2 weeks ago with a young Sunderland band called Silk playing their first show in the shop, and we have others booked in for the future. Manchester’s Twisted Wheel swung by for an instore last Friday after hearing about our project and wanted to play on there way between gigs.
This week we host the Little Comets and music industry legend Geoff Travis will be in conversation with an audience on Thursday. Other than the daily in and outs of the records, old and new, and the coffee machine breaking and being fixed a few times, you’re pretty much up to speed.
Here’s a trusty Spotify playlist, featuring all the songs Frankie and co. have been playing at Pop Recs Ltd.
Featuring Yard Act, Death Cab For Cutie, Graham Coxon, Maisie Peters and more.