New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Record Store Day UK is very proud to announce that The 1975 are this year's official ambassadors.
Off the back of their fifth consecutive UK number one album, a sell-out world tour and three 2023 Brit Award nominations, the band are poised to fly the flag for the unique culture and heritage of independent record stores and the teams behind the counter who help shape the UK music scene.
As part of their role, the Manchester four-piece will be releasing a live performance with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra on vinyl for the first time on this year's Record Store Day taking place on Saturday April 22nd.
Recorded in 2016, the double LP features tracks from across the band's early career, including 'Somebody Else', 'Chocolate' and 'The Sound'. The release will only be available at participating record stores.
Speaking about the importance of record stores, the band's front-man Matty Healy said: "The guys and I are really proud to be ambassadors for Record Store Day this year. Independent record stores are the lifeblood of the music industry and have played a crucial role in our story so far. It couldn't be more important to support their vital community and culture."
The band, who follow previous ambassadors including the likes of Taylor Swift, Noel Gallagher, The Big Moon and Sir Elton John, are set to champion the passion and dedication of the teams who run record stores all year.
They're no strangers to the culture of record stores, often inspiring music lovers to tap into the joys of collecting vinyl by creating limited edition versions of their albums that can only be found on the shelves of independent shops.
The release of their latest album, Being Funny In A Foreign Language, was accompanied by an exclusive white vinyl made only for record shops and an intimate performance at Kingston's Banquet Records the night before the album release.
Despite only being out since October, the album quickly became one of the best-selling records in the UK in 2022, a year that saw vinyl outselling CDs for first time in 35 years.
Record Store Day is widely credited as one of the driving forces behind the recent vinyl resurgence. Now in its 16th year, the success of the event has sparked a huge turnaround in fortunes for the nation's independent record stores whose unwavering resilience and ingenuity is helping them fight back against the coronavirus pandemic and cost of living crisis.
Meet the team behind the counter at Wax and Beans
Louise Jackson from Wax and Beans based in Bury, just outside the 1975's native Manchester, said: "We can't wait to be taking part in Record Store Day again this year, and to have a Manchester band like the 1975 putting our local musical heritage on the map and celebrating the culture of record shops in this way is fantastic.
"Like all the stores involved in the day, we work incredibly hard all year round to keep our shop thriving as a hub for the music-loving community. Bands like The 1975 are a product of independent music scenes like ours all over the country who back emerging talent, so it feels great to see them championing indie record shops just like ours in such a meaningful way."
Hundreds of shops across the UK will be taking part in Record Store Day on 22nd April. The full list of over 400 official releases for Record Store Day UK 2023 is coming soon.
Live With The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
The 1975's release will be available in three formats: 2xLP clear vinyl in a gatefold packaging, 1xCD and 1xCassette of this never-before released album. It will be available over the counter only, in participating RSD shops, on a first come first served basis from Saturday 22nd April.
Tracklisting:
I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it
Love Me
A Change Of Heart
Somebody Else
Loving Someone
Please Be Naked
Lostmyhead
If I Believe You
Chocolate
The Sound
