Record Low, the one-stop vinyl shop located in the heart of Castlemaine has been there since October 2016 and has provided an institution for record lovers in the area ever since. The shop is located on the main street of Castlemaine, giving way to foot traffic from locals and tourists alike. Stocking everything from CDs and DVDs, to T-shirts and the titular vinyl records, Record Low has been a massive success for owners, Kate and Sach McDonald.
Vinyl brought them together in Manchester, UK in 2007, and has led them along a decade long journey of building Record Low into the only independently owned record store in Castlemaine. Moving from Manchester to Melbourne, and now to Castlemaine, the McDonalds have brought the big city hustle and bustle from both Melbourne CBD and Manchester to the CBD of Castlemaine.
“We’ve been open for almost a year and a half now, so we are getting to know what the vinyl lovers of Castlemaine are into,” Kate explains. “Our best sellers for 2017 have been Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – The French Press, Television – Marquee Moon, Kurt Vile & Courtney Barnett – Lotta Sea Lice, Kendrick Lamar – Damn, Patti Smith – Horses and Anything on Soul Jazz Records!”
Record Low stock a range of vinyl from re-released classic vinyl (Jimi Hendrix Experience, AC/DC) to new releases on vinyl (Daft Punk, Tyler the Creator), with plenty of other items in-between. They also stock new and classic CDs, and DVDs, and t-shirts from classic artists such as the Beach Boys and Neil Young, to Iggy Pop and Lemmy Kilmister.
“We stock all sorts, but we are a small shop, so we have to be careful about not stocking too much of a sub-genre… besides, we can always order anything in special for a customer, as long as it is available,” she says.
Record Low is yet another store in the center of Castlemaine that provides an alternative to the mainstream distributors of media. They join the likes of alternative stores like Corner Store Merchants, a vintage clothes outlet, and Stoneman’s Book Shop, a vintage and new book reseller. All of which provide an amazing itinerary for any Castlemaine tourist, or local interested in an intriguing day out.
“We’ve been so supported by the amazing people of Castlemaine,” she says. “We also have regulars from out of town, people who come to Castlemaine fairly regularly and will pop in and buy from us, which is fantastic!”
Record Low is open Tuesday – Friday: 10am – 3pm and Saturday: 10am – 2pm.
Written by Nick Harrison