Diverse Vinyl is a

record store A record shop or record store is a retail outlet that sells recorded music. Per the name, in the late 19th century and the early 20th century, record shops only sold gramophone records. But over the course of the 20th century, record shops sol ...

and

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

based in

Newport, Wales Newport ( ) is a city and Principal areas of Wales, county borough in Wales, situated on the River Usk close to its confluence with the Severn Estuary, northeast of Cardiff. The population grew considerably between the 2011 and the 2021 Unit ...

. It is the UK's largest retailer of new vinyl records.

History

It was established in 1995 by Paul Hawkins. Having opened as an LP mail order department, "a time when vinyl was in its darkest days". Hawkins has described being (at the time) one of the only South Wales record stores with a wide enough range of vinyl records, with only

Spillers Records Spillers Records, established in 1894, is recognised as the worlds oldest record shop. History Spillers was founded in 1894 by Henry Spiller at its original location in Queens Arcade, where the shop specialised in the sale of phonographs, wax p ...

in Cardiff (the oldest surviving store in the world) serving for regional competition. During the period, similar businesses including

Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis, who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and ...

faced closure, with the growth of CD and later digital audio rendering vinyl recordings expensive and inefficient.

Modern era

In 2002, the store started its independent record label, Diverse Records, which has gone on to release over 50 records, including the first vinyl printing of an

Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer, fiddler and music producer. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of eight and recording for the first time at ...

record, as well as popular bands including Idlewild and modern names like

Laura Marling Laura Beatrice Marling (born 1 February 1990) is an English Folk music, folk singer-songwriter. She won the Brit Award for Brit Award for British Female Solo Artist, Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards and was nominated for th ...

. In recent years, the store has enjoyed a revival, along with the 2000s

vinyl revival The vinyl revival, also known as the vinyl resurgence, is the renewed interest and increased sales of vinyl records, or gramophone records, that has been taking place in the music industry. Beginning in 2007, vinyl records experienced renewed po ...

. The store and others has been particularly helped by the establishment of

Record Store Day Record Store Day is a semi-annual event established in 2008 to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". Held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together f ...

, which has brought attention, business, and events to local record stores across the UK. In April 2019, the business re-launched its website, which has served as one of the largest online retailers of LPs. The same month, for

2019 the store enjoyed queues of 80 people before opening, as people travelled from around the UK to the city. Music was performed both at the store as well as live venues across the city, from The Murenger, Tiny Rebel Urban Taphouse, Newport Market's Gallery Space, Le Public Space, McCann's Rock 'n' Ale Bar, and Slipping Jimmy's.

Artists

Acts published by Diverse Records include: *

Adrian Sherwood Adrian Maxwell Sherwood (born 20 January 1958) is an English record producer specialising in the genre of dub music. He has created a distinctive production style based on the application of dub effects and dub mixing techniques to other forms ...

* Amy Duncan *

Carrie Rodriguez Carrie Luz Rodriguez (born July 31, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter and the daughter of Texan singer-songwriter David Rodriguez and Texas painter Katy Nail, and is the granddaughter of prolific Texas essayist Frances Nail. She sings and ...

Chuck Prophet Charles William Prophet (born June 28, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. A Californian, Prophet first achieved notice in the American psychedelic/desert rock group Green on Red, with whom he toured and reco ...

Cowboy Junkies Cowboy Junkies are an alternative country and folk rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1985 by Alan Anton (bassist), Michael Timmins (songwriter, guitarist), Peter Timmins (drummer) and Margo Timmins (vocalist). The three Timminses ...

Daniel Lanois Daniel Roland Lanois ( , ; born September 19, 1951) is a Canadian record producer and musician. He has produced albums by artists including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, and Harold Budd ...

Danny and the Champions of the World Danny and the Champions of the World are a heartland rock and soul band. Formed in London during the summer of 2007 by Danny George Wilson, the band have since released seven studio albums and two live albums. The band's name is an allusion t ...

* Dolly Varden *

Eddi Reader Sadenia "Eddi" Reader Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 29 August 1959) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as the lead vocalist of the Folk music, folk and soft rock band Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo caree ...

Eleanor McEvoy Eleanor McEvoy (born 22 January 1967) is an Irish singer-songwriter. She composed the song "Only a Woman's Heart", title track of '' A Woman's Heart'', the best-selling Irish album in Irish history. Early life and beginnings McEvoy's life as ...

Fionn Regan Fionn Regan (born 1981) is an Irish folk musician and singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Bray, Regan came to prominence with the release of his debut studio album, '' The End of History'' in 2006. He had been releasing extended plays for si ...

Georgia Ruth Georgia Ruth Williams (born 5 January 1988) is a Welsh singer-songwriter and harpist. She sings in both English and Welsh. Early life Williams was born in Llantwit Major in South Wales. At the age of four she moved with her family to Aberystwy ...

Gretchen Peters Gretchen Peters is an American singer and songwriter. Early life Peters was born in Bronxville, New York on November 14, 1957. She wrote her first song with her sister at the age of 5. In 1970, her parents broke up, and Peters moved with her ...

Heartworn Highways ''Heartworn Highways'' is a documentary film by James Szalapski whose vision captured some of the founders of the Outlaw Country movement in Texas and Tennessee in the last weeks of 1975 and the first weeks of 1976.AllMovie entry for Heartworn H ...

* Idlewild *

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...

Kris Drever Kris Drever (born 31 October 1978) is a Scottish contemporary folk musician and songwriter who came to prominence in 2006 with the release of his debut solo album, ''Black Water''. Drever is the vocalist and guitarist of the folk trio Lau with ...

* Lau *

Loudon Wainwright III Loudon Snowden Wainwright III (born September 5, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, and six compilations. Some of his best-known songs include "The Swimmin ...

* Mark Olson *

Paper Aeroplanes Paper Aeroplanes were a Welsh alternative pop band founded in 2009 (when they changed their name from Halflight) by Sarah Howells and Richard Llewellyn, although both members had played together in Halflight since 2003. The band built up a fa ...

Polly Paulusma Polly Paulusma (born 10 November 1976) is an English singer-songwriter. Career Paulusma's first album, ''Scissors in my Pocket'', was largely recorded and produced by herself at her home. Her second album, ''Cosmic Rosy Spine Kites'' (an anag ...

Richard Thompson Richard Thompson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Richard Thompson (animator) (1914–1998), Warner Bros. cartoon animator in the 1950s * Richard Thompson (cartoonist) (1957–2016), cartoonist who also worked as an illustrator * Richard Tho ...

Richmond Fontaine Richmond Fontaine was an American four-piece rock and alternative country band, based in Portland, Oregon. They were active between 1994 and 2016 and recorded eleven studio albums, four live albums and two EPs. Underpinned by lead singer and so ...

Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. Over the course of a career that spans five decades and 15 studio albums, she has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, pop, soul, an ...

* Roddy Woomble *

Ron Sexsmith Ronald Eldon Sexsmith (born January 8, 1964) is a Canadian singer-songwriter from St. Catharines, Ontario. He was the songwriter of the year at the 2005 Juno Awards. He began releasing recordings of his own material in 1985 at age 21, and has ...

Simone Felice Simone Felice was a 17th-century Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian King ...

The Boo Radleys The Boo Radleys are an English alternative rock band who were associated with the shoegazing and Britpop movements in the 1990s. They originally formed in Wallasey, England, in 1988, with singer/guitarist Simon "Sice" Rowbottom, guitarist/songwr ...

The Webb Sisters The Webb Sisters are an English musical duo comprising the siblings Charley and Hattie Webb from Kent, England. They were backing singers for Leonard Cohen from 2008 to 2014 and for Tom Petty in 2017. They also appear on Sting's album '' If o ...

* The Duke & The King * Dr John & The Lower 911 * Frank Black & The Catholics

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Culture in Newport, Wales Landmarks in Newport, Wales Music venues in Newport, Wales Record labels established in 2002 Alternative rock record labels Indie rock record labels British independent record labels

History

Modern era

Artists

See also

References

External links