Q: Who are you, and when was this record store founded?
A: My name is Vicki Scott, and I founded Verbena Vinyl in 2023 and opened the storefront on Division Street in January of 2024.
Q: What inspired you to create a record store here in Northfield?
A: There were two reasons; the first was that we lost the main buyer/seller of used records — Echo Games — in 2020. The other reason is that I knew this town would do really well supporting a new record store. [It’s] somewhere that you could get current releases that are at least slightly more diverse than box stores offer.
Q: What are some of the events that take place at the store throughout the year?
A: I am a pledged member of Record Store Day (RSD)… this allows me to participate in all RSD-organized events, including Record Store Day, RSD Black Friday, and record release events. There are a number of record release events that happen, including early listening parties, midnight releases, release weekend access, and album anniversaries. I also host local artists’ shows, performances, record release parties, and signing events.
Q: What makes vinyl different from digital music?
A: One of the biggest differences about physical media is that you buy it once and you own it as long as you want. Once you buy a record, you are now the steward of that version of that album. You can share it, frame it, choose to take care of it, sell it, or give it away. When you are in conversation with a piece of media, you start to have an impact on that item. Every time you play it, the grooves slightly [wear], and you might add a scratch that adds a pop in the wax. Now that record is your version of that record. You will always associate how your record sounds with how you were feeling when you last heard that song. Your music collection becomes an extension of your listening experience, rather than an impersonal playlist on a device that will eventually no longer hold a charge.
I know we have all heard the idea that records just “sound better,” and that can also be true. When we stream music through an app, those songs have to be compressed, so you lose a lot of the highs, lows, and depth of the song; for example, you learn after playing the song on record that there are subtle backing vocals that you have never heard on streaming. For this reason, I would suggest starting to collect albums from artists that are important to you, not only to build a personalized collection, but also to connect with that artist’s music in a way that is as close to how they intended it to sound.
Q: What are the biggest challenges in running the shop?
A: Money and time. This town is really good at supporting Verbena. But I am currently the only person running the store. So, I buy the records, wash vintage, price, keep the store stocked, do all the cleaning, plan events, coordinate marketing, et cetera. Another person to help would be wonderful, except people need to be paid for their labor, and, right now, Verbena can only pay for itself. We are growing. The fun challenge of this job is learning all the different tastes of people and purchasing those titles/keeping track of what I have and where it is so that I can get the records to the right person.
Q: How has Record Store Day impacted your business?
A: Record Store Day is a huge day for Verbena Vinyl. Not only is it the biggest day of the year by a large margin, but it also brings a lot of eyes to the store because it is a huge network of independent record stores.
Q: What’s the most rewarding part about owning this store?
A: The most rewarding part of this store is uniting people with a record they are extremely excited to find. I know that they are going to have that record for a really long time, and I hope that they share it with friends and family forever. I also love finding new music through my customers. They are always finding music that they are really excited about, and we get to listen to it together, and I get to carry it in the store so it gets shared even further.
