Since it was first opened by Henry Spiller in 1894, generations of Cardiff’s music lovers have fallen under the spell of local record shop, Spillers. Originally located in the original Queens Arcade, Spiller sold recordings on wax cylinders, examples of which are still in the store today, as well as gramophones and various musical instruments.
The creation of Record Store Day over a decade ago, along with the explosion in vinyl record sales, has rekindled the enthusiasm for independent music stores, “It’s huge!” exclaims owner Ashli Todd, “This year we had the huge honour of Lauren Laverne broadcasting her Friday morning show for BBC 6 Music live from the shop, which is the most surreal thing I can remember ever happening in the store in my time here.”
“It’s often reported how difficult it is trading on the high street at the moment, but the arcades are full of independent businesses who are really passionate about what they do. It’s great to part featured in the Top 10 and I hope this campaign has piqued people’s interest to come and explore and see what we have to offer.”