INTERVIEW: Bald B*tch Beats Record Store

Saltburn-by-the-Sea is renowned for its collection of unique and independent shops and one of the latest to find a home in the beautiful coastal town is Teesside’s newest record store – Bald B*tch Beats. I sat down with owner Matt Reynolds to find out more.

Was there a particular moment or memory that sparked your love of vinyl?
It was practically the only medium when I was younger. I loved rifling through the bargain bins in Woolworths and finding random 7” singles for 10p – I think many of them were ex-jukebox records too. This exposed me to a breadth of electronica including Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Ultravox and a real game changer for me was The Model by Kraftwerk. 12” singles kept me on the vinyl track. Admittedly I had some cassettes, and later grew a sizable CD collection, but during a one year placement out of poly I had a colleague who had a huge vinyl collection and I realised that in order to grow my own I needed to learn how to trade. I owe a lot to my younger brother Ed on this front as he taught me how to grade records. Lockdown saw a huge spike in demand where I saw some success selling online, which gave me the confidence to go for it with my own store.

How did you come up with the name of your store?
My eldest, Bethan, came up with the affectionate nickname of ‘Bald Bitch’ for me and it stuck. This was then officially confirmed when my wife Andrea created our logo.

Which album do you think every collection should have?
Tapestry by Carol King flew under the radar for me but when I heard it, it had a huge impact on me and I believe throughout its exceptional songs there is something for everyone. The songwriting on it is out of this world.

Do you lean more toward classics, hidden gems, or new releases when curating stock?
It is certainly a mix. We’re heading towards a 60/40 split of used and new. The shop is a combination of my tastes but they’re ever-evolving. Recent records by Wet Leg and Pulp have further demonstrated that customers are seeking new and used.

How do you see the role of a record shop in today’s streaming-dominated world?
The main thing for us is community. If we can create even 20% of what Sound it Out became then we’re winning. People want connection and specialist shops provide that – the conversations that pull other customers in and a shared common interest. Outside of algorithms you always have the chance of finding something unexpected in person too.

What’s been the biggest challenge in setting up the store?
Time is the main challenge as I personally still have another job. That said, we’ve been delighted by the number of sellers who have approached us – this is making our lives slightly easier. This is very much a family business and I couldn’t do it without my son Jason and wife Andrea.

What advice would you give someone else thinking about starting a record shop?
I was ruled by fear for years – don’t be. Build it and they will come. Other record shops are very supportive of one another and you will quickly grow your experience with stocking, grading and all other aspects.

What’s the rarest record you’ve ever sold?
Who’s Your Friend by Otis Waygood released in 1977. It still seems to be increasing in value.

If your shop had a ‘house record’ that summed up its vibe, what would it be?
Dare by The Human League.

If you could have any musician (alive or dead) visit the shop, who would it be?
The Beastie Boys – I would have loved to have seen them live.

What album do you play most often when closing up at night?
I don’t have one ‘go to’, but in recent weeks I’ve been playing a lot of Easy Pieces by Lloyd Cole and The Commotions which I hadn’t played for years. But if you ask me again in a few months, my answer will be different. In fact, it will change for a lot of your questions – that’s one of the beauties of owning a record shop, we’re exposed to so much music.

Bald B*tch Beats is located within Creation Station, Victoria Hall, Diamond Street, Saltburn.