Behind the Counter: How One Conversation Led to Owning a Record Shop

By Imogen Abbott 

The sweet songs of Richmond Records have been serenading the Hawkesbury since the 1980’s, with the store being pivotal to our local music scene. But this year the store is getting some fresh paint, so we would like to welcome to the stage the new owner… Spyda!

Spyda, or Paul, is a retired Police Officer of 32 years, who has always held a passion for music. He said he is still “giggin’ around” and that on a typical Sunday afternoon you can find him playing in a band at a local pub, or writing his own music.

Spyda becoming the owner of the store seems like it was fate. He told us the story of how he and his wife Laney fell in love with the store in early 2023 while adventuring through Richmond… “Laney said ‘oh look at that cool little shop on the corner!’ so we pulled over, walked in, and just fell in love with it”. With his love of a chat, Spyda got talking to the former owner Mark and his son Zac, and even did an interview with them both. Not long after that day the shop went up for sale, so the pair got talking to Mark again and ended up becoming the newest owners.

But, despite new owners, Richmond Records will continue supporting its passions, being both music and the community.

Baditude Rock N Roll is another of Spyda’s projects. It is a media platform for blogs and video interviews, which is now working in collaboration with Richmond Records. The purpose of this collaboration is to “focus on music promotion, especially for the locals. There’s some great bands around here”. To support our local musos, Spyda wants to utilise the outdoor space of the store to set up an area where “local artists could play their guitar for a little while and we can have a sausage sizzle”. He has “big plans but they are small steps”

His goal is for the community, local musicians, and himself to “work together” so that everyone can achieve the shared goal of a positive local music scene.

As mentioned earlier, Spyda has a love for talking to people and hearing the amazing stories they carry. Owning the shop came about from one conversation, and since then he has heard many more interesting stories in store. So, when you go into Richmond Records, make sure you have a great story to share with Spyda.