Behind The Counter Returns for 2025

Record Store Day is proud to announce Robert Plant as the latest recipient of its Record Store Legend award. This accolade recognises Robert Plant’s lasting impact on music around the world, and his ongoing dedication to supporting new artists and record shops, as well as the record store community’s deep admiration for his work. Speaking at Spillers Records, Robert Plant said: “Record stores have always been a part of my life. For me, once you get to the physical record it’s because you really want to know and be a part of what the artist was considering. And I know, as a guy who’s been making records since 1966, people want to take home something very special, to enjoy all the elements of what an artist has put together. We want a connection between the music and the art of the whole thing.” Plant has long been a familiar face in record shops across the UK and beyond, from regular visits to The Groove Records in Stourbridge and 1960s “Chart” shops to check if his first record, ‘You’d Better Run’, was on sale, to a 2020 Q&A with Matt Everitt at Rough Trade East, and now at Spillers Records in Cardiff. His connection to record stores stretches back decades, to his childhood in England and into his years on the road as a musician. Plant was famously photographed crate-digging at Bleecker Bob’s in New York with Jimmy Page in 1970. With countless other visits over the years, record shops remain central to Plant’s musical life, cementing his status as a true Record Store Legend. A special plaque has been unveiled at the world’s oldest record shop, Spillers Records in Cardiff, Wales, recognising Plant’s Legend status, his connection to the shop, its history, and a country that has inspired his songwriting. The installation also highlights his ongoing support for record stores as cultural hubs which champion music and community, inviting fans to visit and share in their own love of music.

Holly Humberstone returns with Cruel World, out April 10th on indie exclusive pearl white vinyl, and selected as Record Store Day’s Album of the Month. It follows on from her 2023 debut with the same honest, close-up songwriting, but this time things feel a little more settled, and a little more sure of themselves. As Holly puts it, “My eleven-year-old self would be buzzing. I think she’d say, ‘You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.’” The album sits in that mid-20s in-between, moving on from people, places and past versions of yourself without everything fully making sense yet. Holly describes it as “shedding old skin,” and that sense of moving on runs through the record. It leans into that in-between stage without overthinking it. As she puts it, “In a world that feels hyperreal and harsh, we wanted to create something fun, detached, nostalgic and magical.” After the past couple of years out on the road, supporting Taylor Swift at Wembley and joining Sam Fender at St. James’ Park, Cruel World feels like the point where it all clicks into place. Written with her band in mind and built for live shows, it’s the sound of an artist settling in, and starting to get her flowers. Holly will also be part of Record Store Day with a limited-edition 7” of Beauty Pageant , featuring the exclusive B-side Annihilation . With the indie exclusive pearl white vinyl landing April 10th and the 7” following a week later on April 18th, it’s a good time to head down to your local indie record sho p - not that you needed a reason to.

FOUR DAYS OF BEERS AND BEATS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Record Store Day x Record Collector – April 2026 Issue

For March, Record Store Day is putting Dermot Kennedy’s The Weight of the Woods in the spotlight as our Album of the Month - a record that feels ripe for some Spring crate-digging in your local indie record shop. The follow-up to Sonder was mostly written and recorded near his rural Irish home with longtime collaborator Gabe Simon (think Noah Kahan and Lana Del Rey energy), with a few sessions in Nashville for a dash of southern magic. Across 14 tracks, Kennedy mixes folk roots, a hint of country, and the soaring melodies that his fans know and love. He calls it “a beautiful homegrown thing with Irish instruments and an Irish story” - and you can hear the quiet influence of the forest behind his house shaping the overall sound. Pre-order the indie-exclusive Transparent Green 2LP with double gatefold jacket, printed inner sleeves featuring lyrics, and bonus tracks Black Water, Happiness, and Deserve - the perfect Spring pick-up from your favourite indie record shop.

Record Store Day UK is proud to announce Olivia Dean as the Official UK Ambassador for 2026. Olivia has been awarded the role as a champion for the culture of independent record shops and the vital role they play within their local communities. Joining the ranks of iconic past ambassadors including Sam Fender, Kate Bush, Taylor Swift, the 1975, Noel Gallagher and Elton John, Olivia is ready to bring her love of vinyl and record shop culture to the 2026 event. Speaking of her ambassador role, Olivia said: “It’s such an honour to be the Record Store Day Ambassador for 2026. Independent record stores are such special spaces to discover and share music - to actually touch it and feel it. I’ve found so much inspiration in the records I’ve collected over the years and am so grateful for all the hidden gems I’ve found. I want to thank the record stores around the world for all the support you’ve given me over the years. It’s so important we continue to support them and keep them alive!”

2026 rolls on with the next chapter from Mumford & Sons - their sixth studio album, Prizefighter. Just seven months after their number one album Rushmere, the band teamed up again with Aaron Dessner of The National to co-write and co-produce a collection written in just ten days. The 14 tracks capture highs, lows, and everything in between - the perfect record to spin as we say goodbye to January. Marcus Mumford’s lyrics explore resilience and pushing forward. The songs came to life during long days writing in Hudson cafés and late nights around Long Pond’s kitchen table, full of first takes and the joy of making music together again. “We’re putting everything we have into this now, and we’re using everything about our experience so far to embrace exactly who we are. Prizefighter is serious and playful, sometimes bruised and always hopeful.” - Marcus Mumford Prizefighter features collaborations with Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Gigi Perez and Chris Stapleton, reflecting the band’s ongoing focus on community. Pick up your copy from your local indie record shop when it drops on 20th February. For collectors, the Indies Exclusive edition is a 140g ‘Icarus’ Amber Vinyl, housed in a gatefold jacket with lyric sheet and printed inner sleeve. Spin it, enjoy it, and support the indie record shops that make our culture thrive! Tracklist: 1. Here (with Chris Stapleton) 2. Rubber Band Man (with Hozier) 3. The Banjo Song 4. Run Together 5. Conversation With My Son 6. Alleycat 7. Prizefighter 8. Begin Again 9. Icarus (with Gigi Perez) 10. Stay 11. Badlands (with Gracie Abrams) 12. Shadow Of A Man 13. I’ll Tell You Everything 14. Clover

Hundreds of exclusive records to hit the UK & Ireland’s independent record shops on Saturday 18 th April Limited edition releases from: Elton John, Madonna, Blur, Olivia Dean, Charli XCX, Primal Scream, Wolf Alice, CMAT + more

15 RSD RELEASES INCLUDING DIVORCE, PRIMAL SCREAM AND THE STREETS WILL DONATE £1 FROM EVERY UNIT SOLD TO RAISE MONEY FOR CHILDREN AFFECTED BY CONFLICT