Tim Rice-Oxley: Record Store Closures Are A "Tragedy"

added 21 April 2012 at 06.00

As Keane prepare to play a special gig to mark Record Store Day the songwriter tells Xfm why they wanted to be involved....

The great and the good of the Xfm playlist are releasing one-off specials for Record Store Day - with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Noel Gallagher, Elbow and Arcade Fire all bringing out limited edition releases to support independent music shops.

Although not putting out a record, Keane are showing their support for the event by playing an acoustic set at London's Rough Trade East.

We asked Tim from the band why they wanted to get involved?

"We're music fans, and we grew up in a little town where for a long time there wasn't a record shop. Then some brave soul started one, and it lasted a year or so and then died a death, like so many record shops do now. So we grew up with a sense of how special it is to have someone on the street where you can learn about music and buy records, especially when you're young and your mind is at its most open and hungry."

Can you give us a bit of insight into your thoughts on independent record shops (e.g.what they mean for you, Keane, the music industry...)?

"Pretty much every kind of independent high street shop is under threat from large chain stores or supermarkets, and the resulting homogenisation that we're seeing means much less variety for the consumer. This can only be a bad thing in any kind of business, but when you're talking about something as joyous and fundamental as music, where variety is part of the wonder of it, and where the little gems that you stumble across by mistake can turn out to be songs or bands that change your life?that to me is a tragedy. A great record shop is somewhere can you go into without a shopping list, still knowing that after some unhurried sifting through racks and bins you'll leave with a bag of new CDs or even vinyl that will enrich your life."

Keane will be performing at Rough Trade East at 6pm on Record Store Day - with loads of acts on from midday.

Their new album Strangelands is out May 7.

See Xfm's picks for Record Store Day 2012

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