Kate Bush announced as ambassador for Record Store Day UK

(Credits: Record Store Day)

Legendary singer-songwriter Kate Bush is the official ambassador of Record Store Day in the United Kingdom, set to take place on April 20th, 2024.

Bush joins an illustrious set of names to have previously held this honour, including Elton John, Noel Gallagher and Taylor Swift. Furthermore, to celebrate the occasion, the English musician is set to release a Record Store Day edition of ‘Eat the Music’ on 10″ vinyl. The track appeared on her 1993 album, The Red Shoes, but has never previously been released on physical formats in the UK.

In a statement, Bush said: “What a huge honour to have been asked to be Ambassador for this year’s Record Store Day. It really is a great privilege. Isn’t it great to see how the resurgence in vinyl has taken the music industry by complete surprise? It had decided to leave vinyl far behind, but it would seem that not everyone agrees! I love that! I know there are many, many artists who are just as excited to see the audience turning the tide.”

“In the same way that some people like to read a book on Kindle but also want to have a book as a physical object, a lot of people like vinyl and streaming. Both have different appeals,” she continued.

Speaking about the importance of vinyl, Bush added: “The added bonus of vinyl is that it encourages people to listen to albums. An art form that I’ve always thought can be treasured in a unique way. An album on vinyl is a beautiful thing, given a strong identity by its large-scale artwork. There’s a much more personal connection with the artist and their work.”

Bush’s message continued: “It’s been fun putting designs together for some of the previous RSDs. This year’s design echoes the cancelled release of ‘Eat the Music’ as the first single from the album, The Red Shoes. The image was intended to be on the cover of the single bag and is now on the disc as a UV print. The title, ‘Eat the Music’, is meant to be a playful nod to ‘If music be the food of love, play on,’ from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.”

In 2024, over 270 independent record stores across Britain will participate in proceedings, marking a new high for Record Store Day UK, which is now in its 17th year.

The cause is close to Bush’s heart, as she concluded: “Each year Record Store Day gathers more attention, more momentum, and attracts more people who cram into indie record stores worldwide to see what’s up. What’s new? This year, I hope you have a fantastic time at this very important event, and that you get to celebrate music that’s been specially released for you.”

Meanwhile, Natasha Youngs of Resident Music in Brighton, said of Bush’s involvement in Record Store Day: “To have such an inspirational, cloud busting and resolutely independent artist championing this event is a huge honour. Especially one who has very much carved her own path throughout her considerable career while completely understanding the value of authenticity and independence is hugely appreciated by the record shop community. We can’t wait for Kate to be a part of our day!”

Bush’s involvement with Record Store Day arrives after she released her whole catalogue of albums in new physical formats last year.

To see the full list of participating shops on Record Store Day, visit here.

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