Issue #9

Little Lost Records

Here at Building Songs, we care about the built environment and how it relates to music. One way I’ve seen these two worlds collide is through record stores. I was interested to speak with a record store owner about the architecture of their store and how music has influenced the physical space. I sent out a note fishing for willing participants, and I reeled one in!

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Little Lost Records is a record store in Stafford Springs, CT run by owners Conor Ryan and Abbie Golec. They also author a Substack highlighting the hidden gems of the record world. I spoke with Conor about the design of his store and his relationship with music.

Thanks for joining me at Building Songs. Could you tell us about Little Lost Records? Where is your store located and when did you open?

Thanks for having me! We're a small record store located on the main street of Stafford Springs, CT. It's a pretty rural area, but we have a very cute downtown with lots of great small businesses! We opened back in July of 2023.

Could you share more about your connection to music and records specifically?

My parents fostered a deep love of music within me, so it's pretty much all I've thought about for a long time. I've been lucky enough to be the touring member of a lot of great bands and I've also mixed/mastered a lot of music for friends of mine. I didn't grow up with records (I actually started collecting CDs), but starting around early high school I started buying records. I'm a big fan of active listening, so records really encourage being locked into the music you're listening to rather than just passively hearing it in the background.

Did you modify an existing building, and if so, how did you modify it?

We lease a space in an old building from the early 1900s! We're lucky enough that it still has the original tin ceiling in our space and lots of nice natural light. Before we moved in, new flooring was put down and we've essentially just decorated around the existing space without modifying it too much.

How has your store changed over time? Have you needed to move things around?

It's constantly changing! We knew when we opened that we had a bigger vision for the space that we simply couldn't afford at the time. Since we've opened, we've reinvested in some new fixtures including a book shelf, a custom-made CD rack, and a custom-made CD display for the wall. We've also slowly decorated more as we've acquired cool posters or pieces of art that we want to have on display!

How would you describe the layout of the space? I've noticed many record stores are maze-like which could be due to spatial constraints.

Before we opened, we made a list of things we liked about other record stores and things that we didn't like. One of the main things is that we all didn't like how claustrophobic a lot of record stores felt, so we wanted to do the opposite of that. Although we're a small shop, we always want to make sure that everything has its place. The last thing we want is random boxes piled up for people to walk around or a feeling of chaos. We pretty highly curate what gets put into the bins and know where everything is once it hits the shop floor. A lot of people comment that it's the most "open" feeling record store they've been in, which is a huge compliment to us!

Did you incorporate any custom millwork or displays into the space?

Yes! I designed and built the initial record crates, as well as the wall displays to front-face records with a focus on wanting to keep a natural wood feel. Since then, we've had a friend who is a carpenter build custom bookshelves and CD displays, continuing on with that natural wood theme. We also have a cozy little 70's inspired corner with lots of plants, so that breathes some life into the otherwise minimalist interior design of the space.

Do you have another favorite record store? What makes it so great? Is it the space, programming, and/or ownership?

I have so many other favorite record stores! Seeing what other shop owners do is a continual inspiration.

For local record shops to us:

-Records the Good Kind has an unbeatable selection for a shop of its size. Every time I go in there I find records I never thought I would see in-person and Ian is incredibly knowledgeable about all different genres.

-Redscroll Records is an institution and it continues to be an incredible haven for music lovers. If you're looking for any new releases, you'll find them here - especially anything that tends towards the weird. You can quite literally spend a whole day here and not see everything. They also have a great podcast and all the releases on their own record label are amazing.

-Feeding Tube Records is an incredible shop because of its dedication to the experimental and strange side of music. Even as a record store owner, I haven't heard of a majority of the music that this shop has in its bins. It's aggressive in its curation of the "out there" in music, but that's what's amazing about it.

I'm very into "micro" record stores that take up a small footprint, but are hyper-curated. I actually plan on writing a whole post of shops like these that inspire me, but one of the main ones is World of Echo in London. Besides being another record store named after Arthur Russell, I love the curation of that shop for such a small space. All killer no filler!

What's on the horizon for Little Lost Records?

We are finally in a spot where we can be even pickier about our curation and what we choose to put into our bins, so we're really going to be leaning into that and writing even more notes to help turn people on to new music they might be unfamiliar with!

Is there anything else you would like to share? How can people stay in touch?

The best way to keep up with us is either our Instagram or our Substack!