The James McMahon Music Podcast

Episode 164: A decade of Sunderland's Pop Recs Ltd

• James McMahon • Season 2 • Episode 164

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For the last ten years, Pop Recs Ltd – initially a publicity stunt, then a record shop, then a venue, now so much more - has been at the heart of the music community in Sunderland, the place that I, for a time, called my home.

Founded by Frankie & The Heartstrings duo Michael McKnight and the late Dave Harper, now aided and abetted by my old friend and punk pizza supremo Dan Shannon, Pop Recs is on its third incarnation, now being based at the bottom end of Sunderland’s High Street West. If you’re in town, make sure you swing by for a coffee and a bop, won’t you? Pop Recs celebrated this decade of struggle and triumph last Saturday with two instore performances by local heroes The Futureheads, and while I couldn’t attend, it’s heartening to see that the culture within a city I care about greatly continues to thrive thanks to the DIY spirit that’s produced so much great music this last twenty plus years.

What follows is a feel-good conversation about the past, the future, the forever missed Dave Harper, and a bit of inside baseball lols that might only make sense if you were part of the Sunderland indie rock scene circa the turn of the millennium. Happy birthday Pop Recs! Here’s to many more happy returns!