I talk a lot on this blog about records. About music. About gear and pressings and the joy of finding something great in a used bin. But every now and then it occurs to me that some of you might be curious about the person behind the keyboard — the actual human being who's doing all this talking. So here it is. Ten random facts about me, in no particular order, with absolutely no guarantee that any of them will be of any interest.
1. I have three kids.
Three. They are wonderful and exhausting in equal measure, and one of them is taking an interest in spinning records. I just need to teach her how to care for them.
2. My record obsession didn't start in a record store — it started in my parents' living room.
Before I had my own taste, I had theirs. I grew up listening to my parents' records, which means my musical foundation was built by whatever they had stacked next to the turntable. It's funny how that works — the music you absorb before you have any say in the matter ends up shaping everything that comes after.
3. If I think I'm going to be sick to my stomach, the toilet bowl needs to be clean first.
I don't make the rules. My body does. If the situation is heading in that direction and the bowl isn't up to standard, we have a problem. I will clean it first. This is non-negotiable and I have fully accepted it as part of who I am. Strange, I know.
4. I've been married for 20 years.
She has tolerated and been understanding of an ever-expanding record collection, which in my opinion is the highest form of devotion a person can show another human being.
5. I have a massive bunion on my left foot and I basically never wear shoes or socks.
It's a gross thing. I'm on a list for surgery, but where I live, that could be two years.
6. I love art — and Joey Feldman is my favourite artist.
Records and art have always felt connected to me. Album covers are art. Liner notes are art. The whole physical experience of vinyl is an art object. So it makes sense that I'd be drawn to visual art too. Joey Feldman's work just does something to me — there's a quality to it that I find genuinely captivating. If you're not familiar, look him up.
7. I have ADHD. The real kind — not the trendy kind.
I want to be clear about the distinction here because it matters to me. ADHD has become a bit of a cultural shorthand lately for "I get distracted sometimes," and that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the genuine neurological experience of a brain that operates differently — that has its gifts and its serious challenges, often at the same time. It explains a lot about me. The hyperfocus that makes me go deep on records and music. The difficulty with certain things that other people seem to find effortless.
8. I went through about five years of really struggling with my mental health after a trauma, and it changed how I see everything.
I debated including this one, but I think it's worth saying out loud. I went through something hard, and what followed was several years of genuinely struggling — in ways I hadn't expected and couldn't have fully understood before experiencing it myself. I used to think I knew what mental health challenges looked like from the outside. I did not. Going through it gave me a level of empathy and understanding I didn't have before, and I think about that a lot. If you're in the middle of something hard right now, I see you. It does get better — but not magically. I'm happy to share more or listen to someone else's story if you want to reach out directly.
9. When I grow up, I want to be a writer or a professional golfer.
I'm 48. I am aware that the window on the professional golf thing may be narrowing. And yet. The dream persists. In the meantime I'm apparently writing a blog about records, which might not be the literary career I had in mind but is, I've decided, close enough for now.
10. My dream is to one day live in a forest, near a lake, next to a golf course.
This is the vision. Trees. Water. A fairway within walking distance. Preferably barefoot. A turntable set up somewhere with good light and no neighbours close enough to complain about the volume. If you know of a place like this, please reach out immediately. And convince my wife to join me.
There you have it. Ten things about me.
