Today we’d like to introduce you to Record Plug Magazine. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Kip Thomas and Ryan Williams have been involved in the Atlanta music scene for over 30 years. Kip is an offset and letterpress printer by trade operating out of his pressroom in Doraville, GA. Ryan is a media producer and web developer. They both play in the bands Loud Humans and Victory Hands together. In the middle of the pandemic, they noticed the collapse of long-standing print music magazines in the area and decided to step in. Record Plug Magazine was launched in August of 2021, covering the Atlanta and Athens music scenes. The magazine is free and distributed across bars, coffee shops, restaurants, and retail shops across Atlanta and Athens, GA. But they also distribute to Augusta, Macon, Savannah, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Charlotte, Birmingham, Columbia, and Greenville. Record Plug Mazaine is also available via subscription.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We’ve transitioned through various printing pressrooms in the last three years, landing finally in the forever home of Kip’s own printshop this year. And because print magazines are becoming rare, our paper was discontinued. So we had to special-order 80 cartons at once (enough to do 18 issues). It’s a special 100% recycled stock that is now exclusive to our magazine. We also go out of our way at additional cost to use environmentally safe ink. Luckily, we’ve weathered all the issues and managed to give each month distributed since our launch. That’s also thanks in large part to our very supportive advertisers.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Kip has played drums in the Atlanta scene for over 30 years in various bands. I’ve played guitar and bass in various bands over that time as well. We met in the early 2000s when Kip was running Moodswing Records, and I was mastering several of their releases. I’ve also run a record label (Headphone Treats) for 25 years and produced several local and regional releases. Years later, Kip and I ended up in bands together, and now we’ve also become business partners. The experience of being in the scene and knowing the perspective of an underground band and the issues they go through has helped us frame the magazine as a force to promote and benefit the scene. It’s not necessarily a non-profit venture, but at this point, we’re happy to just break even and keep it going for the benefit of the music community.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Having good taste in a wide range of music is important. It’s also critical to detect when artists are like-minded music fanatics and not simply in music for self-serving reasons. All artists want their music heard, and that’s understandable. But care for the quality and individuality they bring to the table should be more important than seeking fame or notoriety. So, we often focus on the underdogs. Usually, the bands that get on the cover are the less-known ones to watch. We will cover national acts when they come to Atlanta or Athens, but we’re not tossing nationally known faces on the cover to move issues. Likewise, we try to be succinct and informative with our descriptions of upcoming releases. No bad reviews or silly rating systems. And, kind of to our surprise, the readership seems to love it. We have trouble keeping issues in stock each month at most locations.
Pricing:
- Free to pick up at our locations: https://recordplug.com/where-to-find-in-print
- $32 a year mailed to your door
Contact Info:
- Website: https://recordplug.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recordplugmagazine/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recordplug
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/recordplug
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWh6juHVG1zeI7XXv4oRbaQ
Image Credits
Jimmy Ether
