2023 US and UK Record Store Day Ambassadors announced

Husband and wife musicians and record store lovers Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires have been named the 2023 US Record Store Day Ambassadors, while The 1975 will serve in that role for the UK.

by Stacy Simons Santos of Celebrity Access

“We’re honored to be your Record Store Day ambassadors for 2023,” the pair say in a statement. “Record stores are gathering places. They’re rooms full of carefully curated art and entertainment where you can find a friend, take a date, and start a band. We all need these gathering places now more than ever. In your local record store, you find common ground and the excitement of discovery. A great new album can make a grumpy old man (like Jason) feel like a kid again. We’ve both worked in record stores, played our songs there, built our careers there. Record stores make it possible for recording artists to find their audience and their voice, and we couldn’t be more excited to help make 2023 the biggest and best Record Store Day yet.”

Isbell and Shires will release The Sound Emporium EP on Record Store Day which includes new songs from both musicians.

In the UK as part of their role, The 1975 will be releasing a live performance with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra on vinyl for the first time. Recorded in 2016, the double album features tracks from across the band’s early career. The release will only be available at participating record stores by request at the counter on clear vinyl, single CD, and single cassette.

“The guys and I are really proud to be ambassadors for Record Store Day this year,” frontman Matt Healysays. “Independent record stores are the lifeblood of the music industry and have played a crucial role in our story so far. It couldn’t be more important to support their vital community and culture.”

2023’s Record Store Day will take place on April 22 and is the largest single-day music event in the world. It celebrates brick-and-mortar indie record stores globally. The list of exclusive and limited edition titles available only via indie records is TBA.

Former Record Store Day Ambassadors include Taylor Swift, Jack White, Pearl Jam, and more.