Local Business Profile: Getting your groove on

True music lovers, those with their ear to the ground, searching out new bands, keeping an eye on the indie music scene know that you can't always find true art in mainstream franchised record shops. For serious music geeks, underground record shops are a safe haven. Far from the Britney Spears/Miley Cyrus-laden new release walls at the local mall, these shops offer a generous selection for those with an eclectic palette for music.

In London, music fans flock to Grooves, a locally owned and operated true, old school record shop. The walls are lined with vintage vinyl and bins of rare CDs fill the store.

Grooves has been open for five years and is run by friends Troy Hutchison and David Clarke. Prior to opening Grooves, both men worked for another popular London underground record shop; Dr. Disc. When they saw an opportunity to branch off and start a shop of their own, they jumped all over it.


The staff is a close-knit group. Clarke and Hutchison have known each other for years and tucked behind the counter busy at work is Hutchison's 13 year-old son.

“I'm a single Dad, so it's nice to have a job where I can pick up my kid and bring him to work with me,” said Hutchinson. “When we first opened, I would bring him to the store and he would help out, it's like a family business.”

Grooves is a fantastic place to trade or sell your old CDs or purchase new, rare music. Supporting every genre from hip hop to alternative country, this store has something for everyone. They're also able to track down hard-to-find titles with a success rate far superior to anyone else in the city.

“We can find anything really,” boasts Hutchison. “If there's a title out there that you want, I can find it usually in a week or two.”

Recently a customer came to Grooves for help in finding a CD recording of canaries singing and Hutchison was able to track one down in about a week. This man is a genius.

So how does a small, local record shop compete with the big box stores and the popularity of digital downloads? Aren't records and CDs becoming obsolete?

“Honestly, we get real music fans in here, people who want something in their hands,” shares Hutchison. “People say the music industry is dying, but there's still a market for people who want to buy the CDs or have the vinyl, not just download music.”

Keeping on top of up-and-coming bands is almost a full-time job in itself, meaning that Hutchison spends his time reading everything he can get his hands on! Pitchfork and Exclaim are two publications he admits to reading cover-to-cover; he also trolls the Internet and sites like MySpace to discover new artists. This, combined with weekly release sheets sent to him by record labels keeps him pretty busy and very much in-the-know of what's new and hot in the music industry.

“On Sundays, it's my ritual, I sit down and read new release sheets. Each week there's anywhere from 800 to 2,000 releases. Each week! I don't believe that the industry is dying.”

Talking to someone who is this up-to-date on the music scene, I can't resist asking him what bands are currently on his play list. He lists Patrick Watson, Dead Weather and Wood Pigeon as current favourites and admits to being excited about the new Modest Mouse album expected out later this year.

In addition to music, the store also carries an impressive selection of graffiti supplies, including paints, caps and other accessories. Hutchison says the demand for the products they carry was surprising at first, but carrying the higher-end paints and finishes saves local artists a trip to Toronto when buying supplies.

From the beginning, Hutchison was eager to promote new, emerging talents in London and also catch the attention of bands passing through the area. So he opened his doors for live performances right in the record shop!

“Sometimes we clear off the space by the front window, or we'll set up some bands back here,” he says, gesturing to a spot at the back of the store. “It gives smaller acts a place to play, but also bigger bands, maybe playing at (Call) The Office will come here in the day for a different set.”

Hutchison is a proud supporter of London's Open House Arts Collective, a group of London artists and musicians who have formed to support and promote each other's talents. Many of the live performers that play in the store are a part of the collective, which recently released a compilation CD, along with sponsorship from Grooves, titled Oh! Compilation One. I picked up my own copy of the CD while I was there. Pressured to cite one standout act, Hutchison names Olenka and the Autumn Lovers as the London band to watch right now.

The next time you're downtown, make a trip to Grooves, located at 353 Clarence Street, across from the Citi Plaza.