For a while I’d been seeing posts about this book on various social media and out of the blue Steve sent me a copy to read which I’m always grateful for when authors/publishers send me stuff to read.

Written in diary form, “How to Build Your Own Record Pressing Plant” follows the first year of a business start up in Middlebrough where two best friends and music lovers decide to set up their own vinyl printing plant!

Each chapter takes in a ‘day’ in the life of the first year of Press On Vinyl and consists of interviews and discussions, sometimes written exactly as said, sometimes woven into the developing narrative of the presses development.

Each chapter is fascinating and shows a company driven by strong personalities with a passion for music and vinyl in particular, a strong ethos of equity and a need to be as ecologically sound as possible within a notoriously oil-hungry sector.

I really grew to feel for the people involved as they all came across so genuine and passionate, with a drive to change things for the better grassroots and who are really proud of their Middlesbrough heritage and are doing everything they can to make thing better in the town.

This is not only a fascinating look into a new and exciting business opening up in Middlesbrough but a really interesting look at the record business overall, well worth a read if you have any interest in music at all.