Slow Century Records, which opened in Solihull late last year, has unveiled plans for its first-ever Record Store Day.

Record Store Day is the annual UK celebration of independent record shops and the culture that surrounds them, and will be taking place on Sat 18 Apr.

As well as stocking exclusive official RSD releases from artists including The Sex Pistols, Pink Floyd, and Taylor Swift, Slow Century Records has teamed up with neighbouring independent businesses to present live performances and DJ sets throughout the day.

The Ale Rooms, Bistro Viola, Cristal Boutique, Monica’s Bakes, Swanyard Cafe, and The Vaults will all be joining Slow Century Records in celebrating the power of music to create and nurture community.

Alaistair Aktas, Marc Cijfer, Guitar George Wilson, Shed Men Walking, Stuart Lennon, Liz Stein,  Sweetpool, and Tracer are amongst those confirmed to play solo, full band, or DJ sets across the historic village centre, with The Ale Rooms playing vinyl all day.

Local artist GrumpleStiltStine will also create a brand new Slow Century window installation over the course of the day to mark RSD.

Slow Century Records, named after a seminal documentary on influential US rock band Pavement, was founded by Pavement fan, rock DJ and mental health nurse John Ellis. For more than 20 years, he worked as a Registered Mental Health Nurse, leading community teams and supporting people across the West Midlands.

Over the past 10 years, the Solihull native has built a career and a reputation as a DJ, booker for festivals, promoter, and broadcaster known to thousands of listeners as Atom Heart Mutha.

Speaking about this weekend’s plans, John said: “Record Store Day has always been an important part of my life, building my own record collection, so being a bigger part of this and helping other collectors is fantastic thing.

“Working with the local businesses and our own team to be able to create a big experience for the high street that everyone can enjoy has been lots of fun.

“Our shop is a little under six months old and this is a massive achievement for us, we really want to help build a cool community.”

Keep an eye on the Slow Century Records website for its Record Store Day plans.