Meet Jeri Yingling the owner and creator of Loud Pizza Records in Chicago’s Northern Suburbs of downtown Highland Park, Illinois. What is Loud Pizza Records?  Their website says it best. Remember when we were teenagers full of rebellion? Staying up late to watch Svengoolie at night? Skateboarding with our friends? Blaring the music while slamming our favorite slice of pizza? At Loud Pizza Records, we want to share that with you. We may be older now but we’re still cranking the volume up and bringing our passion and love for music, pop culture and pizza to you! While you can’t actually eat the records, Jeri and her team meticulously quality control and select a curated collection of records the store carries which ranges from GenX through digital millennials and into the turn of the 21st century. 

When not at the shop, Jeri says: “I love to be outdoors and in the the sun every chance I can. Being in the Chicagoland area, we have to soak up the good weather when we can.”

How did you get into your industry / What motivated you?

My partner owns a small punk record label and I started in the industry by helping with designing records and cassette jackets/labels/etc. and helping with packaging/shipping out the new releases. Falling in love with the process, we decided we wanted to offer other releases that didn’t fit the punk label mold, thus starting our journey at Loud Pizza Records.

What is a day in the life like?

Everyday is different and that is what I love about being a small business owner. We wear many hats and every day is a new challenge.

Favorite sale / relationship made from behind the counter?

I don’t have a favorite sale, but I love building new relationships with people in or near our neighborhood and learning about their love for music.

In your opinion what has been the coolest thing to come through your shop / thing you had to keep / almost couldn’t put out for sale?

This varies almost every week because there is so much cool stuff that is coming out. It’s really hard to not pad your own collection on a weekly basis. My favorite items are the albums that have unique packaging or records that glow-in-the-dark.

What has been / is the most difficult part of your job?

The most difficult part about my job is troubleshooting. As a small business owner, when you have technical issues, we don’t have an IT dept. to fix them for you. While I am tech savvy, some issues take up way too much time and therefore create a lag between what other pending items need to be done.

What has been the craziest experience that has happened at the shop?

Majority of business has been online, so the retail store is a new addition to our business. For me, the outreach from the community and support for our little store is the most craziest experience. Our community is really excited to have us in town. I didn’t expect that.

What advice do you have for someone wanting to get into pursuing what you’re doing?

It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it.

What types of things are happening in your industry / with vinyl that you’re excited or worried about? i.e. innovation, or trends you’re seeing.

I am excited for the innovative design and packaging options that are coming out. Vinyl today is art and the industry is giving us an experience that I am here for.

Are you a vinyl collector yourself? What drew you to it?

I am. I grew up listening to vinyl on my parent’s stereo. I would spend hours listening to records with headphones that were much too big for me at the time. The Righteous Brothers were my jam! Eventually, I started listening on a portable Fisher Price player.

Who has been influential to you and your growth as a professional in this industry?

Honestly, my influence comes from the artists themselves. They keep creating amazing music that keeps us listening and wanting more. Without them, we don’t have an industry to be part of.

Anything else you’d like to add; if not tell us what you’re listening to: 

I listen to many different genres. I love to match my mood to my music. How amazing is it that we can do this! My favorite genre is probably New Wave.

Find Jeri: 

Instagram: @loudpizzarecords

Facebook: @loudpizza

TikTok: @loudpizzarecords

Website: www.loudpizza.com

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