Reminder to all you women owned and run shops out there, reach out!  That’s how we met the awesome Maggie Denman who runs the independent record store Boneset Records in Madison, WI. Boneset carries vinyl, vintage clothing, tapes, VHS, CD’s, DVD’s and various items from small artists.  We’re looking forward to seeing how the shop continues to grow!

When she’s not at the record store Maggie says, “I love tattoos and have been learning over the past couple years, otherwise I’m a huge fan of bowling and am in a league”.

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

I’ve worked in the music industry for many years as a musician and promoter. I decided to settle into another passion of mine,  records. Of course I had some inspiration when I was young from a few of my favorite movies ‘High Fidelity‘ and ‘Pretty in Pink‘. I wanted to create a space for myself that was warm, cozy, and eclectic.

What is a day in the life like?

A day in the life at a record store? It’s kind of exactly what you’d think it would be. The first thing I do is turn on the lights, get the coffee brewing and light incense. I tend to listen to the same few songs in the morning, Cyndi Lauper’s “The Goonie’s ‘r’ Good Enough“ or Kate Bush “Running up that Hill”.

Favorite sale / relationship made from behind the counter?

I haven’t been open too long but there was a lady who I talked with for a really long time, she helped do a radio show up north in Wisconsin and we talked about all kinds of 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?

There are some VHS that have been hard to part with. I recently got an old copy of ‘Nightmare on Elm Street‘ that I really wanted to keep for myself.

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

I would say the knowledge about everything. Knowing what records are worth which is sometimes fluctuating, what’s coming out, new releases, etc. To be honest that’s the most fun part of the job but is also the most challenging. There is always more to learn and that’s exciting.

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

I’d say the craziest experience I’ve had at the shop was the opening day. I wasn’t expecting that many people in such a small space and that was really meaningful to me. Nothing too wild has happened yet….time will tell!

What advice do you have for someone wanting to get into pursuing what you’re doing? Any tips + maybe some resources you like.

The only advice I can say is stay honest with what you want to do it for and there is so much to learn that it’s impossible to know it all.

What types of things are happening in your industry / with vinyl that you’re excited or worried about? 

I think everyone in vinyl has been worried about the slowness in production so smaller bands are having to wait a long time for their releases to come out and also the price increasing.

Are you a vinyl collector yourself, what drew you to it? 

I am absolutely a vinyl collector. I was drawn to it when I started working at a record store Sugar Shack Records, my boss Gary showed me a lot of music I didn’t normally catch on to. I was very young at the time so I hadn’t discovered artists like Kate Bush and Joni Mitchell until I started working there. What I liked about vinyl was the cover artwork, the superior sound, and the experience of playing a whole record. The cadences of A side and then flip to the B side, there’s nothing like it.

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

One of my dear friends Kana who owned Blue Bonnet Records and now does travel vending with Paved Paradise.

Anything else you want to share? If not, tell us what you’re listening to: 

As far as my favorites right now, I listen to BIB and Molchat Doma probably once a day. I’m a fan of pretty much anything punk or post-punk.

Find Maggie: 

Instagram: @boneset_records

Facebook: @bonesetrecords

Website: www.bonesetrecords.bigcartel.com