Deep Thoughts Record Shop Co-owner Nick Williams stands in front of the new shop in Northampton.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
NORTHAMPTON — A former staple record store from Jamaica Plain has officially moved into Northampton, with plans of opening the store by Halloween.
Deep Thoughts Record Shop, which is run by owners Nick Williams and Alaina Stamatis, has officially moved into downtown Northampton on 5 Market St. after spending 11½ years running their shop in Boston.
The shop will be taking over the spot where Joe’s Albums resided for the last few years, which is right next to The Roost.
“It feels incredible,” Williams said, regarding his feeling on moving the shop to Northampton. “It feels good to be able to be in this community that I’ve been a part of for 21 years on and off.”
In a social media post announcing their move, Williams and Stamatis expressed great appreciation for their time in Jamaica Plain, but a commute of almost two hours became too much for them to handle.
“We very much treasured being in Jamaica Plain for 11½ wonderful years, but the ability to host our business within a healthy commute of our home is an opportunity too good to pass up,” read the social media post. “Our amazing JP crew is the only reason we were able to live so far from DT for so long, but the time has come for us to be more hands-on again, and we truly cannot wait.”
Deep Thoughts offers an extensive collection of vinyl records, CDs and cassette tapes that encompass every genre of music one can think of, as well as some books, comics and vintage clothes.
According to the Deep Thoughts website, some of the many genres of music offered include psych, krautrock, Japanese psych, indie, noise, punk, hip hop, soul and disco.
“We’re kind of a mix between having a curated aesthetic to some of the records, and having some popular stuff and a lot of cheap stuff,” Williams said. “Everyone gets the same response to the music they like … so I just love to be able to provide a wide variety of stuff.”
Williams and Stamatis are already making the Northampton shop feel like the home. Thrift store paintings line the left wall as part of the decor, while a collage of music posters grace the back wall from a collection the duo has accumulated over the years.
According to Williams, the back of the shop will be utilized as an area for small performances and for some of the vintage clothes.
“We have a nice vibe and aesthetic here,” Williams said.
Stamatis and Williams fostered a fervent community base during their 11-plus years in Jamaica Plain, as evidenced by the almost 400 reactions to their social media announcement as well as the many comments from patrons who shared memories of their visits to Deep Thoughts.
When asked how they plan to foster a similar kind of community in Northampton, Williams said they will continue to do what they do best.
“We have a place where the pricing is good and you can find good records and it’s in a pleasant environment,” Williams said. “There’s a lot of parking along the side streets, so it’s going to be a convenient space, as well.”
Readers can learn more about Deep Thoughts by visiting their Facebook page: facebook.com/DeepThoughtsRecordShop/. Williams said the shop is always looking to buy records, tapes, CDs and books to sell at the store.
The shop will be open noon to 7 p.m. every day and closed on Tuesdays.
