The Collector

This month: Rob Wheeler

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UK country artist Rob Wheeler grew up under the northern skies of Cheshire, learning the songs of Hank Williams and Eagles as a means of escape, while also finding an obsession closer to home in The Beatles. His mother worked in Terry Blood's famous record shop in Crewe while pregnant with Rob, which is where he reckons his obsession with music and vinyl began. Rob's record collection reflects his obsession with nostalgia and taking things a little slower, along with a wide range of tastes; including a rare piece of vinyl art and more than a few copies of the 'White Album'.

What do you collect, and why?

I have a few different avenues that I like to walk down depending on my mood; one week I'm after Tom Waits' Heart Of Saturday Night or kd lang's Ingenue, and then I go all in on 90s hip hop or 60s country like Glen Campbell's Wichita Lineman. But the vast majority of my collection is built around one common thread: nostalgia. These records have the power to instantly transport me to a place, a time or a memory, and the personal connection I have with vinyl achieves that in a way that streaming just never will.

Everything about vinyl is a tangible experience: touch, sight, sound and even smell. My mum's records, of which I've inherited a few, smell like patchouli oil; that in itself is reason to love them. If I do have a soft spot, it is probably The Beatles - whatever I'm digging for I don't think I could leave a 'White Album' behind, even though I have 20 or so versions already! I guess you never get over your first true love and mine was The Beatles.

What was the first album you bought with your own money?

Cypress Hill's Black Sunday - the huge parental advisory logo just made it even more enticing. I loved how they incorporated rock samples into their music such as The Wizard