Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorain Nicholson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My partner Chuck, worked in music distribution and I worked as a buyer in music retail. Once the internet became a “thing”, we decided to pool our knowledge and start retailing online. We always just worked with a small warehouse and when relocating to Monterey in the early 2000’s, we had a spot where we just had the doors open for retail while we were attending to our online business and it has now morphed into a full blown retail bricks and morter shop as well as online.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s been a lot of ebb and flow throughout the years. First, learning how to navigate the internet as a retailer, then, facing loss of sales when downloading became so popular, staying relevant in a failing economy…COVID… tarifs driving up the price of imports, you name it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We run a reasonably successful music retail shop and have a decent online presence. We keep 5 – 9 people gainfully employed depending on circumstances. We specialize in great inventory thats hard to find in other shops. We’re known for this and frequently have our guests commenting about the great selection of titles they haven’t found anywhere else. We are a small shop so we only deal in new product. We don’t have the space for used records and there are a couple of other places in town that do that very well. We’ve been doing this for a couple of decades now so we have good relationships with labels and distribution so we can keep our prices fair. We are proudest of the community Siren Records has brought together. The shop has become a place where people connect, discover music, and feel a sense of belonging, and that means everything to us. What sets Siren Records apart is how deeply rooted we are in Monterey. We’re not trying to be a generic record shop — we’re intentionally building something that reflects the culture, creativity, and personality of this community. Our events, our partnerships, our displays, even the way we curate the bins all come from a place of wanting to contribute to Monterey, not just operate in it. People feel that when they walk in.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Risk is part of running any independent business, but we approach it with intention. We don’t take risks for the sake of being bold; we take them when they align with the vision of what Siren Records can be for this community. We left stability behind to build something that didn’t exist here yet, in a town where retail can be unpredictable. But we believed Monterey deserved a music space that felt local, creative, and welcoming. Every decision since then — from expanding inventory to hosting events to partnering with other small businesses — has been a risk, but each one has helped shape Siren into what it is today.
Pricing:
- New vinyl releases: typically $24–$38, depending on the artist and pressing
- 7-inch singles: usually $9 – $16, depending on the artist and pressing
- CDs: most priced between $8–$17
- Cassettes: generally $7–$15
Contact Info:
- Website: sirenrecordsmonterey@gmail.com
- Instagram: @sirenrecordsmonterey
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sirenrecordsmonterey
