Q&A With Pat King of Labrador

Q&A Remix is a frequent column on IHTOV in which people from all walks of life answer a set of questions about their vinyl collection. Today we welcome Pat King of the band Labrador

Have you ever bought a record just for the artwork? 

Several times! It’s usually the best when you’re hunting for cheap used power-pop and soul records. I used to work at Creep Records here in Philly and took home this great album Why Are All The Good People Going Crazy by an 80’s jangle/power pop band called The Outnumbered. All I knew before buying it was that they looked cool as hell on the cover and that they were signed to Homestead Records. Another recent pickup was Soul Galore by Jackie Wilson. I love old cover art from the ‘60s where labels hire an actual artist to paint an almost Presidential-style portrait of the musicians. This cover has a real brushstroke look and, it turns out, the record is just hit after hit with Jackie’s voice never sounding better. But the first time would have to be when I was in college and I bought a copy of Loretta Lynn’s Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ With Lovin’ On Your Mind. I bought it as a joke at first and then after listening to it, I fell in love with her voice and writing. How could you not?        

What is your most memorable vinyl buying/receiving experience? 

Too many to count! I had been to the old Amoeba in Hollywood, but I wasn’t prepared for how vast their selection was. I froze up a bit, I’ll be honest. My wife has to occasionally go to Princeton, NJ for work and my job is pretty loose schedule-wise. So sometimes I will offer to drop her off and spend the day at Princeton Record Exchange until she’s ready to go home. The last time I was there, I left with three bags of records and some explaining to do.

What’s the most treasured album in your collection and why? 

There are expensive records I own that I bought on Discogs, or whatever. But I think some of the records that mean the most to me are the ones that are hardest to come by in the wild. I once found the first two Miracle Legion records, The Backyard EP and Surprise Surprise Surprise, for sale at Academy Records in Brooklyn for both under $10. The same thing happened when I went to an InSound garage sale (real heads remember) and I found original pressings of Hearts of Oak by Ted Leo and The Pharmacists and Isolation Drills by Guided By Voices. These kinds of finds all feel like tiny victories!  

What one record in your collection would you be most eager to share with new friends?

Recently, it’s The Prisoners  Better In Black. Out of all the Mod revival bands I’ve heard from the late ‘70s/early 80’s, that don’t count Paul Weller as a member, I feel like this is the band people NEED to hear. There is this intensity to their attack that is similar to The Jam and the bands they were trying to emulate on their first records like The Who, Small Faces, and Dr. Feelgood. But there is also this grooviness where some of their peers seemed a little stiff. That can be attributed to James Taylor’s blaring Hammond organ. 

Do you have a definitive album of choice for spring, summer, autumn, and winter?

For spring: The Kinks, *The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society *   

For summer: Fela Kuti, Expensive Shit 

For fall: Gene Clark, No Other

For winter: For the past three years or so, whenever it gets too cold to go outside, I crack open the massive 11-LP Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot box set and try and learn a little more about how they made that masterwork.   

What is/are your white whale records, something you have your eye on but haven’t been able to get?

Here’s the list I have saved from my notes app… 

Alton Ellis, Sunday Coming

Reigning Sound, Time Bomb High School 

The Blue Nile, Walk Across The Rooftops 

Irma Thomas, Wish Someone Would Care

The Jam, Sound Affects

Tucker Zimmerman, Word Games

Who/what got you hooked on records?

I would say receiving both my parents’ and my Godfather Mick’s record collection when I moved to my first apartment in Brooklyn. I still listen to the copy of ‘The Mississippi John Hurt’ that he gave me. Having a full shelf of records to choose from really sent me on my path to record nerddom and to always ask the question: What else do I need to have on vinyl?    

What’s your favorite record to listen to on headphones?

There are records that I own that are filled to the brim with instrumentation or have interesting mixing choices that I enjoy listening to on headphones. A couple that come to mind are The Flaming Lips’ The Soft Bulletin or Björk’s Vespertine. I can always find something new on either of those albums when listening on headphones. But sometimes I crave something so raw and immediate that it freezes me where I stand. For those times, I reach for this Best Of collection of the early Staple Singers that I own*.* Hearing their harmonies over Pops Staple’s tremolo guitar and then Mavis’ unearthly voice taking the lead hits me like a haymaker. Even though it’s hushed sonically, it is some of the heaviest music I’ve ever heard.  

Tell us a little about your favorite record store

You know, after working in a record store, I came up with this philosophy that there are no truly “bad” record stores. It may be you might not be familiar with what a certain store has to offer. Having said that, it’s hard to argue with spots like Princeton or Amoeba. Lately, I’ve enjoyed places that cater to specific genres. Vinyl Altar here in Philly is a great place to discover metal. Ironically, they have a very hidden yet stacked Reggae section. The last time I went in, I left with a Necrot album and a dub record by Scientist.  

What’s the weirdest record you own? 

A few years back for RSD, R.E.M released a vinyl version of the time in 1991 where they played a two-night stint at London’s The Borderline under the name “Bingo Hand Job.” Sure, I have some harsh noise and alienating metal records in my collection, but breaking this out and showing it to someone who doesn’t know the lore gets a laugh every single time.

How has your record collection and appreciation for vinyl evolved over the years, and what has influenced your tastes?

I tend to get very obsessed with certain artists and try to fill in any gaps I may be missing. I recently did this with Bowie. But now when I’m shopping I tend to go as diversly across my musical interests as possible. When I lived in Prospect Lefferts Garden, I used to shop at this store down the block from me called Record City. The neighborhood was mostly Jamaican and Caribean, so they always had the most amazing Reggae section. I became friendly with Selam Samuel who works there, and also DJs under the moniker Miss Hap, who is incredibly knowledgeable about Reggae and turned me on to the different labels such as Studio One and Treasure Isle. Diving into that world and building up my collection started to filter into different genres for me. Of course, there are classic taste-maker labels like Stax, Motown, Dischord, Touch and Go, etc. But now I have a few current labels I buy based on recommendations such as Trouble in Mind for weirder indie rock, Backwoodz Studios for hip hop, and The Flenser for things on the darker metal/goth end of the spectrum.      

Name the top three records you own that could describe you or your vibe

Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes 

Sam Cooke - Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963 

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere 

What’s the last record you played?

Roots by Curtis Mayfield. “We Got To Have Peace” is one of my favorite songs ever. It never fails to equally make me sad about the state of the world and also get me energized to try and make a difference. The way he repeats “save the children” towards the end gives me chills every time. 

Pat King (He/Him) is a songwriter, record nerd, publicist and reformed music writer who lives in the wonderful city of Philadelphia. To some, he is known as the leader of the Maximum Alt-Country band Labrador, whose new album ‘My Version Of Desire’ will be released on May 30th, 2025 via No Way Of Knowing and Safe Suburban Home Records. To others, he’s that guy with the mustache and messy hair who is at every show with a tote bag and a non-alcoholic beverage.