Honest Jon's opens new record shop in central London

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  • The beloved Ladbroke Grove spot is setting up another storefront in King's Cross.
  • Honest Jon's opens new record shop in central London image
  • Honest Jon's has arrived in King's Cross. The West London gem is making its way more central, opening up in the newly renovated area surrounding Granary Square in King's Cross. Currently located on Portobello Road in Ladbroke Grove, Honest Jon's has previously lived on nearby Golborne Road and in Camden Town. The team also runs a popular record label. Honest Jon's cofounder Alan Scholefield told Resident Advisor that the idea for the new location came from a friend who was tasked with "inviting independent and interesting shops" to the recently redeveloped area. "It's obviously a bit sort of bells and whistles and corporate sort of stuff on one hand," he said. "But [there's] kind of an interesting vibe on the other with the art college and the railway stations... the British Library and St. Pancras Church." The new shop will be a "smaller microcosmic reflection" of the HQ in terms of musical selection. "The thing about Honest Jon's is we've been in that shop since '79—so 40 years there and several years around the corner—so one thing you do accumulate is a lot of stuff," said Scholefield. "We've got a lot of records. Having stock was not a problem." He also said that the new retail space will give them the opportunity to present and sell "a few things that have been lurking in the basement," such as "several shelves of interesting music books that we've accumulated over the years." The sister shop is currently in the soft-open phase at Lower Stable Street in Coal Drops Yard. Scholefield said he hopes to sell their first record today. On Thursday, November 1st, Honest Jon's DJs Zakia and buk'z will be spinning at the area's opening night, and on Saturday, November 3rd, NTS Radio is hosting and broadcasting from the shop's launch party, with LA artist and cellist Kelsey Lu performing live, plus DJs sets from Paul Camo and the Touching Bass collective. Expect similar events to crop up over the next six months, too. "There'll be some nice unpretentious, inexpensive (i.e. free) things going on," says Scholefield. There's no need to worry that this new spot spells trouble for the Ladbroke Grove storefront. "We're not leaving Portobello Road!" reassured Scholefield. "We're leaving Portobello Road when the hearse arrives and not before." Honest Jon's will be open seven days a week on Lower Stable Street in Coal Drops Yard. Learn more about Honest Jon's history in Aaron Coultate's 2015 feature, featuring interviews with its founders, regulars and more.
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