Vinyl Vibes and Rock Legends: How Innersleeve Records Became a Cornerstone in Amagansett

Amagansett’s Main Street is home to InnerSleeve Records, the only record store east of Patchogue.

The name of Craig Wright’s business pays homage to a tiny record shop he owned in San Francisco in the early 1990s. Wright has been in business for over 13 years, first in the Amagansett Square and then moving to Main Street, making InnerSleeve Records one of the longest-lasting brick-and-mortar shops in the hamlet.

“I’ve been in the music business for most of my life on both coasts,” Wright said, while standing behind the counter of his shop, getting his ducks in a row for his annual Record Store Day event, which is held on April 12 of each year. Record Store Day is when certain releases are only available at independent record shops.

Wright took the chance on a space in Amagansett Square in 2012. It had been vacant for some time, he recalled, and the landlords were willing to negotiate with a one-year lease.

“I wasn’t actively looking to open a record store, but I always wanted to do something musical,” Wright said. “It was a chance of opportunity. I worked for music companies in retail on the West Coast.”

Since then, business has been booming, and within the last two years, Wright has doubled the size of his store at his Main Street location to keep up with the demand. He recently signed a second, 10-year lease on the space.

“The new vinyl has really exploded in the last five, six years,” Wright explained while Chris Clark, a manager at Innersleeve Records, popped a vinyl into the record player. “Everything that comes out now, all new releases, also come out on vinyl — the new Taylor Swift, Arctic Monkeys. Shopping for vinyl is just as natural as shopping for jeans.”

In March 2024, Beyoncé released her debut country album, “Cowboy Carter,” with Innersleeve Records being one of the only record stores to be used for promotional content for the Grammy-winning recording artist.

“She was whisked in and whisked out,” Wright remembered, while flipping through photos and videos of Beyoncé posing at Innersleeve Records. Video can be seen on Beyoncé’s social media accounts, and a signed copy of “Cowboy Carter” hangs behind the register along with dozens of other signed albums from musicians who have stopped by to shop — Billy Joel, Paul Simon and Questlove, to name a few. Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers played drums at Innersleeve Records.

“That was the most people we’ve ever had in here,” Wright said, adding that Smith played alongside Nancy Atlas in the corner of the store, which is set up as a stage. “You could not move.”

“We’re actually considered a cornerstone of Amagansett at this point,” Wright said. “If this turned into a Gap tomorrow it would change the vibe of Amagansett. We go hand-in-hand with the burger joint [Rowdy Hall] and Rosie’s. They named a drink after us. And, of course, we go well with the Talkhouse. Everyone who plays at the Talkhouse comes here first — the roadies, the artists, the managers. They go for a sound check at 3 p.m. and have nothing to do till 8 p.m. Of course, they gravitate toward music.”

“We are no longer this big shock,” Wright added. “What? A record store? We were that for a long time. Now you look at the store on a Saturday and there are 20 people shopping. No one is saying it’s unusual anymore.”

In addition to the brick and mortar, Clark explained that InnerSleeve ships all over the world.

“Listening to a record is a totally different experience,” Clark said, comparing listening to vinyl to listening to music digitally. “You sit down and focus on it more when it’s a physical product.”

Clark has been with Wright since the beginning, while also helping his father, Michael Clark, run Crossroads Music, which was a music store in the Amagansett Square for several years.

Wright understands that all who visit don’t necessarily own record players. He wants all patrons to leave with a keepsake, which is why they have lines of T-shirts, guitar picks, tuners, hats, coasters — even a line of glow-in-the-dark rock ’n’ roll-themed Frisbees sold out last year. They also handle music rentals and will even replace guitar strings.

“Grandma might be here for a weekend, and she wants to bring her grandson something cool from Amagansett,” Wright said while perusing through his almost empty sleeve of coasters that he’ll have to restock before summer.

On a typical Saturday in the middle of summer, Wright and Clark both agreed that the store can get “nuts” with dozens of people and staff running back and forth restocking.

“We’re always reordering,” Wright said. “Rumors” by Fleetwood Mac has been one of their hottest sellers throughout the years along with “Tapestry” by Carol King, “Abbey Road” by The Beatles, and “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd, to name a few.

Wright explained that there has been a revival of the vinyl record and having a library is something to be proud of. “If you just have an iPhone, you can’t show off your collection.”

“I’ve always believed there is room for both,” Wright said of digital music and vinyl. “After dinner, you sit in your comfiest chair between your two speakers and put on the record you’ve been waiting to listen to. You stare at the artwork and you’re an active part of it. You have to get up and flip the record. You are a part of the experience.”