Vinyl Soul-Matt Grainger
Vinyl Soul
An Interview With Matt Grainger
Vinyl Soul is a Warrington-based small business which creates artwork inspired by music. Rather brilliantly Vinyl Soul will be producing artwork for the Neighbourhood Weekender, the now well-known 3-day festival hosted by SJM Concerts which is a firm favourite on the festival goers list.
In an illustrative or graphic design style, icons of the music world and popular culture are represented on framed prints, posters, mugs, greeting cards and more recently t-shirts and hoodies. Using bold colours and a simplistic style, each design subject is ‘faceless’ but is easily identifiable and often set in an iconic scene befitting to the subject. Subjects range from icons of indie, rock and pop, to mod culture mopeds, camper vans, to football teams and even pet portraits or more personal commissions of family members.
Some huge names have embraced Vinyl Soul or have gotten involved, including Paul Weller and Ocean Colour Scene. More recently Vinyl Soul designs have been selected for use in the promotion of this year‘s SJM Neighbourhood Weekender Festival, held each May in Warrington.
NSGs Janet Harding caught up with Matt Grainger, the talented creator of Vinyl Soul, to chat about what this means to him, all things music and inspiration, among other things.
Janet: Tell me about Vinyl Soul – how did it all start?
Matt: Well at school I loved art, especially graphic design, then went on to study it at college, going on further to Salford University. I then worked as an illustrator, then a graphic designer. In 2016 I started Vinyl Soul and I suppose it’s just evolved ever since. I think creativity does have an organic evolution. I’ve always been artistic and always loved music, it’s a huge inspiration, and always has been, so to marry the two just seemed obvious…destined I suppose.
Janet: So music’s clearly hugely influential (understandably), but what else inspires you and your work?
Matt: D S Lowry is a big influence, being quite local; Salford borders Warrington, and me being there whilst at uni. I love how he painted the every day, the mundane, his surroundings, I’m massively influenced by my surroundings, my home town. Warrington features heavily in my work; I’m proud of my home town and of being working class and celebrate this through my art. I’m like a sponge, wherever I am I tend to soak up everything around me, homing in on what I can use; it might be insignificant to others but I mentally collect references, be it for settings, situations, backgrounds, a detail etc.
(Weekender_The Raytons_Vinyl Soul-Matt Granger)
Janet: So, the music aspect of your work, tell me about that.
Matt: Well as I say, music has been a massive part of my life and hugely influential. Music inspires, excites, it ignites a passion – you’ll know from being involved in the music scene, but music, especially live music, just lifts you, gives you something that just makes you think “Yes I can do this, I’m having some of this”.
Janet: Agree, totally. Music is like a life force of energy, it’s my passion and certainly inspires me, and you’re right, live music especially.
Matt: Exactly, so I guess some of what I do is kind of my tribute, like a thank you to the artists and musicians that have had so much impact on me, in my life, growing up, what my dad listened to, and as inspiration to my art and starting Vinyl Soul. I absolutely love what I do and genuinely get excited when seeing a band, I’ll start seeing in my mind an image, where I could place them, what details I’ll use, colour schemes, wording etc.
Janet: So tell me about that, what are some of the themes you’ve worked on?
Matt: I can do commissions, basically any artist/band/musician that a client/customer requests. (I’ve done football players, family portraits, and even pets and camper vans). Musically I’ve done a pretty wide variety, from the Smiths to The Beatles, Oasis – all sorts really. I’ve done a lot of mod stuff, especially Paul Wellar, I’ve worked with his sister on a few projects, One was an exhibition in Brighton, which was amazing. I’ve worked with Ocean Colour Scene and most recently I’ve been working with the Neighbourhood Weekender festival which is massive for me.
(The Smiths_Vinyl Soul-Matt Granger)
Janet: Yeah, that’s huge, well done! How did that come about? Obviously, it’s a big one in the festival diary now, but more so for Warrington folk, being in our home town.
Matt: Yeah exactly, and I’ve deliberately linked it into Warrington by situating the bands/artists in locally well-known places in and around our town. I’ve kept it relevant in any way I can, to the music/songs of artists, For example, I’ve put Jarvis Cocker (Pulp headline) by the famous (in Warrington) Skittles fountain in the town centre, the relevance being lyrics in the song ‘Disco 200’ – ‘the fountain down the road’. But how it all came about? Well (laughs), basically I was cheeky, I just kept pushing designs. It was totally unofficial, I just did the poster designs for myself, as a personal project really. Then they got tweeted – then retweeted, until one day Clint Boon shared them, which was bonkers, but brilliant, Next thing Paul Heaton is sharing them too! It all gets a bit surreal. Then I was approached by someone involved in the festival and was asked to submit my posters with a view to being used. To be honest I didn’t hold out much hope, but did anyway, I thought “Why not?”. They came back to me asking if they could use them. It gets more surreal – they commissioned more!
Janet: It’s brilliant, Totally surreal, but well deserved. Can you give some examples of settings etc for the Weekender posters?
Matt: OK yeah, So I’ve put Reverend and the Makers outside a local boxing gym, that’s referencing the song “Heavyweight Champion of the World“; Ocean Colour Scene outside Warrington Bank Quay Station (with Lever Brothers’ factory in the background), that was an obvious choice for the song “The Day we Caught the Train”; The Reytons in’ Peggy McCool’s Bar’ for a ‘Slice of Lime’. Others are just placed in settings around Warrington that are just iconic, or locally anyway. I’ve got Anne Marie by the ‘pink eye‘ (a huge building painted pink with a tear dropping from a huge eye painted on it, known as the pink eye. No one seems to know why it’s there or its relevance; Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott by a bus stop at Victoria Park which is the location of the festival; Jamie Webster is by a street sign of Orford Lane, a well-known road and local hub which leads into town centre; and The K’s, in reference to their song “Home Town” are placed in the estate I grew up in. 
Weekender_ Paul Heaton_Pulp_Vinyl Soul-Matt Granger)
Janet: What’s next for Vinyl Soul?
Matt: Well, I’ve been working on an album artwork for Skeletal Family, which is a huge honour and really exciting. Brilliant band with a huge following, it’s been great to be involved with. I’m working on various charity posters, I’ve started a clothing range in memory of my Dad, who is another huge inspiration to me – all I do is for my Dad; and a collection of Northern Soul posters, again inspired and in tribute to my Dad (with other family members on) – another link to Warrington as Northern Soul was/is huge here.
Janet: It’s been a great afternoon chatting with Matt; his passion for both music and his art is obvious and the love of his roots, upbringing, family and home town of Warrington. As well as posters and prints, Matt’s designs are available on greetings cards, mugs and calendars Look out for Vinyl Soul posters advertising the Neighbourhood Weekender and check out Matt’s other projects. It’s one inspiring success story for sure – hard work, talent, a love of what he does and in his words “A bit of cheek‘” really can pay off. It’s inspiring, to say the least. Through his original art and images of iconic musicians, Matt really is giving Vinyl its Soul.
To follow Matt (Vinyl Soul) on social media clock on the links below.
To view the entire gallery, click the numbers below the last bottom photo on the right or click on an image to see it larger and scroll through
