Dead Dog Records

When Sunrise Records closed its doors a year and a half ago, Stephen Yorke saw an opportunity. During his 33-year tenure as manager, he had always wanted to open a store of his own. “But every time I got bored, they would give me something else to do, so it never came to fruition,” he says.

With Sunrise’s demise, Stephen got the push he needed to strike out on his own. Partnering with former employees Maesy Kitching and Kristie Callaghan, whom Stephen calls his top dogs, Dead Dog Records was born. Landing in the west end neighbourhood of Bloordale, the shop opened its doors in May 2015. The location was in fact the idea of his younger partners, he explains. “They convinced me that in a year’s time this would be the place to be, and I believe it now.”