Fiona was discovered as a tiny kitten in a mail chute (yes, really), rescued by a kind soul, and promptly adopted into her forever home by Greycat’s founders. From humble beginnings, she quickly ascended the ranks to become the undisputed CEO and muse of Greycat Records.

Equal parts mysterious and majestic, Fiona is without question the most goth of us all. Whether she’s surveying inventory from a shadowy corner or silently judging your record picks, her presence is felt in every corner of the store.

She spends her days prowling the halls, inspecting boxes and occasionally knocking over Joy Division records just to keep us on our toes.

When she’s not overseeing store operations from her favorite sunbeam, Fiona enjoys a steady supply of Churus and long naps during darkwave albums. Her favorite song? “All Cats Are Grey” by The Cure, naturally.

Follow Fiona's journey on Instagram: @batcatfiona

Meet the guy who had the crazy idea of starting an online record store focused on the darker and lesser-known corners of music.

I wasn’t raised in a particularly musical household. Growing up, Top 40 ruled our car rides (shoutout to B96 and my mom belting “Here Comes the Hotstepper”). It wasn’t until junior high that I started exploring my own taste in music. Chicago’s Q101 became my lifeline — Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, anything “alternative.” But everything shifted one early Sunday morning when I stumbled onto their “left-of-the-dial” show (the name escapes me right now).

Having tuned in mid-song, I was greeted with a synth line that evoked a different feeling than all the music I’d heard up to that point. Then came a coarse, “ugly” baritone croon: “Love my way, it's a new road. I follow where my mind goes.”

That moment was a spark. It made me realize there was a whole new world of music yet to be explored. As a smug teen, I thought I knew everything. I knew nothing. I wanted, nay needed more of this. A similar moment would come a few months later when I stumbled upon Joy Division’s “Disorder”: “I’ve been waiting for a guide to come and take me by the hand"

This was it. This was the sound. It spoke directly to my soul. From there, it was haunting record stores and picking people’s brains about everything JD. I still get goosebumps thinking back on those moments in my life. It’s been a long and rewarding journey. From Bauhaus and Sioxsie to newer kids like Harsh Symmetry, I hope to share it all with you. 

My vinyl obsession started early. I grew up surrounded by my dad’s extensive classical record collection. I later got my musical education in high school from late-night sessions with my local college radio station, WVUM-FM. Hearing tracks from Suede’s Sci-Fi Lullabies and Pavement’s cover of Echo and the Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon” opened up a brand new world of music for me.

Every paycheck from my part-time job went straight to Britpop imports (and I have no regrets). Unfortunately I was not a well informed teenager and never took care of my vinyls so they all ended up damaged, with the vinyl jackets adorning my walls as posters instead.

I later took to the airwaves myself, DJing at my university’s radio station, WLUW. Here I was able to dive deep into post-punk, glam rock, goth, and more indie rock than my cd holder could handle.

At some point streaming took over and I began to miss the ritual that came from listening to a new album. The act of opening up the packaging, reading the liner notes, admiring the artwork, and taking in the sound. Thus, my love for vinyls became reignited.

My current musical taste leans heavily toward post-punk, but it spans across genres. Patrick Wolf, The Handsome Family, and Chelsea Wolfe are just a glimpse into the mix. Recent discoveries like Heartworms and Radio Free Alice have also quickly earned permanent spots in the rotation, while Blur, The Cure, and Depeche Mode remain my all-time favorites.