Interview: Jenn D’Eugenio (Women In Vinyl)

The belief that the vinyl record universe is exclusively a male interest has never seemed more antiquated. Back in 2018 Jenn D’Eugenio (Chief of Sales at Furnace Record Pressing) sought to shatter this perception with the launch of Women In Vinyl.

From mastering studios to record labels, vinyl retailers and pressing plants – successful women can be found in all corners of the music industry. This is in part thanks to the ongoing efforts of a handful of non-profit initiatives, all with a mission to promote gender diversity and inclusion. I caught up with Jenn D’Eugenio in April 2020 to understand more about the motivations behind launching the website and what the community can do to empower women in all sectors of the vinyl record industry.

Women In Vinyl is a fantastic initiative. What first prompted you to start the website?

Women in Vinyl was started as a side project I created while there was this meme going around that drove me crazy. It was of a 1950s couple, the man is holding a record with a speech bubble reading, “This is the first pressing of Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin released in 1975. See, you can tell it’s got made in the UK and no Warner logo.” The guy’s wife is sitting there knitting and her speech bubble mentions how she couldn’t care less. It drove me crazy because I’ve been a vinyl collector since before the vinyl revival and while I understand the sentiment, why did it have to appear as if the wives or women didn’t care? It was getting re-posted like crazy and no one thought to stop for a second and see the bigger picture. That, along with the way I’d been treated a few times in record stores as well as in my job got me thinking about a way to change people’s perception. Once I started working in manufacturing and saw all these amazing women running record labels, record stores and presses I realized something needed to be said.

Reading the profiles completed so far, there are many unique stories about starting a career in music. How did you first get involved in the industry?

I have always loved music and it’s always been a part of my life, but I never knew how to have a career in it. I was friends with musicians but didn’t play instruments, I didn’t really know about various job opportunities in the industry and definitely didn’t know the avenues into them. I went into design having always been an artist, and was a print and pattern designer for major retailers for a while. I then was a career adviser for the art college I went to and then transitioned to ‘selling a dream’ as an admissions rep there. After that I went into sales for a t-shirt printing company in Nashville and I liked that I was able to combine my sales, advising, and design knowledge into one career. I had lived all over the U.S. so when Furnace Record Pressing opened in the area where I grew up it felt like the right time to come home and try for an opportunity doing the same thing I was doing with selling and education or t-shirts but with my passion, vinyl. I’ve always had a love for records from the sound to the art and physical product, so being able to combine that with the making of vinyl is perfect for me.

You regularly attend industry events and meet people from different corners of our industry. What have the responses been like to the website?

I’m so thankful for how truly supportive everyone has been. If anyone in our industry doesn’t like it or feels some kind of way about it, they haven’t said. A lot of talk at the last Making Vinyl conference from people I spoke to was about the new generation in the industry. I think that definitely is seeing the inclusion of more women, and the generation passing the baton has been very open, supportive and accepting. There have been a few people on social media not related to the industry who have said negative things but you can’t change everyone, so I just keep on spreading these amazing stories.

The website currently contains around 70 profiles and interviews. Which ones would you recommend to a newcomer as must-reads?

All of them! I couldn’t pick and choose, that would be like singling out a favorite. Each woman brings a unique perspective and provides an interesting journey as to how they found their way to where they are now. My suggestion would be that if you have a career path you think you’d be interested in, like owning a record store or working at a pressing plant maybe start with that interest and continue expanding from there. I personally think that all the women are amazing role models not just for girls who are maybe interested in a future with vinyl but really for anyone that is interested in how to get into the field.

The website has profiled women working in many areas of the music industry. Are there any areas in particular where you would like to see more diversity in future?

I think they all require continued acceptance and diversity. No area is perfect or better than another. Any female can be an engineer or a business owner or run a machine, but it’s the acceptance of and ability to open those opportunities to women that is where the change lies. Now that vinyl has become one of the main mediums to appreciate music again, it’s the time now to teach kids, get into high schools, and open opportunities for women to find and explore these career paths. If we do that now maybe there will no longer be a need for talking about inclusiveness in this field.

What can we do to encourage more women to get involved in our industry?

Ask questions, take chances, network and find role models in this industry. So many of the people I reach out to are more than willing to talk, share, and connect with others. Also, don’t be afraid to not know how to do something. Vinyl can be scary, especially as a woman entering into it, but there are a lot of safe spaces out there for you to learn. I often refer people to the Vinyl Factory’s FAQs on ‘Everything you always wanted to know about vinyl but were too afraid to ask’. A few great places for mentors, or how to get involved are Soundgirls.org, Women’s Audio Mission, EIPMA.ORG, GRAMMY’s #WomenInTheMix… and I hope that Women in Vinyl is one of them as well!

For more information about the blog and to read the profiles visit womeninvinyl.com.

Follow Jenn on Instagram – @jennn_erator

Photo credits: Jenn D’Eugenio, Claire Pace (Discogs), Jett Galindo (The Bakery), Katy Clove (Merge Records)