About Glitter Records

Hi! Good to meet you. I'm Riley, the proud owner of Glitter Records. In 2022, amid a vibrant resurgence in vinyl culture, I made the leap from music journalism to start an independent record store here in Brisbane. Two years on Glitter Records is now a growing family business with a distinguished collection of over 12,000 vintage vinyl records and rare CDs. We are nestled in California Lane, Fortitude Valley. I warmly welcome you to visit the shop Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 6pm. 

Riley Fitzgerald (born in 1988) is a known figure in Brisbane's cultural landscape, notable for his contributions to music journalism, scholarship, and entrepreneurial ventures.

From 2012 to 2021, he worked as a freelance music journalist. His writing appeared regularly in Australian publications Music Feeds, Happy Magazine, Stoney Roads, and Howl & Echoes. He also made contributions to Collapse Board, an influential alternative music publication founded by Nirvana and Kurt Cobain biographer Everett True. Riley’s diverse body of journalism covers underground music, mental health in the music industry, and memorable interviews with The Jesus & Mary Chain, and members of The Go-Betweens. He also documented the early years of the 2010s vinyl revival.

Parallel to his journalism, Riley independently recorded and released two ambient music EPs. Future Shocks in 2013 and Strange Waters in 2014. Both showcase a talent for creating atmospheric soundscapes. He has also collaborated with Andrew Boyd (a Brisbane artist known for his work in Old Growth Cola and Chivalry). He has appeared live at experimental and free jazz festivals such as Reel Bad Music and Frakreactor.

Riley has also pursued scholarly study of music at The University of Queensland and The University of Melbourne, greatly enhancing his expertise in classical and popular genres. A venture into entertainment law in 2012 provided him with a unique perspective on the legal intricacies of the music industry. In 2020, he founded and edited Cosmic, an Australian psychedelic music and art fanzine publishing longform journalism on acts like Tame Impala and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. He followed Cosmic with the creation of a second digital publication known as The Glitter & Gold in 2021.

In 2022, amidst the resurgence of vinyl culture, Riley founded Glitter Records, a music shop in Brisbane renowned for its contrarian curation and a unique catalog of over 11,000 recordings. Today, Riley remains committed to music that challenges mainstream narratives and, increasingly, the preservation of forgotten recordings. His enduring passion continues to play a role in shaping innovation and new ways of thinking within Australian music.