Please introduce yourself and tell us about the moment you discovered Suede.

Hi, I’m Haris, I live in Athens, Greece and I have been a fan almost from the beginning. The first song I heard was Animal Nitrate, one sunday evening on MTV. Back then, there was a show called “120 Minutes” every Sunday evening that aired alternative rock music. Mind you, back in the day, there was no Youtube or Apple Music or anything on demand, so for a fan of alt rock like me, I had to patiently wait a whole week for those two hours on Sunday, which I taped and replayed for the rest of the week. So, one evening, the show’s host, the always flamboyant Paul King, announced with much excitement the airing of their new single, Animal Nitrate. It took the band about 10 seconds to command my full undivided attention, and for the first chorus for my jaw to drop to the floor. The song was unlike anything I had heard up to then, the music was breathtaking, the voice was mesmerising, and the performance was… well, you know. I knew right there and then that I was onto something and it didn’t take long after that for me to become a huge fan.

What & when was your first Suede purchase?

My first purchase was the debut album on vinyl, around the time it was released. The record player was in the living room (I was sixteen, still in high school and living with my parents) so I had taped it on cassette to obsessively play in my room. Fun fact: for some reason I had skipped recording Breakdown, so when I got a CD player and was able to play the album properly, I realised there was one more song on there! and it was amazing as well.

How do you organise your collection?

Format, then dates of release. Then to add further granularity, the UK releases take priority, followed by the european releases, then Japan and, wherever applicable, US. That’s it I think, i try not to overthink or overcomplicate it.

What's your most treasured item in your collection and why?

I don’t think I am a fetishist in the sense of “omg this is the item I have on a pedestal

and every evening I light incense, chant and offer sacrifices :-) I am very fond of the first five singles, the singles off the debut plus Stay Together, especially their 12” versions, because the artwork was simply stunning, and there was this loose visual thematic connection among them I found very appealing. But then, the band have very rarely disappointed us in terms of the aesthetic part of their releases, they have amazing taste and a keen eye on what will work, what will grab your attention and what will work in conjunction with the music to deliver the highest impact possible, without overshadowing the actual music.

Tell us about your most recent Suede purchase.

It is not exactly Suede, it is the Tears, the japanese LP, and it is currently travelling the globe from Tokyo to finally come and live with the family :-)

Is there any item that was in your reach and you now regret not buying?

Nope. I am the Pokemon Master of Suede releases. Gotta catch ‘em all.

What's on your wishlist for your collection?

the “Be My God” white label 12”. One day, I am sure…