7 Questions with Amaya Lim of Record Store

"I heard a deer scream while I was in the Tetons last week. I had no idea they made that kind of sound."

Amaya Lim is a member of the bands Buttermother and Bike Lane and makes mixtapes for the modern world over at

Record Store

. She was recently recognized by the Guardian as one of the 33 best Substack newsletters.

Her playlists have 6 unbreakable rules:

1. ten songs;

2. ordered (transitions matter);

3. no repeated artists (I make exceptions for producers and writers, but never features);

4. title from the lyrics of the first track, but not that song’s title;

5. once a song is used in a playlist, I can’t use it again in another (live performance and remixes count as new songs, but rereleases or remastered versions do not);

6. each playlist gets a unique cover image and a number, to keep track of the years and years of music.

These are her responses to The Neary Questionnaire.

What’s in your recycling bin right now?

My literal or my digital recycling bin? The one in my kitchen is full of butcher paper I used to cover my kitchen table while making ceramics. The one on my computer has some homework from the community college class I’m taking.

What was the last everyday sound to inspire you?

I heard a deer scream while I was in the Tetons last week. I had no idea they made that kind of sound.

In a random group of your peers, what competition would you win?

I think I could probably get 10/10 on one of those Elle Song Association games, but only because I want to be prepared if I ever get to do one and practice regularly.

What’s an extravagance that you view as essential?

I bought a Garmin watch this week. Once I started running with a watch I felt like I couldn’t run without one, and my old Apple watch just kicked the bucket.

What’s the scariest app on your phone?

Definitely TikTok.

What record could you listen to every day for the rest of your life?

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco.

What's a lesson you learned that split your life into a before and an after? 

I didn’t get into most of the colleges that I applied to, and that was definitely very humbling for me as a straight A student. I stopped thinking about grades as being a measure of my worth as a person, and ever since I’ve had a way more balanced and healthy relationship with work.