This summer brought new businesses to Vashon and changes to existing shops — from a record store to Scandinavian design and a place to get a set of wheels.

Side Stack Records

Isaac Slade, the former lead singer of The Fray, now features the band’s records at Side Stack Records, the new record store on the island.

Driven by his conviction that “every town needs a record store,” Slade opened this shop next door to Voice of Vashon in January, as his first venture since stepping away from his rockstar career.

The transition from his Victorian house in Denver to a small waterfront cabin on the island six years ago has been a shock to the system, he said.

“For a couple of years it was really hard,” Slade said. “I used to be recognized all the time for autographs and photos and have enormous crowds cheering for me … it was a whole ecosystem of validation. … You start thinking [that’s] why you matter.”

Moving to Vashon, he found that not only was he unrecognized, but people also kept him at arm’s length, he said.

“[Islanders] don’t want to open their hearts to somebody who is just going to leave,” he said.

After relocating to Vashon full-time, selling his house in Colorado, and wearing sweatpants at Thriftway, he said people gradually began to warm up to him.

In a perfect world, finding internal validation and establishing roots on Vashon would be the advice he’d offer to struggling lead singers, he said.

“It’s the perfect place to come down,” Slade said. “Vashon is a mossy, gentle landing.”

Slade and his ex-wife had family in Washington but had never visited Vashon until he moved there in 2016.

He was searching on Redfin for a vacation home within a two-and-a-half-hour radius of the airport, given his ongoing travel schedule, and specifically looking for waterfront property. Three days later, his mom found a cabin that fit the bill, and he flew out and committed.

“We retroactively fell in love [with Vashon],” he said, describing it as the perfect place to raise his kids.

With a focus on his two children’s education at Harbor School, the record store has become a cherished clubhouse for Slade.

Records have been part of his life since he was a little kid, Slade said.

One of his earliest musical memories is from when he was five years old. He vividly recalls putting on a record and bouncing around the house, playfully hiding behind walls with his brother, clad in a footed onesie.

“The sound is just so much better,” Slade said. “It’s organic, it’s more human. One sounds like a computer and one sounds like a human body.”

The record selection offers a blend of the new and the old, featuring both recently purchased vinyl and collections inherited from islanders and the building’s previous landlord. It includes modern hitmakers like Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan, Slade’s personal favorites including The National and James Blake, and of course, The Fray.

The tiny shop, which is always brimming with music, will demo any record upon request.

Open daily from noon to eight, Slade is usually there on Mondays.

“[Vashon] is the community that has held me together, held me on the ground, held me while I started dreaming big about my future,” he said.

Slade has big plans for the shop, ​​including hosting a weekly radio show with commentary and record-spinning with the help of Voice of Vashon, setting up a miniature version of NPR’s Tiny Desk concerts, and even bringing in live performances both inside and outside the store.

“It’s thrilling to start finding what I want to do again,” Slade said. “People need this place, myself included.”

Mostly Nordic

Christina Eriksson owns Mostly Nordic, a new Scandinavian lifestyle store in Vashon Village. (Aspen Anderson photo)

Mostly Nordic, a new lifestyle store at Vashon Village, lives up to its name, offering a collection infused with Scandinavian design while blending in touches of Seattle and Vashon Island charm, and lots of the owner’s favorite animal: rabbits.

Owned by Christina Eriksson, a part-time weekend islander, the shop boasts hunter green floors and offers a distinctive selection of Nordic goods, including licorice.

It is quickly becoming a go-to destination for gifts, she said.

“Scandinavia is very far ahead when it comes to sustainability,” she said. “It’s about simplicity. Less is more.”

Eriksson, a Swedish expatriate who has called the eastside of Seattle home for two decades, has crafted a store that embodies Scandinavian simplicity and island charm. This is her first foray into retail.

“I think it has been above my expectations, because I never planned to open a store here,” Eriksson said.

Among the eclectic offerings are reindeer leather necklaces, stuffed animals crafted from pajama scraps, and tablecloths adorned with fish and vegetables. The shop also features reusable gardening bags made from sugarcane, and a selection of Scandinavian candies, including award-winning licorice and elderflower and lingonberry syrups.

“Swedes eat a lot of candy, even as adults,” Eriksson said with a laugh.

One of her favorite items in the shop are portable, shadeless lamps.

“They are a modern version of a candlelight lantern,” she said.

Another favorite of hers are the Australian “Merry People” rain boots. Mostly Nordic is the only store in Washington to carry them, Eriksson said, but she anticipates they will become a popular trend across America.

The shop will host its inaugural workshop on September 25, in collaboration with a woman of Sami heritage — an indigenous people of Scandinavia. Participants can create their own reindeer leather bracelets.

In Sweden, there’s a tradition known as “Friday coziness,” where families come together after the work and school week to enjoy food and each other’s company. Eriksson hopes to introduce a similar experience to Vashon Island, potentially hosting a monthly event at the shop that includes snacks and fosters bonding.

The shop features Moomintroll, a beloved Finnish troll from the Moomin series, which originated in Finland and has a rich history of storytelling. Eriksson has seen strong sales of Moomin products, with islanders frequently coming in to share that they grew up with their parents reading them the books.

Vashon Boards

Owner Dustin Landry has moved Vashon Boards into a new space on Vashon Highway. (Aspen Anderson photo)

Over Memorial day weekend, skateboard shop Vashon Boards relocated to the former Vashon Adventures storefront across the street from Snapdragon, bringing greater visibility to the island’s only skate shop.

The skateboard shop previously operated out of Luna Bella and Burton for the past six years, but owner Dustin Landry’s journey with Vashon Boards began in the back of a box truck behind Burton Coffee Stand.

“It’s a hobby,” Landry said. “It kind of always will be a hobby, because it’s an island and it’s a skateboard shop.”

Landry is driven by a passion for the sport that has been with him since he was a kid.

“It doesn’t make millions, but it’s not for that reason,” Landry said. “It’s to be a part of the community, and get kids involved in skateboarding.”

Landry said he collaborates with distributors and a Seattle-based shop to source blank skateboards, which he then customizes with heat-transferred graphics. Most of the board graphics are designed by family, friends, or Landry himself. He’s currently working on a new design that will feature the look of a ferry ticket.

The inclusion of skateboarding in the 2021 Olympics thrilled Landry, as it elevated the sport’s legitimacy and made it something to proudly share with family.

His manager, Bobby Dod, has been with Landry from the start and offers skate classes on the island. Additionally, Matt Johnson, a Vashon High School student intern, is being trained with the goal of eventually stepping into a managerial role.

Landry has ambitious plans for Vashon Boards, aiming to host events, bring in food trucks, and set up ramps behind the store to create more community space.

“It’s more visible [here],” Landry said. “We have gained more companies that are willing to give me a chance.”