DJ Cherry Cola played at Amsterdam Vinyl Club on 18 February 2026. A long-time supporter of our club, we were thrilled to see him hit the decks and tear through a raw, high-energy punk set.

Meet DJ Cherry Cola on:

• Instagram

An interview with DJ Cherry Cola

Tell us about yourself.
I’ve been a music fan for a long time, but the turning point for me was getting into the DIY punk scene in my late teens, growing up in the New Jersey suburbs.

Then I went to college and worked at the college radio station, which became a big focus for a while. After that, I got back into the punk scene – playing in bands, meeting people and building friendships through local shows.

That’s something I’ve always loved about music – it’s not just about listening, it’s about community. You can start out as a fan, but suddenly you’re part of a scene, meeting bands you’ve listened to for years and sharing the same spaces.

What were you listening to when you first got into music?
I grew up in a bit of a bubble! My first exposure was just listening to the radio with my dad – oldies stations, and then early 1990s alt-rock.

There were loads of songs I recognised before I even knew what they were. But the first band I properly discovered for myself was Green Day – that was a big moment. That opened the door to everything else, especially getting into local punk scenes.

Since moving to Amsterdam, have you been going to many gigs?
It’s been a bit slow so far, but I’m getting there.

One of the things I love is reconnecting with people through music. I’ve got a friend, Stefan, who runs a label called Stardumb – lots of pop punk, garage, melodic stuff – and I’ve seen some shows through that.

I’ve also gone to Rotterdam a few times for gigs, and I went to a panel at Concerto about the punk scene in the Netherlands – although it turned out to be entirely in Dutch! Still, I picked up a compilation and discovered some new bands.

I’m definitely trying to get more involved in the local scene here.

Have you played DJ sets before, or is this your first?
This is my first proper DJ set.

I did DJ in college for about four years, and even managed the station towards the end, but a lot of that was digital. I did play some vinyl, but it’s very different from this kind of setting.

There’s a big difference between playing in an empty student centre on a Tuesday night while eating leftover chicken fingers and playing a proper set at an event like this!

So yeah, I’m really excited.

Do you have a big record collection?
We actually catalogued our collection recently – between my partner and I, we’ve got about 575 records, including LPs and 7-inches.

We had to scale down a bit when we moved, which I definitely regret in some cases! There are records I got rid of that I wish I still had.

My partner’s rule was “we’re not getting rid of any records”… which I didn’t fully stick to. And now I’m paying for it.

Are you buying more records now you’re in Amsterdam?
Oh, absolutely. The record stores here are amazing.

Honestly, I’m slightly worried I’m going to ruin myself financially, because there’s just so much great stuff that wasn’t accessible before.

I also love buying records when I travel – it’s like a souvenir. If I’m in a new place, I’ll try to find something local. My fiancée and I were in Belgium recently and I hunted down Belgian records while we were there.

It’s the same with gigs – if there’s a tour edition record or something special, I love picking that up. It turns the record into a memory as well.

Finally – is there a holy grail record you’re still searching for?
One that really stands out is an album by one of my favourite bands, Toys That Kill.

I’ve got all their records on vinyl except for their third album. I had it on CD at the time, but now I just can’t find it anywhere.

They’re on a label called Recess Records, which is very much my thing – catchy, lo-fi, a bit rough around the edges. I’ve been lucky over the years with mail order and random finds – sometimes labels suddenly uncover old stock and you get lucky.

But that one record is still out there, and I’m definitely trying to track it down.