Would you care to introduce yourself?
My name is Stephen McCaffrey and I am involved with a new label called RE:PEATER Records which is run by the band SHe’S HiT. From Sept 2007 - June 2010 I ran Lucky Number Nine Records. This is going to be a pretty straight interview, I’ll leave the jokes to Al from Armellodie - he’s wittier than me.
What inspired you to start your own label?
Probably the same reason as most people with independent ideals; there’s a wide variety of good music being made that largely goes unnoticed by the mainstream and I wanted to help raise the profile of the bands I really enjoyed.
Who do you have signed to your label?
The intention with Lucky Number Nine was to try and bring more attention to bands that we thought had the potential to sign to bigger indie labels. We mainly released vinyl singles and featured loads of bands across several genres including Zoey Van Goey, Astral Planes, Peter Parker and Je Suis Animal.
RE:PEATER is dedicated to two bands, Jacob Yates & the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers and SHe’S HiT, and will release singles and albums.
Being based in Scotland do you only sign Scottish artists?
I don’t think I’d like to restrict releases to Scottish artists - if you hear something unsigned that you like, and would be happy owning, then why not release it? The bands location shouldn’t matter.
She's Hit - Miriam Hollow
Is this something you do as a hobby or can you make a living from it?
Anyone in the music industry will tell you how difficult it is to sell records at the moment but I do believe that with a lot of hard work and a lot of luck it would be possible run a label full-time - it wouldn’t be champagne and limousines though, more like beans on toast and Scotrail.
Do you have a certain type of sound that you look for in a band?
I enjoy a lot of different styles of music and Lucky Number Nine certainly wasn’t restricted to one particular sound but with RE:PEATER we are looking for bands that complement each other. I’d like to get to the stage where people are buying our records without hearing them first because they trust that it will sound as good as something they have bought from us previously.
Jacob Yates - You Started At The Bottom
How do you go about deciding which artists you want to work with? How do you go about approaching them?
We’re looking for artists with individuality, good songs and that have a realistic idea of what they can achieve. We’re not interested in people that think they should be bigger than the Beatles, one man and his guitar crying about his worst break-up or watered down Biffy or Belle & Sebastian copy-cats.
What has been you personal highlight from running the label so far? What has been your biggest success?
The main highlight is getting a delivery of vinyl from the factory and playing it for the second time - the first time you’re too worried that something will be wrong with it.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone wanting to start up their own label, what would it be and why?
Be patient and do your research - there’s no point in rushing a release as it won’t get the attention it deserves, regardless of how good it is.
What can we expect to see and hear from the label in the future?
Our debut release is a split 7” & Download single from SHe’S HiT and Jacob Yates & the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers which will come out on the 18th of October. The Lock Pickers LP will be out in the first quarter of 2011.
RE:PEATER RECORDS are launching the label with a show tomorrow night (Friday 17th September) at the 13th Note in Glasgow. There will be live performances from Fur Hood, SHe'S HiT and headlining will be the labels first signing - Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers. Doors are at 8pm and entry is a meagre £4, get it done.
RE:PEATER RECORDS
SHe’S HiT
Jacob Yates & the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers
No comments:
Post a Comment