First job within the industry - and how you got it?
I did a philosophy and sociology degree and completed it with a 35,000 word thesis on ”Prohibition as an ineffective social policy” and so thought I would go into drug counseling. I moved to Brighton and thought I would follow my love of music and writing, so started writing for local magazines, did some editing work and in my spare time did some club flyering and promotion. I met (my now co-owner label partner) Robert Luis at around this stage and he had a small record label and I helped promote it alongside a club night we started (called phonic: hoop – which then ended up running for 6 years). We decided to work together on the label after the success of the first artist album by Bonobo (now signed to Ninja Tune).
How did you work your way up to where you are?
Rob and I had very little experience of record labels from the inside. He had run a small and problematic label (his maths was and is terrible!) so we basically set about learning on the job. Ten years later and we are still learning.
What has been the highest point of your career?
Probably winning Record Label of the Year on Gilles Peterson’s show on BBC Radio One. It was a huge honour and we felt a significant point of reaching a good level of respect from that audience. We have always been fans of Gilles, and for the label and all its acts to be voted by the listeners was a great thing.
People you have the fondest memories working with?
The most enjoyable part of running an independent label is that you are so hands on and it involves making some great friends. I have driven the Quantic Soul Orchestra to many gigs, I have got drunk in a swimming pool in Switzerland with Alice Russell and I have had years of laughing with Bonobo. Add to that a road trip in Australia with Lance (main man of The Bamboos and Lanu) and celebrating Ben (Nostalgia 77)’s wedding, I have had a lot of fantastic memories.
Most stressful part of your job?
There is no two ways about it; it can be a very hard job. I feel I am on call 24 hours a day. People are always gigging around the world and need information. There are always issues with vinyl manufacturing etc…. But more than anything this is an office job. I deal with VAT, accounting, bills, staff issues, rent and wages. Last week the office was broken into! It isn’t always glamorous.
Best part of your job?
It is far far easier to deal with all that office stuff, when you are working with something you are passionate about. I love the music, the gigs, the clubs, the festivals and the people that we have met over the years. To go to a party in Cannes and hang out with the bosses of Ninja Tune, Compost, Freestyle, First Word, Sonar Kollektiv, Raw Fusion, Daptone, BBE and Wah Wah is a true pleasure for me. We are genuinely all involved for the love of music and so there is very little competition, bitching or issues, we are just all trying to push a certain style of music.
What would your advice be to people wanting to work within the industry?
It is getting more and more difficult for people. Only 10% of the industry earns £40k+ so it is becoming hard to make a living for both artists and employees. We have a lot of people who come to us for work experience and sadly only 20% of them seem to realise that there is a lot of work involved and you have to work hard to get noticed. You need to put the graft in to get somewhere. We were fortunate that we ran the clubs as we took no money from the label for a good few years, which is the only way we survived.
How has the digital revolution changed your role?
We started the label ten years ago this September and the digital revolution had already started to have an effect. You have to consider that the music industry had a very very lucrative period for a long time before that, and a CD could only be bought in a store. So the music industry had a lot of people involved for the money. They have certainly had their bubbles burst since. As for us, we realised early on that music sales were getting tougher, so we involved ourselves in most aspects of our artists work (their recording, their publishing, maybe some live stuff, merchandise etc..) and now that is the norm for most labels. We have a really amazing fan base of people who support us and buy the music. We think they understand that we are in it for the right reasons and they choose to buy the music for this reason (and maybe feel less concerned downloading some US hip hop star that is clearly minted!).
Is there anything about the work you’d like to change – and why?
There is a continually disappointing aspect of running a label in the UK, which is Radio One and its failure to support smaller, indie releases. They look at how much promo spend you are making before considering putting you on a playlist. If you go to Australia then you can hear Alice Russell, Quantic and even an act called The Broken Keys (that I am sure you will not have heard of) on Tru Thoughts all being played on the mainstream breakfast radio. This is the same in France, Switzerland and others and it is a shame that this doesn’t happen over here. It would be nice for people to hear a range of new music. I don’t mind X Factor programmes, but there should be some balance.
What is your least fond memory throughout your career?
I got a little too intoxicated at Glastonbury one year and entirely missed the Quantic Soul Orchestra gig. As band manager at the time, not a good look!! (I had an amazing night though, although did mistake a bottle of vodka for water for a good few hours).
If you weren’t currently doing what you do, what do you think you’d be doing?
I would live abroad. Maybe sitting reading books on a beach somewhere in the coolest mobile library you have ever seen.
Have you ever dabbled in anything musically other than your job?
At 10 years old, small and with a strong Gloucester accent I sang in The Wizard of Oz as Farmer Munchkin. I am very proud of that. Perhaps I shouldn’t be!
