Broken Heart Records - Sound In The Signals Interview
For those who aren’t familiar with your label can you give me a little background on when you started the label and why you decided to start a label?
Larry: My name is Larry and I am a Co-owner of Broken Heart Records with my friend Chris. We started the label in late December 2011, but our first release was this past summer. I had the idea to start the label after really getting into vinyl. I always wanted to have a record label and I thought it was time. I saw all these small vinyl labels popping up. I figure I can do that. Of course I got permission from my wife first, but she was 100% behind the idea.
You recently have had a lot of success with your pressings of the Socratic albums. How did it work out for you to press those albums?
It’s a funny story. We actually contacted Day at the Fair about possibly releasing “The Rocking Chair Years” on vinyl. They were all about it. So we tried to contact Richard Reines from Drive-Thru Records without much success. Sometime passed and we had pretty much given up on that so we contacted Socratic about their new album (Socratic-the album). We got the ball rolling on that vinyl release.
We contacted DATF and told them we were not able to get a hold of Richard. DATF got in contact with Richard and set us up through email. So while we were discussing licensing on TRCY, we happened to ask about Socratic.
Why did you choose to press those particular albums?
The Self-Tiled Socratic album was what made us contact them. It is such a great album. We actually went to the band about pressing “Spread the Rumors”. They wanted us to do “Lunch for the Sky” instead. We weren’t going to argue. We are huge fans of both albums. So really it was the band’s decision. We were just along for the ride.
You are currently working on a charity compilation album. Can you give me some details on that and what you are trying to accomplish with it?
We were actually approach about this by William Keenum. He runs Burlington Art / Music Foundation. He also got in touch Steff Colonna, who runs Believe in Something (HOC). We all just kind of hit it off and started brainstorming. The plan is to release this in January. We have 16 bands lined up as of right now. Our idea was to find the best unsigned bands in the country. We actually have a band from Ireland as well. We titled it Unsigned|Unrest.
Our goal is to get these bands out for people to hear. It will be sold on both cd format and digitally. All of our profit will go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. We will start announcing bands very soon.
Aside from the charity compilation what do you have in the works for the rest of the year?
The only thing we have coming out this year is “Abel – Make it Right” on vinyl. This is an amazing album if you haven’t heard it yet I suggest you do. This will be released sometime in December, we hope. Vinyl plants are very backed up at this point. In January we have the comp album (Unsigned|Unrest). We also are releasing “Day at the Fair – The Rocking Chair Years” on vinyl in March. That one is going to be loaded with extra tracks. Haven’t announced this yet, but seems like a good time, currently the band is working on a new ep. We are hoping to release that in March as well. We have a few other things in the works but nothing confirmed yet. (Tours, other albums, etc.) Possibilities are endless.
What is the process like from start to finish when you decide you are going to press an album on vinyl? What is the most rewarding aspect of that process and what is the most grueling aspect of it?
First thing we do when we find an album we want to press is contact the band, whether the album is owned by another label or self-released. If the band is not onboard you are going to have problems. After getting the bands ok, most of them are very excited about it, we figure out how to license it. It’s a long process. Sometimes it takes a while to hear back from labels or bands. You have to put a lot of hours into each project.
The best feeling is getting your order sent off, which we send ours to Dave at Lucky Lacquer. He takes care of the audio and Plates for the plant. He does great work. This is probably the most important part. He will send your complete order to the plant of your choice. After that it is just a waiting game. The wait will kill you.
This is the most rewarding part is the finished project, knowing you accomplished something. Your hard work paid off. The most grueling aspect is the waiting. You just have to learn to stay focused and remember there is light at the end of the tunnel.
What advice would you have for anyone that is interested in starting a label?
My advice is simple. Do it. Find a band you love and help them out. It’s all about getting this music out and heard. Don’t give up!!!
What advice would you give to anyone starting a label that plans on pressing albums on a vinyl format?
Be prepared. Vinyl cost more than cd. How are you going to pay for it? Always talk to bands before licensing an album. Set obtainable goals. Make sure you add extra time for everything. Research every plant. Find the best deal. Find a good audio guy. Find a place to print jackets, inserts, and download codes.
Just be prepared!!!
I guess that about wraps it up. Thanks again for taking the time answer the questions. Do you have anything else you would like to add?
Thanks for the interview. Make sure you check us out at www.bhrrecords.com. You can link to our Facebook and Twitter from there. Pick up the Socratic album available now. Preorders for both “Unsigned|Unrest” and “Abel – Make it Right” are right around the corner. Thanks again.
No comments: