SMALL BUT BEAUTIFUL
Date : 30.11.06
Every musician wants to get their music and their songs heard, and the best way of doing that has always been by getting a record deal. But it is the hardest thing in the world to get signed, and even then you don't know if you are going to be treated properly or ripped off by unscrupulous men in suits.
A group of people based in the West, who all have many years' experience of the music industry, have started their own Bristol-based record label, Xpress Records. Its express aim is to nurture its artists, promote them, treat them fairly and honestly, and help them through some of the negative sides of the entertainment industry - things that any record label should do, of course, but sadly, in reality, few actually have such strong principles, as Paul Raymond, who heads the group, explained:
"A group of us all got together because what we wanted to do was find new artists with the view of developing them and helping them launch their careers in the music industry. But we wanted to do it so that the artists had a good understanding of how the music industry works so that they are not ripped off and taken advantage of, because that's the other side of the music industry - there are a lot of sharks out there. We've tried to set ourselves up as an ethical record label. I think we want to prove that small can be beautiful and successful. At the moment there is so much power vested in big semi-anonymous record companies who take acts and mould them into commercial shapes and then market them to a specific demographic. I don't think music should be like that, I think music should be created by genuine creators rather than manipulators, and that's something I wanted to support."
Paul Raymond worked as a professional musician for the best part of 20 years but has also worked in copyright for the record companies in London and was the musical director for a theatre. He brought together a strong team comprising Tony Hobden, who owns and runs a recording studio; Sam Simmons, who deals with all the marketing; Gill Warren, who is the accountant; and Tim Allen, who is a producer:
"From my point of view it was finding the right people to create this with, because I know the problems in getting stuff released, but you need people who know what they are doing on the technical aspects of it, like the money side of it, the legal side of it, those areas. One single person can't do it all, so it was a case of waiting until I found the right team of people."
Another important reason for starting up their own label was that the time seemed right because technology had solved the biggest problem experienced by small independent labels - distribution. "The new technology has completely revolutionised distribution. Anyone in the world can literally download any of our songs at any time. We don't need a big major label to get stuff distributed, which has always held small record labels back. That has changed now."
While they were still in the planning stage in fact, they met three young artists, Hazel Mills, Jocasta and Lenny Savage, three very different artists. Jocasta is a soulful, acoustic R &B singer with timeless vocals and moving lyrics, Lenny Savage has strong and melancholic vocals and writes deeply personal folk-rock songs, while Hazel Mill's virtuoso piano playing weaves seamlessly around her powerful and haunting vocals and fills her passionate and unusual songs with a strangely compelling beauty.
Paul says that they immediately saw their potential and realised that they had to get something started as soon as possible with them. "We heard about them, we got in touch with them, we heard their material. Then it was a case of moving them forward. We booked them into the studio and recorded their songs with them, and brought in various experienced players to help them. "Besides the quality of the musicianship and the songwriting, they are all very self-confident young performers. They actually seem totally at home on stage."
With a large website they have been able to post promotional information about the artists, pictures, recordings and, having signed a contract with YouTube, videos of them performing. Xpress is now looking at ways outside of the internet to promote its new signings, including running special promotional nights such as one it is hosting at The Fleece on December 6.
"I think we have to become promoters as well, because the artists want and need exposure, and there's no better way than actually putting them up on stage, but if has to be the right sort of stage, which is why we picked The Fleece. It is an appropriate venue, anywhere bigger or anywhere smaller and I don't think it would have been right. I love The Fleece, it is a great place to play and a great place to watch bands." Keith Clark l Xpress Records' promotional night, featuring The Formula, Hazel Mills, Jocasta and Lenny Savage, is at The Fleece on Wednesday, December 6. Tickets cost £4.50 and are available from Bristol Ticket Shop on 0117 929 9008, or through the Xpress website at www.xpress records.com