Label of Love – Rice Is Nice interview
We chat to the ever-fabulous Julia Wilson, of the equally-fabulous Rice Is Nice, ahead of tonight’s Label of Love celebration in Melbourne:
Hello Julia! First of all, would you like to introduce your label?
Hello this is Rice Is Nice Records.
How did you get started out with this adventure? Why did you decide to start an independent record label?
I always wanted to start a label. My plan was to work in a record store, be a music photographer and have my own label. I do one of those things still and life’s great. The reason I started was because I’d met some great artists who needed a better option for their records. I’d had experience at other labels and thought it was time to give it a red hot go on my own. I’m still learning.
Why does your label bear this name, is there a tale behind the choice?
When we decided to start a label I just wrote out a bunch of Mclusky track titles and picked one – Rice Is Nice. It could have been Your Children Are Waiting For You To Die.
What was the first creation that your label released?
The first thing I ever did was the SPOD Animals 7″. We then went on to release Superfrenz which is quite an awesome first release and foundation for the ethos of the label. I’d released a few 7″s with Owen at my first label Juvenile Records (Straight Arrows, Black Lips, King Khan) so that also gave me the confidence to go out and do some on my own under RIN.
Is there a project you’re involved in at the moment that particularly excites you?
YES! Summer Flake, You Beauty, SPOD, Angie, The Laurels and a few others all have new music for the second half of this year and into 2016. VERY excited. We are also doing Cassette Store Day in Aus and it will be cool to see who is going to come to the party and do cool shit here in Aus.
What are you looking for, or what grabs you, when you decide to work alongside/support an artist/band?
I like people who are doing something of their own accord. I guess it’s based on an independent punk ethos without just releasing punk music. People who are creating unique ideas with an important confident creative message.
What’s your preferred method of release (CD, vinyl, cassette, digital, zine, other) and why?
We do vinyl, cassette and digital. I like all of those formats. ZINES? That’s a good idea…
Could you tell us about some of the more challenging or unexpected aspects of starting and running a label, from your experience?
Money. It gets quite challenging running a label which is introducing new artists. People have to take a risk on us so there is not an overwhelming influx of cash money. There is support, thank god, and we thank our lucky stars and rad fans EVERY day, but Australia is small and real music fans are in the minority. Which is good and bad. The good always outweighs the bad anyway but money’s tough. I’m actually happy that’s my only problem.
What is it that you love/enjoy the most about managing your own independent label?
Discovering new artists gives me a huge amount of enjoyment . Seeing what people are coming up with and then having the ability to be flexible and work with them on a release is excellent. Having the freedom to do things a little differently is the idea here and I enjoy that a lot.
Is there any advice that you’d give to somebody hoping to go down a similar path?
DO IT. It’s necessary and you should just get in there and champion artists.
Who’s playing at the ‘Label of Love’ gig and what can you tell us about them?
Well well well, we have You Beauty, SPOD, Alex Cameron, Summer Flake & Sarah Mary Chadwick.
They all have new material that they will be debuting at the event. All the bands have new records in the wings. It’s very exciting as they are all excellent and quite different from one another. It will be a rad party even if it’s just the bunch of us. But you should all come. Please come. Don’t miss out. Be there. Tickets are $10 for christ sake.
The Rice Is Nice gig is TONIGHT (July 11) and comprises the fifth segment of the Label of Love series, which is happening at the Shadow Electric Bandroom in Abbotsford. Tickets to all of the below are on sale now. Stay tuned for more independent goodness!
Saturday 11th July – Rice Is Nice
Sunday 12th July – Remote Control Records
Thursday 16th July – Poison City Records
Saturday 18th July – HopeStreet Records
Sunday 19th July – Butters Sessions
Saturday 25th July – Lost and Lonesome Recording Co
Saturday 1st August – Bedroom Suck Records
Interview by Chloe Mayne.
