Label of Love: Lost and Lonesome
As the Label of Love celebrations at Melbourne’s Shadow Electric Bandroom continue to rumble, we chat with the next purveyors of independent sonica, Lost and Lonesome:
First of all, would you like to introduce your label?
Introducing Lost And Lonesome — a rare and beautiful flower.
How did you get started out with this adventure? Why did you decide to start an independent record label?
My friend Jane McCracken and I got talking about it on one of our drives down to the coast in ’97 or ’98. Upon realising we had so many friends in cool bands, struggling to get their music out, we decided to put our budding careers as surfer bums on hold and do something constructive with our time.
Why does your label bear this name, is there a tale behind the choice?
I wanted us to sound like a label that may one day release a series of Lee Hazlewood home tapes.
What was the first creation that your label released?
The first album by Jane’s band The Foots. A classic of the tweepop genre. Total punk.
Is there a project you’re involved in at the moment that particularly excites you?
Working on a couple of 7” singles with Lowtide and Hideous Towns, plus a new EP from Great Earthquake. Tim Richmond and Last Leaves have albums being mixed, both of which I played bass on. Probably my favourite project though is hearing what ridiculous occurrence has further hindered the recording of the new Milk Teddy album.
What are you looking for, or what grabs you, when you decide to work alongside/support an artist/band?
Folks who are not afraid to become breakout chart-topping globetrotting spokespeople for a generation.
What’s your preferred method of release (CD, vinyl, cassette, digital, zine, other) and why?
Vinyl for the artwork, cassette for the nostalgia, pianola roll for the press release mileage.
Could you tell us about some of the more challenging or unexpected aspects of starting and running a label, from your experience?
Learning Photoshop by YouTube tutorials and remembering to submit the artwork at 300 dpi.
What is it that you love/enjoy the most about managing your own independent label?
High-fiving in earnest when the artwork didn’t print low res.
Is there any advice that you’d give to somebody hoping to go down a similar path?
Get an intern who can teach you Photoshop.
Who’s playing at your upcoming ‘Label of Love’ gig and what can you tell us about them?
Six of Melbourne’s best and wildly obscure bands — Milk Teddy, Footy, The Zebras, Tim Richmond, Ciggie Witch and Monnone Alone in a pile up of rarefied post-dolewave pre-afrobeat flying-V janglin’ piano balladry — accompanied by an exhibition of new painted works by Isobel Knowles from The Icypoles.
There are still a few Label of Love gigs to go yet folk! The Lost and Lonesome showcase is at the Shadow Electric Bandroom on Saturday the 25th; tickets to all shows are on sale now. Stay tuned for more independent goodness!
Interview by Chloe Mayne.
