TBP Interview - Toby L (Transgressive Records) 2007

(Transgressive Hot Tipped 2008 - Foals)

It´s 2007, so…what things happened since our first Interview in November 2005?

Everything. We’ve released almost a dozen albums, been in the charts with the likes of Young Knives, Iron & Wine, Regina Spektor, The Shins, and others, and signed some of the best music we’ve ever heard. Have you heard Foals? They’re one of the best new bands for years and years, completely invincible live. We’ve started Publishing and Management offshoots, too, so we can work with artists in other creative and representational roles… Our rockfeedback.com site is about to have an amazing facelift and a proper push in 2008, and our tv show has done pretty well, being broadcast in 16 countries through MTV, and on Channel 4 in the UK. Our club-nights have been putting on some great new bands, too. It’s all happening.

You´ve recently signed So So Modern from New Zealand and Cut off your
Hands signed by 679. It seems that there coming a lot of good Stuff from
there?

Seems so. Although, for such a small island, it’s always had a great wealth of musical talent – the government there is very instrumental in supporting its local music scene, providing grants for touring funds… That is something that I think couldn’t work in the UK – because seemingly everyone 14 and upwards seems to be in a band these days! Or at least aspires to be, if only in secret. It’d cause an economic recession trying to give everyone start-up funds in London! Also, how would you guage who deserves the dosh? By how ruffled their hair was, or how many holes were in the crotches of the band members’ jeans?

Three Important things for New Bands to get more attention from Tastemaker, A&Rs, Djs and Music - Journalists?

Be original, have your own set of ethics, enjoy it. So many bands are forming bands purely for fame’s sake or to get a house from an advance cheque – fuck them. I got into this because I love music and want to be helping people get heard. One day it’d be nice to live more ‘comfortably’ from it, but that’s not really the main agenda.

Did the British Music Industry become much more younger? I mean, more young people are Record Label Owner, Alan Mc Gee quit and left the Country to the US cause he only will work with People who “inspire” him now, and
the Bands are getting a Buzz when they still in School.

Haha. I think the Internet being a more accessible medium has meant that anyone who is a music fan and is young has suddenly got a resource at home or school they can immediately tap into and follow up… the avidness ofyouth, and all the free time of pissing about of course, means younger people are naturally more likely to research and investigate music and artists, and then get involved. Previously, there was the restriction of having to have more than pocket money to go out and buy CDs in record
shops in order to become really attached to music. For better or for worse(for the music industry in its current model, it’s the latter!), now people can go online and get tonnes of music and not even have to leave their house. Wait ‘til it becomes even more mobile phone-centric like Japan in the next few years!

How important are Social Network Sites like Lastfm etc today?

Massively – as per the last question – people, especially those slightly younger, are wanting to discover more and more music, and these sites make it idiot-proof as a concept. I think they’re amazing.

Black Kids gain a massive Buzz at the Moment. They have 4 Demos released and it seems that a Bidding War comes up. Isn´t that a stupid
thing?

It depends what else they have up their sleeves. If they have four songs, and no live show, then I could see that as worrying. If they have fourteen amazing songs, however, having only released four publicly, and a great live show, then it might be cool. Or, if they only have four songs, BUT have huge ambition and great ideas, and a will to do things differently, then that’s fine with me; good luck to them.

Gallows already have done a Major Deal with Warner for 1 Million Pounds. That’s also really Stupid. Is that something like the last Breath of a Major wich comes out of a big despair?

Haha. It was actually far less than that, I heard, but it was still a big deal. I think signing anything that’s a six figure deal, or more even, is completely terrifying and very unfair on both the artist and the label; it’s placing too high a recoupment figure for anyone to actually succeed in the relationship further down the line. In the traditional music industry model (not that deals such as these are getting offered anymore, as of two weeks ago, virtually!), bands should be encouraged to sign for less and go for a higher royalty, and go in for the crusade. In the past,
the majors exploited artists; the last few years, it turned on its head, with artists and lawyers trying to get as much as they can out of these fast-crumbling music companies… which was amusing for a bit… but you only have to look at how many bands have been dropped of late to realise it can’t be such a smart move in the long-term.

A well known Music Journalist in Germany, Albert Koch, wrote a Book called “Fuck Forever – The Death of Indie Rock”. He criticised that a “Big Sell Out" happened after Kaiser Chiefs etc hook up with Major Labels
and that Indie become Mainstream and also a Fashionable thing. So how dead is Indie Rock in these Days, cause I think it is more alive than ever before

I don’t know. It’s easy to forget, but major labels have released some of the best music we’ll ever hear – Tom Waits, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Radiohead, Blur, Bruce Springsteen, REM, Madonna, and billions more. Indie labels have equally shaped culture from the grassroots upwards. I don’t think indie rock is dead. I’ve heard five amazing new bands recently, and they’re all totally different to each other, and what’s gone before. I hope we can sign them all!

To be an A&R is really hard in an Era where it is easy to produce with Software and to put it online to Myspace etc. If I look to your Record Labels Roster, you have still good bands? Whats your secret concerning
scouting new Acts?

Only working with real music that you believe in. Most A&Rs scout music that other A&Rs are listening to, because they lack conviction in their own beliefs and want to sign a buzz band. We’ve signed bands that no one wanted to sign, and they’ve become successful. We’ve also signed bands that everyone else wanted to sign, but we might have got in there earlier, purely because of luck and friends with good tips! Always listen to the songwriting and the artistic vision, that’ll guide you.

The End of the year is near. Any Hot Tipped Act for 2008?

Yes, Foals. Mechanical Bride. Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man. OK, so we work with all of them, but I have to plug, y’know!

In 2005, Transgressive barley started out. 2007, your Label is well known also here in the G/A/S Area, put a lot of great Bands out…so…what are your Future Plans now and how full is your releasing Schedule for the
upcoming year??

That’s really nice to know… We’ll just keep plugging away to do our best at representing the best music and the most honest and talented musicians out there, and making people hear about this great music. With rockfeedback, we’ll keep covering everyone we can, and making things happen! Our release schedule comprises the amazing, second Young Knives album ‘Superabundance’, Foals’ debut LP, Johnny Flynn’s first record (he’s an act we manage, signed to Vertigo/Universal), and too many to list here! Stay tuned at our myspace.com/transgressiverecords and
www.transgressiverecords.co.uk websites. Thank you!