Issue 14: Grunge Pop Records
Welcome to The Band Bible! I’m truly glad to have you here. If you’re a new reader, purpose of this newsletter is to address, break down, and shine a light on the business of being in a band. Each issue, we do this by interviewing (and celebrating!) someone who is making waves through their incredible work with or for independent artists. Learning the business of being in a band is something that is often inaccessible or shrouded in mystery, and it shouldn’t be, so I hope The Band Bible is able to play even a small role in helping to change that.
It’s a delight to be ending the month with the release of our Grunge Pop Records issue. Grunge Pop Records is an independent label that, as you may have guessed by the name, represents emerging artists in grunge. In doing so, the label flips the narrative that grunge is a bygone era and genre alike on its head — rather, it’s thriving today, and they play a pivotal role in introducing the world to artists who carry that torch.
The work Grunge Pop Records is doing is so important. Across a vast majority of heavy music genres, there is still a predominant focus on legacy artists. While the work those artists have done was and remains of extremely important cultural significance, it means that fresher faces in these sonic sectors can experience a harder time breaking through. In fact, primary research that I conducted for my master’s revealed that independent artists in heavier genres can experience a more difficult path to entry than independent artists in other genres (notably, for example, chart pop). This means that, in addition to helping good music reach more ears, the label is so filling a whopping gap in the market.
What are some of your favourite accomplishments or milestones Grunge Pop Records experienced in 2022?
Just releasing a few albums, dozens of music videos, topping some indie radio charts, being added on multiple Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music editorial playlists, and seeing many of our bands do some international tour dates (and to sell out some shows) was more than enough for us to see exponential growth and viable global acceptance of our bands and the grunge revival.
Personally, I'm always so excited whenever I see a business zero in on one genre -- especially one as rich as grunge. Which element(s) do you find to be most special or unique about this type of music?
Almost all of the new top “rock” acts are just solo entertainers who hire outside writers, session musicians (for both studio and live concerts), use backing tracks live, rap way too much, have big managers and agents and labels, and they go by band name monikers. This to us is an embarrassment to the word “rock”. They are not bands. We are here to bring back the glory that “rock” had in the early ‘90s. We only sign real bands who write their own music and keep the tradition of what “rock” music is to us. They are the real deal and once major labels stop disrespecting rock music, things will change. Majors are using the formula for Pop entertainers in their Rock department.
If an artist is planning to pitch themselves to a label, is there anything you recommend they do in order to make that pitch as strong as possible?
It’s all about getting noticed. We’ve already received over 4000 demo submissions and we just can’t listen to them all. That’s why putting in an effort to be noticed on Instagram can help. Or getting to know one of our bands. Or promoting our bands and label. It’s not easy to get noticed but somehow we just find the bands we fall in love with. Once we notice a band, their music better be as good as any great original grunge band from the glory days or we’ll pass on it ASAP. You know who is our A&R consultant. So make sure that music is beyond phenomenal.
In your opinion, what is one good and one not-so-good way in which you've seen our industry evolve?
Good: Independent labels are getting bigger and releasing much better rock bands than any major label today.
Bad: The majors don’t care about rock bands anymore and focus only on other genres. They don’t even have A&R people who know anything about success in rock music. Embarrassing to say the least.
Lastly, which "commandment" would you like to leave behind in The Band Bible?
Thou shalt create music that thou likes and not for others and thou shalt be able to play that music live with a real band and not hired guns. And no backing tracks!
Prediction: Major labels will see they’re missing out and sign a few grunge bands to see if they can make some money like they did in the nineties and the grunge revolution will destroy the fluff out there today.
A massive thank you to Grunge Pop Records for taking the time to share such thoughtful answers. Carnival of Oddities began as a response to the contemporary apathy towards rock music, so it was wonderful to interview a business that shares similar frustrations and attitudes. To keep up with Grunge Pop Records, click here to follow them on Instagram, here to follow them on Twitter, and here to follow them on Facebook.
In terms of things going on on our end, tickets for our Amersham Arms gigs on 8th February (featuring The Flitz, Slender Pins, SULK, and Caution Elderly People) and 1st March (featuring Cross Wires, Where’s the Lighter, They Explode, and The Pyke Circuit) can be found here.
With happiness and hedonism,
Lindsay Teske