Issue 21: Youth Riot Records
Issue 21: Youth Riot 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. Sometimes, we interview independent artists themselves. 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 pleasure to spend this issue highlighting the achievements and insights of Daniel Cohn and Spencer Johndrew, the co-founders of Seattle’s Youth Riot Records, in honor of this year marking the label’s tenth birthday. By drawing upon their own experiences as musicians to inform their business model, Cohn and Johndrew have led with an artist-centric approach that has won them over forty clients. This includes the likes of Enumclaw, Mommy Long Legs, and Hell Baby.
It is through their simultaneous undertakings as musicians and label owners that Cohn and Johndrew have developed an inherently unique perspective on what it takes to fuel fresh talent, as well as on the industry itself. As a result, Youth Riot has become known as one of the most significant labels in the US Pacific Northwest.
In the interview you’re about to read, Cohn and Johndrew reflect upon the first decade of Youth Riot, highlight the importance of fostering community, share how a band can nail their first impression with them, reveal their chosen commandment, and more. Read on and enjoy.
Firstly, a huge congratulations on Youth Riot turning ten this year. As you reflect back upon the past decade, which components of running the label have brought you the most joy?
We’ve always really enjoyed the times after all the work is done and we finally get to give the artist their finished product and they get to see all their time and effort come to fruition. We’ve been lucky enough to work with 40+ artists over the past ten years, and being able to work with all these talented individuals and help build an arts community that spans multiple states/countries has been one of the more gratifying parts of running the label. It’s always great to watch the people in our community succeed, and we feel honored to be a part of their music journeys.
Have your experiences as musicians influenced how you operate the business? If so, how?
When we started the label, it seemed that the best way to gain traction with the label would be to release our own music so that we could learn the business and process of making a record start-to-finish on our own. We did everything for our first release, from writing and recording to mixing, mastering, and producing a finished record. After we did this for our band, we were able to apply this knowledge to other bands so that we could help them in any way along their record’s process.
Similarly, many musicians don't have experience working within the business aspect of the industry. Is there anything you've learned from pulling double duty that you think they should know?
One piece of advice that we’ve given to new artists is to focus on fostering the community that the artists are a part of before diving into the work of getting signed or stepping into the business side of music. We’ve found that it is helpful to promote an artist’s work if the artist has a presence in their communities, as they can get shows booked more easily and are able to eventually book tours with the connections that they’ve made.
What are you looking forward to as you enter the second decade of Youth Riot?
We are really excited about watching and being a part of the Seattle music community as it expands and rejuvenates in the post-COVID years. We’re hoping to start getting our records in more shops outside of the Pacific Northwest, which will hopefully bring more awareness to the label and the artists we are working with. We’re also looking forward to seeing what new music will be coming out of the Seattle music scene in the next few years.
If an artist is interested in working with Youth Riot, how can they make the best first impression?
We love it when bands invite us to their shows when they are playing in Seattle. We like to see a good amount of prior experience and momentum in terms of their music and playing shows. We can utilize their already-established momentum to expand on the band/artist’s previous successes. As we really try to take a community-oriented approach in how we run the label, we really do focus on working with bands/artists who are also committed to promoting the overall community and music scene.
Lastly, which "commandment" would you like to leave behind in The Band Bible?
Thou shalt not submit a demo that has to be downloaded. Only streamable links!
A tremendous thank you to Cohn and Johndrew for taking the time to share such thoughtful answers. They would also like to shoutout Den Tapes, a fellow Seattle-based label.
To keep up with all things Youth Riot, click here to access their Linktree.