Archive of an old southend based alternative music webzine

I'm Kev, and I run Big Scary Monsters. BSM is a little indie label, based in Oxford, dabbling in all sorts of indie/hardcore/punk/emo/whatever you're supposed to call it these days

I didn't actually start the label. It was a friend of mine who began it four years ago now, while I was still "studying" for my A-Levels. I got involved to help out a bit, and then one day I realised that I was the only one doing anything

He drinks a lot you see

And that was that, it was mine, and has been ever since

I basically oversee everything, decide which bands we're going to work with and when, make sure everything's running smoothly, keep the website updated, run the mailorder side of things, get wasted schmoozing at gigs and then do all the other little jobs which come up

I guess you could sort of compare starting working with a new band, to meeting a girl in a bar. (bear with me here...) You find them, you get their details, you go and see them, you confess your feelings and then you discuss the terms

haha

yeah that makes sense

I love analogies

So yeah, basically it's just that though. I find a band, ask if they want to put out a release, we discuss it all, and that's about it. We don't sign bands as such. We agree to do a release, then if that goes well, we might do another one after

There are no contracts, it's all just done on trust. If I don't like the band as people, then we don't work with them

In terms of advice for bands... You just need to sell yourself as best as possible. Don't send huge press releases and biographies with your demos, just keep it should and highlight the best parts. A willingness to get out and play live as much as possible is always good, as is someone who just shows a general desire for what they're doing

No label wants a band who aren't willing to work for it

I would definitely encourage it. It's an expensive game, but I've loved (nearly!) every minute. You meet some amazing people and the feeling you get when you see a review in a magazine, or hear one of your bands on the radio never gets old. It's like a learning curve, and there are times when you wonder why you're bothering, but on the other hand, you also get the times when things are just fantastic. If you're going to start a label, I think the best advice is just to go for it. Just start doing it. You're going to make mistakes, everyone does, but you need to really. Just make sure you learn from them and move on

You just have to take all these little costs into consideration when you're planning it. I wouldn't let MCPS or anything put you off of doing it though, it's just part of the whole cycle really

That's good linking there

It's well scene

Yeah definitely. I mean, sales are dropping in shops, but then so are CDs to be fair. Vinyl is just a nice format. Music sound nice on it and, with the right packaging, it's just such a nice thing to have and to collect. Tapes, well, how many hardcore kids out there drive shitty cars with tape players? We're just giving them a hand here, they won't need to bother making compilations for their road trips anymore, they can just come to us

To begin with, I was a bit worried. Not having the band here to tour the release properly, and without having the backing of a big distributor and loads of money to advertise everything, it was a bit of a risk. However, it wasn't a problem in the end. The Jeniferever 'Iris' EP for example has been one of our most successful releases to date, both in terms of press and sales. I'm not sure how many more foreign bands we'll be working with in the future, but I certainly haven't been put off

I can't answer that. I mean, to me, BSM is a family. Well, more of a foster family. We pick up these young bands, we work with them for a bit, then they go off to bigger and better things. They never call home to see how we're doing though. It breaks your heart

But anyway, I love them all equally, as any proud father would

Nope. 'Fraid not

Yeah I think it's been quite positive. I mean, I generally wouldn't buy a bands CD unless I'd heard them, and in our situation, there just aren't that many places for people to be able to hear the bands. I wouldn't consider doing a release without putting some sort of MP3 up online

Well this year things are very well organised. We have, including the things on If God Loves Records, about 12 releases already planned, going right the way up to next Summer. This month (November) we have Sparks Lights And Flames EP and an album from Chariots, then that's it for this year. The first releases of 2004 will be a new EP from Boom In The Diamond Industry, a split CD between Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly and The Remarkable Rocket, then an album from Itch.

It's all very busy

On the gig front, we have a BSM Christmas party on Saturday 18th December at the Metro in London. Secondsmile, Chariots, Querelle, Kneehigh and Get Cape are all playing it, then there'll be the usual mess of DJs, tacky decorations and of course, the BSM drunken Santa

Oh and just confirmed today... We'll be putting on the London date for Jeniferever's short UK tour in January, with Secondsmile supporting. As they love Jeniferever so much, I think they'd probably get a contract out on my life if I didn't give them the gig!

Not very good at last words. So I'll just say thanks