Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions, please tell us a little about your label.

Hi Jonny, thanks for getting in touch and asking me some questions.  I’m Scott, I run Brassneck Records (a DIY punk record label and distro) from a spare room in my house in Cardiff.  I started as an online vinyl distro in 2010 and put out my first record in 2013. I’m up to release number 43 right now with no plans to slow down.  

● What/who inspired you into setting up a record label ?

I’ve been a record nerd since I was a teenager in the ’90s.  I loved hanging out in record shops and, even though I couldn’t afford to buy very much vinyl at that time, I spent hours digging through the racks and absorbing all the sleeve notes and useless information about record labels and related bands.  Record shops and record labels always just appealed to the music geek in me. I never thought I’d ever run one, it was just another aspect of the music that consumed me that I found really interesting. I still do.

In terms of other record labels I admire, I’d say Lookout!, Dischord, SST, Alternative Tentacles and Sub Pop all played a part in my early understanding of what a good underground record label could be but smaller DIY labels like Crackle!, Rugger Bugger and Snuffy Smile(s) that came into my life later would prove to be more of a direct inspiration to how I could become involved in the label side of the scene myself.

● What’s been your highlights as a label to date ?

I’m not going to pick a favourite release or anything like that (I literally couldn’t do that) but, if you had to push me for one specific thing, it will be having successfully released 12 records in 2018 and managing to sell enough of each of them to keep the label alive into next year.   I’m a pretty positive person so whenever I release a record or I see my mates’ bands and meet new friends through punk, that’s a new highlight for me. I’ve made a good number of firm friendships through the label. Some with the bands, some with the people who buy the records and people I speak to at gigs but it’s just great to be involved in the best music scene in the world and luckily the highlights just keep coming.

● How have you managed to keep a record label running in an age of easy access digital streaming ?

I think it’s just down to having the right mindset.  If you start a punk label with a plan to make money or become the next big thing, you’re only going to be disappointed.  If you think like this you should also probably re-evaluate whether punk is really the world for you (but that’s another topic).

Keeping a DIY label running is a very different thing to running a record label that is successful in the capitalist sense.  It often involves a willingness to throw your own money into it and to spend countless hours organising stuff that will provide no financial reward.  As long as you always put music above profit and give a genuine damn about the records and the bands involved there’s no reason a dedicated vinyl or tape label shouldn’t be able to stay afloat in some capacity.  So, as long as punks are buying records, I’ll keep on selling ’em.

In terms of digital streaming, I do have a Bandcamp page so, even though I don’t prioritise the digital format or bother with the big streaming platforms, you can still get all the label releases digitally if that’s your thing.  There’s no reason the 2 worlds can’t co-exist but Brassneck will always be primarily vinyl focussed.

● Any funny stories you can tell the readers about your label, or the bands you have put out ?

The only specific examples I can think of are stories about other people who would kill me for sharing the details, haha.  They’re mainly about the guys from Holiday actually but that’s as far as I’m going with this question. I know that’s a cop out but some things are best left unprinted.

● What inspired the name you have given your label ?

10% that robot from the Dandy comic / 10% that Wedding Present song / 80% the fact that every other word I could think of had been used by someone else.

● Any rad releases you have planned you can tell us about ?

2018 has been a really busy year release wise and 2019 is already looking pretty hectic.  A lot of it is too early to get into in any detail but 2019 will see new records from The Murderburgers, Crocodile God, Epic Problem, Shoplifters and a bunch of other stuff.  Some from existing Brassneck bands and some from newcomers to the label. There’s a lot planned already so keep your eyes open.

● If you could put out a record from any band still going/or split up, who would it be?

There’s literally hundreds of answers to this one depending on the day you ask me.  But right now I’m going through a Fugazi phase again so that’s the first thing that comes to mind.  Or, if I can slip time travel into this scenario, I’d be quite keen to go back to 1991 and somehow release Pegboy’s “Strong Reaction” LP.  So yeah, 2 perfectly realistic answers for you there.

Big thanks to Brassneck Records (Shop) go check them out.