Damn, you finally released 100 records! Congratulations! This is really amazing! What did you feel when you were holding your 100th record released on TLAL? Maybe even cried out of happiness a bit?)
I feel like I cheated a bit, did a handful of split release records. The 100th record itself took a toll on me... took about a year and a half to put together the comp LP I wanted to do. It is strange to have invaded the world with so many records but I hope they individually mean as much to their owners as to me. My worst fear is to dupe that many people into buying something that they dumb into the $1 bins.
What about your musical tastes? Did they change throughout the years working on TLAL? How do you choose a band to release on TLAL, is it based on your personal opinion? Is popularity of a band an important factor too?
My musical tastes will confuse most humans. I love the genres I deal with but I go on huge personal research projects where I spent a week researching Japanese shoegaze when I found there was a scene for that, or any weird tangent that I end up going on. The best part of discovering music is you can go back and rediscover bands' newer releases or brand new bands in the genres. Music is infinite and an ever expanding universe. I think at one point I thought I only had to listen to extreme punk stuff to be doing the label the right way and still have an ear for it but I went back into loving punk and hardcore to also listening to backpacker hip hop and dub and honestly whatever I want to listen to at the time. Popularity is a strange conundrum in my brain... it makes it easier to release the bands that I like if they are popular because they will sell but I also want to support the small bands. The popular bands will get released with or without me, the smaller bands that deserve it won't. On the other hand if I don't work with some of the bigger bands then I'm going to run out of funds and fold. Easiest thing to do is only work with bands I like, and work with a combination of bands no one has heard of and try to develop them and get them heard, and doing bigger bands up the right way.
Now let's talk about a demonic, satanic and very ominous thing. What postal problems you experienced so far? High taxes aren't giving you any troubles with managing TLAL, right?
Hmm, the book I printed in Canada a few years ago I got a bill for some insane amount of money from customs to pay about four years later, so that was a fun surprise. Not exactly the post office but still governmental. Post office wrecked a whole batch of Despise You/Coke Bust split covers (luckily the vinyl ended up okay), going to my distributor for its initial release. I felt I packed them well but my distributor thought otherwise. I had them double boxed in single wall boxes with extra cardboard on the corners, so no idea how the one corner got smashed like it did. It didn't even look bad from the outside! Unfortunately high shipping prices I have to bubble down to the customer, there is no cutting corners there.
I guess you're very tired of this question. Do you make enough profit on TLAL to live comfortable?
I work 40 hours a week for the university here, and that is how I fund and live comfortably. I lost quite a bit of money last year on TLAL so can't say I live comfortably from it but there is no stopping me if the spark has been here for ten years. What else would I do with all my time on the weekends? Have friends and enjoy nature and have fun? Pshh.
Will, you're a musician yourself. Tell us about your musical activities, please.
I feel more about myself that I am a person who can play music, I'm not a true musician. I play bass in NoComply with Justin Abare who is the original and main member. We record remotely and share tracks and end up with records that way. I also play in a band locally here called Oxidant and we just recorded an EP. I think people will be happy and I didn't mess up in the studio so go me! In honesty I think I did well but it is everyone else in the band's hard work that I commend.
Do you have a plan for how many records you will release in a year, budget, number of copies etc?
I'd say I can't release more than maybe six a year without feeling like a crazy person. 500 copies is a good start of a pressing. Budget based on the project, usually is on the lower end.
And of course we would like to know what exactly do you plan to release this year, and what is already printed can't wait to be released?
Despise You/Coke Bust is the big hitter of course, how could it not be. Burnout EP, Cave State/Concussive split, and the Magnum Force LP are getting out there into the world pretty well too. Did some tapes including some Crom re-issues. Next up is the Oxidant EP, highly recommended, and the TLAL Volume III comp 7". There is more in the hopper but you'll have to stay tuned.
Unfortunately, every one of us happened to meet with some fuckers that fucked us up in a way or at least wanted to. Do you have a list of those people you would like to say hi here?)
I have a very small shit list but I make my own peace with whatever has happened with them. Honestly my hatred at the moment lies only for people who have taken advantage of friends of mine, so hopefully that is where things will stay. Through the label I have no enemies, it has remained a positive thing in my life and will continue to do so. I have no contracts with bands and there is no hard feelings when they move on. All is great in TLAL land!
If you compare online sales and distro on festivals, which one has shown itself better?
I stopped distroing in person. Its amazing to not have to ship records and sell them a touch cheaper because of that but I can't deal with people trying to do weird bargains and trades with me. Now if someone is down and out and would love a record I have, its theirs, but when someone has a beer in each hand and is trying to trade me a hand carved figure for a record he or she doesn't seem that interested in, then no thanks. Seems like a ridiculous scenerio but it honestly is not if you've done a distro.
Lots of your releases is already difficult to find. Do you plan to reprint some of your old sold-out releases?
I try to keep a lot of stuff in stock, especially important items. That said, most things that sold out really got its turn to be out there and probably slowed down near the end. No plans to reprint anything except the Despise You split are planned right now, all efforts are on supporting newer releases going forwards.
What are the most problematic thing in managing a record label these days? What would you advise people not to do when they're about to start their own label?
Most people think it is glamorous but it is a lot of work, many hours of getthing things together and out the door, and very little fun as weird as that sounds. I'm a workaholic so I do well but people who thing its fun and easy and great money are going to be sorely disappointed. I'd tell people who are thinking about starting their own label, most of the time I tell them they shouldn't. I don't find enough time to exercise or do a lot of things that would make me more of a well-rounded person. That being said, if you are missing something in your life maybe it's the drive you need.
And that's it, thank you so much for this interview! You may address some words of wisdom to our readers or just say anything your big beard desires ??
I don't have a ton of wisdom but I want to remind you to hug your loved ones and to try to analyse how you treat people and animals. If you do these things, you'll be a conscientious person who takes care of the people they love. Remember punk is full of freaks, so try to accept everyone's differences even if they are different than you.
Contacts: TLAL fb TLAL official site
Contacts: TLAL fb TLAL official site
