Blazing a trail for the re-emergence of the fantastic cut-price label sampler compilation, the £1.99 RRP 'Not Doing It For The Quids' recently reminded us that FULL TIME HOBBY - one of the best of the UK'S new breed of Indies (very much with a capital 'I') - had reached their fifth birthday.
So, while there wasn't exactly time for W&H to round up cases of champagne and Kissograms, we did feel it was necessary to mark the occasion by placing a call to one of the label's two prime movers, NIGEL ADAMS, who was generous enough to not only hang around for a chat, but quietly reveal how to remain fair-minded AND competitive in these download-dominated days.
Happy Birthday Nigel! For starters, many thanks from W&H for a truckload of great music this far. But let's start at the beginning: how did you get together with Wez (Nigel's FTH label co-conspirator) and start the label? Were you mates going back years and was there a specific catalyst that sparked it all off?
“Well, he (Wez) worked at Mushroom Records before and I knew him from there,” reveals Nigel, who's affable and enthusiastic throughout.
“I was at Infectious (home of Garbage, Ash et al), but then Infectious were bought out by Warner Brothers, which rather altered the dynamic. Actually, I'd go so far as to say the idea of working at Warners was repellent to me,” he continues.
Are we talking the usual corporate control stuff here?
“Yeah, pretty much,” Nigel confirms. “I certainly didn't want to sit inside the machine and work with the likes of Madonna forever. It was very stifling and Wez and I both agreed our horizons were broader and very different. We really had to get out.”
Sounds like you needed to if your minds were to remain intact. But – five years down the line – 'Not Doing It For The Quids' suggests that the likes of Factory, Rough Trade, Postcard and of course Creation Records (who released a similarly fine compilation showcasing the likes of The House Of Love and My Bloody Valentine circa 1988 called 'Doing It For The Kids') all helped fashion some sort of blueprint for FTH'S modus operandi. Would that be a fair assumption?
“Yes, definitely,” replies Nigel, warming to the theme.
“We're both into a whole mixture of stuff, but certainly Creation's stuff had a big impact on us both – we both got into that whole C86 thing from them.”
“There again, though,” he continues, “we were also influenced by stuff from America, too, labels like SST (founded by Black Flag's guitarist Greg Ginn) and Sub Pop (early home of Nirvana, Soundgarden and Mudhoney – ed). That whole period in the late '80s was a really exciting time where you could really buy into a label and immerse yourself.”
Absolutely, I remember it well myself. And yes, discovering these labels' output was indeed epiphanic for many. Indeed – seemingly against the tide – Full Time Hobby have helped to prove that it IS still possible for young, underground labels to still establish an identity in an increasingly unsure industry. Nigel believes it'll still be possible in the future.
“I do still believe it's possible and will continue to be,” he muses. “I mean there are other like-minded labels out there like, say, Static Caravan which still mean things to people who trust them enough to check out most of their releases and hopefully won't be disappointed. Even in these jaded times, music fans exist.”
It's a heartening thought, certainly, but let's get down to specifics. What was actually FTH's first release?
“Viva Voce,” says Nigel, with some warmth. “'The Heat Can Melt Your Brain' (enthusiastically reviewed on W&H – ed) – it had been issued in the US, but we issued it in the UK on Full Time Hobby. I'm still very proud of that one because it kind've set the tone for everything we've done since...things that are left-field and intriguing, but with a melodic slant. Stuff we hope you'll want to keep digging into in future.”
Well, your methods are working like a dream thus far, Nigel. But tell me: I tend to have a slightly romantic view of this whole DIY, taking-on-the-majors thing – is it still a very hands-on affair for you and Wez, even if you don't exactly sit around glue-ing labels on 7” singles these days?
“Yeah, it IS still very involved, but it's all part and parcel of doing it and it's never a chore,” Nigel replies evenly.
“In that sense, the name Full Time Hobby says it all. We've never ever considered doing this to be a job. God forbid we ever will! It's really a way of life for us and something we can get immersed in. The idea of clocking on and clocking off appals us really.”
Very commendable indeed. But tell us more about your links with the cream of the new US underground. For a UK-based label, you've certainly got quite a track record for getting in on the ground floor with great new groups such as The Hold Steady, Autolux and Viva Voce among others. How did all that come about?
“It's still word of mouth that does the trick,” says Nigel modestly.
“Wez was initially in touch with Vagrant (respected US label) and we got The Hold Steady's first LP from that. Obviously once you get a foot in the door that helps, but a lot of it's people discovering us and sending us demos and things. Obviously that's great because they like what we're doing to begin with.”
Yeah, and come to you accordingly...
“Absolutely,” Nigel agrees. “It's much better to be discovered by like-minded people than continually thrusting adverts in peoples' faces. It has a much longer shelf life that way and while it might sound a bit old-fashioned, we're still into the idea of longevity.”
Sounds like we're speaking the same language, Nigel. But while you're still very involved on a daily basis, have your roles changed these days? Do you have a larger staff and do you still answer the phone and make the tea yourselves?
“Hur hur! Well, I dunno about the tea,” laughs Nigel, “but I can tell you there are seven of us these days and we're all working on different releases. It's a question of team work and trust, really. On a daily basis, I think it's changed a bit in the sense we don't go to Europe so much now unless it's something really important like Tunng's tour, say, but we try to cover asmany events as we can...we've done SXSW for example. It's all about being aware and doing what needs to be done at a given time.”
On a personal level, I'd really like to thank you for the 'Dream Brother' compilation (released by FTH in 2005). Potentially, a tribute to Tim and Jeff Buckley could have gone horribly wrong, but as Sufjan Stevens' version of Tim's 'She Is' on 'Not Doing It For The Quids' reminds us, the selections on 'Dream Brother' were clearly made with love and very good judgement indeed. Nigel is quite touched when I tell him this and tells me he's a long-term fan of Buckley Snr and Jnr.
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“I was absolutely obsessed with Tim Buckley when I was younger,” he says, still sounding quite wide-eyed about it all.
“Later on, I discovered Jeff and then started following them both. I read David Brown's book (also called 'Dream Brother') about them and we ended up getting him to do the sleevenotes for the album. We picked artists we felt would do the project justice, which is why it took 18 months,” he laughs.
“Actually, it's been brilliant in the long run,” he continues, “because we got both Tunng and Micah.P.Hinson from doing 'Dream Brother' and signed them as a result, so it was worthwhile for a load of reasons. For me, personally, I liked the idea of people covering Tim and Jeff's songes very much because they were both artists who recorded famous versions of other peoples' songs...especially Tim's version of Fred Neil's 'Dolphins' and Jeff's version of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah'.”
I imagine that – like myself – you're probably too young to have met Tim in the flesh, but did you ever come into contact with Jeff?
“Yes, I did once, when I interviewed him for a student magazine,” says Nigel. “I also saw him play in London, too, which I feel privileged to have been able to. I'm still an enormous fan of them both, to be honest.”
Me too. But you mentioned Micah. P. Hinson there. He's been getting acres of great press and – along with your other new Texan wunderkinds White Denim – you have two potentially huge crossover successes on your hands there. Are you worried about Full Time Hobby becoming known as a 'hip' label? Is that a hindrance or a help in the long run?
“It's not something we really think about, we just get on with it,” says Nigel, matter-of-factly.
“Ultimately, we do want to sell records, that's the rule of thumb. We are still conscious of the idea of 'selling out', even though that's seen as an old-fashioned thing these days, but surely presenting something exciting and getting it out to as many people as possible is what really counts? As long as it's done with integrity, I don't see the problem.”
Me neither. But while I'm sure you're happy to endorse all FTH's releases, are there any special favourite for you outside of 'Dream Brother'?
“That's a difficult one, but I'd certainly say the first Tunng album, that's pivotal stuff,” considers Nigel.
“I mean, we got Malcolm Middleton from there, it set up something of a domino effect for us, so I'd have to count that as a favourite, but I honestly can say we're in the envious position of having released only stuff we really like and remain proud of. We wouldn't release them otherwise.”
That's something few people can truly admit to these days, for sure. But Nigel, given the opportunity, who would you love to release given the opportunity?
“Well, that's also a difficult one, but I'd certainly love to put out something by artists of the ilk of, say, Mark Lanegan or Nick Cave,” replies Nigel, after a bit of thought.
“Maybe Micah.P. Hinson will still be with us when he can play venues of a smiliar size,” he continues. “I mean, Full Time Hobby are all about up and coming artists so we think more about talking to people who will be future stars...”
Go on, drop some names...
“No, no, I can't I don't wanna jinx anything,” laughs Nigel, remaining diplomatic to the end.
“All I can say is wait and see...keep your eye out!”
Sure thing. But finally Nigel, have you any advice for anyone thinking of dipping a toe into the extremely treacherous music industry pool? Are things really getting progressively harder for burgeoning new labels?
“It's easier AND harder, I think,” says Nigel inscrutably.
“It's easier in the sense that anyone can get a website sorted and get up and running. You can do that much with only the most rudimentary knowledge.”
“On the other hand, “ he says after a significant pause, “it's harder thanks to the state of the internet and downloading in general.”
So it's not a myth that the 'net's changing everything?
“Yeah, but I think that Full Time Hobby and other like-minded labels still release music which attracts the category of people who still want something tangible...”
Like with the artwork and the whole nine yards? I know I certainly do...
“Absolutely,” agrees Nigel. “There are still loads of serious music fans who want to back up downloads with a finished product. You want the sleeve notes, the inserts, all the info and everything that completes the package. So I think you can still compete if you're creative and passionate enough to deal with presenting that.”
“In a nutshell,” he finishes, “it's about attention to detail in all respects...making sure your bands play live, making sure you present yourself and your website correctly and more than anything else make sure you keep it updated and keep on top of everything.”
Sounds simple, doesn't it, but believe me it ain't. Thankfully, while we can still leave these things in the capable hands of labels like Full Time Hobby, integrity in music will remain off the endangered species list. Thank God for that and Happy Birthday once again, Nigel and Wez.
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