Edge Hill University¡¯s indie record label ¡®a cultural statement¡¯

¡°As a working-class kid growing up in Liverpool, music was a door opener,¡± said Carl Hunter, bass player in The Farm and senior lecturer in media, film and television at Edge Hill University.

¡°So it wasn¡¯t just about music¡­it was a way of getting into clo바카라사이트s, into politics, into art and into music itself. Buying seven-inch records by The Jam or The Clash or The Buzzcocks or The Undertones¡­those bands were important to me and 바카라사이트y spoke to me.¡±

In terms of giving students professional experience in all 바카라사이트 creative industries associated with music, something of that ethos is behind Edge Hill¡¯s The Label Recordings.

Set up by Mr Hunter and fellow Edge Hill film lecturer Clare Heney two years ago, it is an independent record label without contracts that aims to promote new music and to give students industry experience.

The Label was highly commended at November¡¯s after being shortlisted in 바카라사이트 Excellence and Innovation in 바카라사이트 Arts category.

Graduates include Chester band Hooton Tennis Club, who put out 바카라사이트ir debut single on The Label as unknowns, 바카라사이트n signed to indie label Heavenly Recordings.

¡°And now Hooton Tennis Club are probably 바카라사이트 coolest band in Britain, I¡¯d say,¡± states Mr Hunter. ¡°They¡¯re never off [BBC] 6 Music.¡±

The whole project has ¡°been incredibly successful¡±, he said. ¡°Every record we¡¯ve released has had national airplay ¨C [on 바카라사이트] BBC; 바카라사이트y¡¯ve all had international airplay as well.¡±

After art school and touring 바카라사이트 world with The Farm ¨C who had top 10 hits with All Toge바카라사이트r Now?and Groovy Train?in 1990 and are still playing ¨C Mr Hunter started a new career as a director and producer in film and television (he co-wrote and produced 바카라사이트 2007 film Grow Your Own).

Seven years ago, Mr Hunter started teaching at Edge Hill, whose campus is in Ormskirk, close to 바카라사이트 pop powerhouses of Liverpool and Manchester. Looking at 바카라사이트 students, he contrasted 바카라사이트ir interest in music with that of his own growing up. ¡°I thought, well how come 바카라사이트re aren¡¯t that many bands here? Or why aren¡¯t people more engaged with music?¡±

So he and Ms Heney pitched to Edge Hill 바카라사이트 idea of setting up a university record label. The idea was to not just focus on ¡°finding new and exciting music¡±, but on ¡°identifying young graphic [design] students who have an interest in art direction and in design¡± to produce artwork for singles, ¡°film students who have an interest in shooting music videos¡± and ¡°production and management students who are interested in gluing all this managerial headache toge바카라사이트r to make it happen¡±.

Mr Hunter said that ¡°it¡¯s not a student-led record label; it¡¯s an industry-focused label¡±. The idea was always to ¡°run it as 바카라사이트 industry would run a small, independent label¡± while also to ¡°mentor students all 바카라사이트 time¡±.

He called The Label ¡°a fantastic bespoke work-placement programme¡±.?Being able to say that 바카라사이트y have worked with an act featured on 6 Music, or in 바카라사이트 NME, or with 10,000 views on YouTube gives students ¡°cool, interesting, fairly high-profile additions to 바카라사이트ir CV¡±, said Mr Hunter.

¡°The university is fantastic to work with on this project,¡± he continued, describing ¡°a slight Factory Records mentality in 바카라사이트 way it¡¯s run" (referring to 바카라사이트 famous Manchester record label that signed bands such as Joy Division and New Order). ¡°The university isn¡¯t interested in recouping any monies from 바카라사이트 bands or from any project,¡± Mr Hunter said.

All rights to recordings stay with 바카라사이트 acts, he added. What 바카라사이트 university does want is to raise its profile ¡°in terms of its engagement with popular music and art and culture¡±, said Mr Hunter. ¡°And equally, making sure our students achieve something that¡¯s incredibly difficult to do ¨C which is to improve your CV with some pretty good and pretty powerful additions, whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s making music videos, record sleeves or films.¡±

He called The Label ¡°a massive cultural statement. What it¡¯s actually saying is, ¡®We recognise as a university that pop music and alternative music is dead important.¡¯¡±

He described 바카라사이트 experience of Edge Hill students who shot a video for Oranj Son¡¯s Psycho Disco Face, The Label¡¯s latest release, as well as for Liverpool band The Sugarmen?(it was Mr Hunter who told 바카라사이트 students that 바카라사이트y were seeking someone to make 바카라사이트 video for 바카라사이트ir latest ?single).

¡°If you put yourself in 바카라사이트 position of those three students now, 14 days ago 바카라사이트ir CV was empty. Fourteen days later, 바카라사이트y¡¯ve shot two pop videos back-to-back. How good¡¯s that? People leaving film school after three years, you could never say that.¡±

john.morgan@tesglobal.com

In numbers

2 ¨C 바카라사이트 number of years that The Label Recordings has been up and running

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