As a website that does its best to focus on independent Australian artists, it’s always great to hear that people in the industry continue to support the same. Enter Departed Sounds, the latest independent record label in Australia – run out of Melbourne. We chatted with co-founder Andrew Keese about the label – plus he gives us his tips on the best places to go out in Melbourne!
Larry: What is the philosophy, so to speak, behind Departed Sounds? Why did you guys start the company?
Andrew: Departed Sounds was started for a lot of reasons. Frustration with the music industry, a strong desire for change, a need to bring great music to public attention and just to see if we could get away with it. And I’m pleased to report we have gotten away with it, thus far.
The philosophy is pretty simple: freedom and collaboration. Our artists are free to create the kind of music they want to without any interference from us. As far as collaboration goes, we encourage our artists to share resources, contacts, abilities wherever possible. The same rule applies to any partner companies or people we work with outside the label.
The music industry has been (and sadly continues to be) a kind of elite circle. If you jump through enough hoops, if you make enough concessions, you get admission to the exclusive private club.
But nothing truly great develops in a closed system. It’s just vast amounts of money and energy being transferred around and around, and all of it is going nowhere, it’s just feeding the machine.
We’re trying to build something that lasts, not just burn through acts in the pursuit of money. We’re a label that means something and wants to go somewhere. We’re basically believers.
Financial limitations come hand in hand with an independent company – but what do such limitations mean logistically for an independent record label?
Thankfully, financial limitations don’t seem to mean much to us. I tend to feel – especially in the music industry – that there is an inverse relationship between expenditure and quality. The more money that is being spent, the worse the act usually is. Great music sells itself, albeit slowly at times. It doesn’t require ridiculous budgets, slick film clips and over wrought production values. It simply needs to be high quality music.
I also tend to see financial limitations as creative spurs. It’s like that old adage: necessity is the mother of invention. The more limited you are, the more innovative and creative you have to become. And you also become a lot more sensible with money on the rare occasions when you do have it.
When looking at the wider Australian industry, it seems like you guys are much more on the ball of what’s necessary for the modern music scene. Would that be fair to say?
I’d like to think so. The one thing we’re not interested in doing is preserving the past. I think that’s the only rule a new label needs to live by. But what sets us apart and perhaps gives people the impression that we’re “on the ball” is that we are genuinely interested in new ideas and future directions. But above all else, we’re not afraid of experimentation or failure. All great things come from risk. This applies to art as much as it does to business.
What do you think needs to change in the wider industry as we continue moving forward in the digital age?
The price of music needs to come down, especially in the digital format. iTunes is great, but it’s still overpriced. We sell our MP3 files at 95c each or less and we sell at that price simply in order to keep things ticking over and help our artists cover their costs.
The industry needs to stop seeing digital music as a product and understand that it is now a service. And as a service it needs to be sold as such. How you do that effectively is open to debate. But I think the key to understanding the future lies in making that mental switch from product to service.
There also needs to be a way for people to discover new music. Most people I know don’t watch TV, don’t listen to the radio and don’t read music papers. Most of their leisure and discovery time revolves around the internet. But there’s such a deluge of music on the internet that nobody can find anything.
I feel the label is a small step in that direction. It’s a slight contribution to sorting out the mess. If you like one of our acts, there’s a strong chance you’ll like the others. And the cross sales we’ve made from our website prove this.
Lindsay Phillips just released Varning – the first physical release from Departed Sounds. Can you tell me a bit about the artist and how it feels for the company to get that first CD out there!
Actually, Varning has been released digitally, on vinyl and on CD. For me, most of the thrill was actually getting it to the stage of completion. Putting all the pieces together and building the release was immensely satisfying.
Once the process is complete, though, you start looking for the next kick. In that way, releasing an album is almost identical to recording an album. You invest a massive amount of time and energy into this end result. But when you finally have it in your hands, your first thought is “alright, what’s next?”
What else should we be expecting around the corner?
More great releases, expansion into other areas of the music industry, world domination – the usual things a young label aims for.
Melbourne is a city that loves its live music – marching in the streets when The Tote closed, for one. You wouldn’t see that happen anywhere else in Australia! What are your feelings on Melbourne when it comes to it’s live music scene – and do closures (temporary or otherwise) of venues like The Tote cause any concern?
I originally came from Sydney, and I can safely say that compared to Sydney, Melbourne’s live scene is a very healthy creature.
At the same time, Melbourne can be very self congratulatory about its live scene which then leads to complacency and apathy until such time as something major occurs – like the closure of the Tote.
The closure of venues is a concern, but mainly for what it represents (failed political and social policy) than what it actually is. Still, what I find endearing about Melbourne is that people respond by taking matters into their own hands. Melbourne doesn’t generally accept being dictated to.
One of our artists recently organised a highly successful warehouse show which was a real thrill to witness. It’s a testament to the spirit of Melbourne that it always seems to rise from the ashes and is always willing to support something new.
And while on that subject – what are some of your favourite venues in Melbourne? As a punter or otherwise!
For seeing bands, I really like the Old Bar on Johnston Street. Yah Yahs is also a good bet – I love the generally free entry. Northcote Social Club’s sound is unparalleled, in my opinion, and the Toff In Town is good when you want to focus on a band.
As far as just going for a drink, there are far too many to list. But if you haven’t had a pint of Newcastle Brown at 4pm in the Charles Dickens Tavern on Collins Street, you haven’t lived, as far as I’m concerned.
Keep your eyes on http://www.departedsounds.com/ for the latest from the new label!
