Sub Pop Yields New Label
2007-03-09 14:32:34.397,
Story by: Rachael Darmanin
The folks at Sub Pop, who brought you "that band that will change your life," have announced a new, Seattle-based subsidiary, Hardly Art, which will bring the reach of Sub Pop's distribution to smaller bands. Started by Sub Pop founder Jonathan Poneman and run by Sarah Moody (previously of Sub Pop's publicity department) and Nick Heliotis, Hardly Art already has its first signee, local Seattle band Arthur And Yu. Their first album, In Camera, will be out June 19.
"Hardly Art will be run on a much smaller, startup level than Sub Pop [is] currently, and it will work on a much more intimate and spontaneous level when it comes to bands and releases," Moody explains. "So, at the beginning, we'll be working with mostly unsigned and lesser-known bands. Given that it only involves two people and a much smaller budget, going that route makes sense."
Arthur And Yu's debut, according to Moody, is the epitome of why Hardly Art exists. Their Velvet Underground-inspired, experimental rock hit home for the two creators and was exactly the right sound to kick off the new label.
"Arthur And Yu were chosen as the first [band] because we loved their record and wanted to be the ones involved in putting it out," Moody says. "Jonathan had been wanting to get the label started for a while now, but it really had to wait until we found the right band. They are local to Seattle, wonderful people and incredible musicians, and were really excited about what we were starting as a label. It doesn't hurt that their upcoming record is fantastic. Overall, there really couldn't be a better group to start with."
And yes, just in case you were wondering, Hardly Art's name is indeed derived from the song "No Culture Icons" by Sub Pop's own the Thermals. The new imprint's website is currently under construction, but will be up and running in a few weeks.
Tracklist For In Camera:
01. Absurd Heroes Manifesto
02. Come To View (Song For Neil Young)
03. Birds
04. Afterglow
05. Lobby Lights
06. A Thousand Words
07. Lion’s Mouth
08. The Ghost of Old Bull Lee
09. Half Years
10. Black Bear
www.hardlyart.comwww.myspace.com/hardlyartrecords