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1. Who are the
owners of Barsuk?
"The owners are Josh Rosenfeld, Emily Alford, Christopher Possanza,
Barry Gordon and Sean Nelson."
2. Who started the label?
3. What prompted the start of the label?
"Josh and Christopher started the label to release their band's (This
Busy Monster) 7" singles in 1994. It wasn't a proper label, however,
until 1998, when we released our first two CDs (This Busy Monster and
Death Cab for Cutie)."
4. How much did the first release cost?
"Our first release was a 7" single by This Busy Monster -- I don't
remember exactly, but it probably cost around $500 to make."
5. Were there any times when you were unsure of whether or not the
label would make it?
"Well, yeah, there have been some rough times in our past -- something
horrendous goes wrong with the printing, or the manufacturing, or the
distribution -- but we've always bounced back pretty well. We rely on
the strength of our releases to carry us through."
6. How did you arrive at the name Barsuk?
"Barsuk is the name of Christopher's dog, a friendly lab/bull
terrier. Barsuk is a Russian word meaning "badger", and the dog was
so named either because he resembled a badger as a puppy, or because
he liked to dig like a badger when he was a puppy, or just because we
liked the word. We're not sure."
7. Who was the first band signed?
"After putting out two This Busy Monster singles, we released another
7" single by Pea Soup. But if by "signed" you mean "have some sort of
long-term agreement", Death Cab for Cutie probably qualifies as the
first."
8. What bands are on the label now?
"Our current roster includes Aveo, Death Cab for Cutie, Kind of Like
Spitting, The Long Winters, Nada Surf, Jesse Sykes & The Sweet
Hereafter, and John Vanderslice. Our upcoming releases include the
new Death Cab CD (Oct.2003), John Vanderslice (Jan.2004) and Aveo
(Feb.2004?)."
9. Do the artists have a stake in the company, more so than with a
major label? (i.e. – do they have more decision making in how the
company is run, albums are promoted, what material goes on their
albums, etc.)
"We strive to have the most artist-friendly label on the planet. Our
artists have a lot of control over how their music is presented to the
world, more so than on most labels, and they generally own their
masters and have input concerning how we market their records. We're
here to help them, basically, and to provide a cohesive picture of
their art. That being said, it's definitely important for us to remain
viable as a business, so the Barsuk staff are much more in control of
the business side (as opposed to the creation side) of the label than
are the individual bands. A big part of being artist-friendly for us
is having open communication with artists about the business side of
our joint projects, and working with them to sell their records in a
way with which they're comfortable."
10. Do you have any big plans for the future?
"Of course we have big plans for the future -- we plan to keep
improving our craft, keep putting out really good music, and keep
trying to expose this music to an appreciative audience. In addition
to the upcoming releases mentioned above, we've got a new Jesse Sykes
record next year, new Kind of Like Spitting, plus one or two other
goodies tucked hidden in our sleeves... "
barsuk records
p.o. box 22546
seattle wa 98122 usa
www.barsuk.com |
