Label Focus – Onomatopoeia Records
Hard to spell – but easy to listen to
Onomatopoeia Records started life as a home for the music of former Cardiacs member William D Drake but has grown into one stop shop for some of the most adventurous, idiosyncractic and generally brilliant songwriting happening in the UK right now. Nick Bourne, owner and founder, goes under Juno Daily’s Label Focus spotlight…
WHAT’S THE NAME OF YOUR LABEL, AND WHO RUNS IT?
Onomatopoeia Records, run by me Nick, with the help of many friends. The label is named mostly in tribute to the first album by Butterfly Child (Joe Cassidy RIP). It’s also a very cool word although not in the least commercially sensible as almost no one can spell it.
WHEN & WHY DID THE LABEL START?
Started in 2007 with a very simple plan – release music by William D Drake, formerly of Cardiacs. It had been ages since his first solo album on Tim Smith’s label and he was playing startlingly beautiful and entertaining shows but seemingly no one was about to release anything. That couldn’t be allowed to continue so I thought… why not do it myself. It grew from there. The aim since then has always been to give a platform to great people who are making great music.
GIVE US A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU’VE RELEASED SINCE THEN….
A real mixture of styles so hard to summarize but a recurring theme through everything would be a psychedelic slant but not some patchouli hippiedom. More a sense of the absurd as well as the beauty of music. A lot of releases have Cardiacs connections – Bill, Stephen EvEns, The Gasman, Craig Fortnam, Pinhead Nation, Milk And Honey Band, Crayola Lectern. I didn’t plan it that way, friends, and friends of friends. We are up to 50 releases now as LPs and CDs have different catalogue numbers.
WHAT QUALITIES ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN THE MUSIC YOU RELEASE?
The only rule is I have to love the music that I am releasing and the people who make it. Sounds simple but the artists are laying themselves on the line emotionally, aesthetically, sometimes financially to make the kind of music they need or want to make. That demands respect. I often say ‘once it’s released it’s there for the ages’ so let’s make sure the artist/band is as happy as they can be with the mix, cut, artwork etc.
Humour is so undervalued in music. All the artists’ I work with are super switched on and funny – I love it when that comes through in their music whether lyrics or sound. A great record should capture the listener’s full attention and take you into its world on its terms. If it hits you right, you may never want to leave.
Part of the fun is seeing the bands live – Barringtone, Hurtling, They Came From The Stars I Saw Them, all really clicked for me live before we decided to do records. I go to see Onomatopoeia bands as much as possible. It’s always thrilling, and I get more nervous than they do sometimes. Seeing bands always gives me a huge energy boost.
WHAT KIND OF VISUAL IDENTITY DOES THE LABEL HAVE (ARTWORK, VIDEOS ETC) ?
There isn’t a house style i.e. a template, I always want to the band to have full input into the artwork – it’s a total package. Michael Chapman aka Moke has always been massively supportive and done a lot of artwork. Other artwork is by Sharron Saddington, Clare Kelly, Cally Callomon, Chris T-T, Bruce Arthole, Paul Khera, Charlotte Brisland, Orlanda Broom.
Ashley Jones and his Chaos Engineers have done many marvellous videos for WD Drake, Stephen EvEns, Craig Fortnam and for tons of friends too. They are as much part of the label’s signature style as anything else. Look out for his video for Stephen EvEn’s A Bee very soon.
Big THANKS to one and all.
WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SELLING RELEASE TO DATE? TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT AND WHY YOU THINK IT WAS SO POPULAR.
The Rising Of The Lights (2011). The fourth William D Drake album and first with vocals for Onomatopoeia was our debut release Yew’s Paw was purely piano. It has always sold steadily and I always enjoy shipping it out to various parts of the world – the audience is ever growing. It’s a wonderful, evocative and mysterious record of course. We got some reviews and a Marc Riley BBC Radio 6 session at the time, but I think it’s word of mouth over the years as more people learn about the unique joys of Cardiacs and Bill’s major contributions to them.
NAME ONE RELEASE THAT YOU THINK DESERVED TO GET MORE ATTENTION THAN IT DID
I’m going to be sneaky and name two, Bonanza Plan by Barringtone, they are killer live, so much fun, but we had to release the album during COVID when they couldn’t play so it never got a real chance looking back.
Also, My Bus – Our Life In The Desert – made by Joe from Butterfly Child and Gary from Papa Sprain. Those two bands and others (Cardiacs, Levitation) changed my life for the better, they had been friends since teenagers and made a spectacular record. Onomatopoeia probably wouldn’t exist without them.
IF YOU COULD SIGN ANY ARTIST, ALIVE OR DEAD, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
Spacemen 3: then I wouldn’t have had to buy everything they ever did /do on every format forever. I am an incorrigible record collector.
WHICH OTHER LABELS DO YOU ADMIRE AND WHY?
Label wise, the biggest influences come from Rocket Girl Records, Earworm Records, The Leaf Label, Lo Recordings, Alphabet Business Concern, Kranky, The Great Pop Supplement, H.ark!, Blue Flea, Colourful Clouds For Acoustics, Deep Distance, Believers Roast, Ogum, Sonic Cathedral, Enraptured, ORG Records, Young God Records. All VERY independent with strong identities, values and with art ahead of commerciality. I am lucky to know many of the people who run these labels. They care deeply about music and do the right thing by the bands they are working with.
WHAT CAN WE LOOK TO FROM YOUR LABEL NEXT?
Next release is Stephen EvEns – Here Come The Lights. This is a third album with us, on glow in the dark LP, black LP, CD and the ubiquitous and insidious streaming. Out March 29, with a celebratory launch show at The Lexington on Sunday March 31.
We are also putting together a little book and some special shows to make up for the 15th party we never got to have. Could be 20 years by the time we get there 😉
WD Drake, Hurtling, Crayola Lectern have all been recording new albums.