Friday 4 October 2013

WICKED GAME: An interview with Martin Wake, founder of independent record label Coffee Jingle Records!

Photo: Our first ever interview with a record label will be coming up later tonight! Brace yourself for our interview with Martin Wake of Coffee Jingle Records! AB Records
PART 1 - "THE INTERVIEW"
 
1 - What is your earliest musical memory and what pushed you towards a career in the music industry?
 

"My earliest childhood musical memory was watching Michael Jackson on the TV around 87, I think it was a MTV award performance or something like that (Man In The Mirror I think), my first ever album I listened to all the way through was Faith no More - The Real Thing. When I was 12 or 13 I just remember always having music on and I was really interested in the lyrics and just the songs as a whole package, so as time progressed I realized this was something I wanted to be a part of in some way."

 2 - What pushed you towards starting up a record label?
 
"I was just hearing some really good unsigned music and no one was really pushing it and I was just wondering what would happen to them bands if someone got behind them and provided them with professional recordings? So that was the main reason I started this, I aim to be a stepping-stone in the careers of bands to lead them to (hopefully) bigger things. It still angers me that bands that have potential get completely ignored in favour of someone who can sing a couple of good covers on TV on a Sunday night, all they need is a chance to show that potential and its the least they deserve." 
 
3 - Why did you choose to start a record label instead of forming a band?
 
"I have been in bands for about the last 10 years, but developed more of an interest to the sounds of bands rather playing them sounds (but I still do play guitar and am learning to play piano), so long term that’s where I knew I would be best suited. It is fun playing in bands but only ever saw it as a hobby whereas this is something I intend to do for the rest of my working life. I don't intend ever to play in a band again as I won't have the time to balance it with my record label." 

4 - Where did the name Coffee Jingle Records come from?
 
"It came from a cartoon called Dethklok which is a spook death metal band, and they did a song which was a jingle about Coffee and me and a friend of mine thought it was really funny and decided to name the label Coffee Jingle Records. Their were some other names popping around but this name stuck and struck a chord with people who I mentioned it to so I decided to stick with it." 

5 - Is there any particular sound that you associate with Coffee Jingle Records or do you try and make sure your roster of artists has a wide variety of genres?
 
"There are some similarities but I try and not make it obvious, as I don't want every album and artist to be the same. Once you do that you pigeonhole yourself and if your genre dissolves in the mainstream, you can't go anywhere as Sub Pop, Creation and others have proved. As I have got older I have appreciated other genres of music which is one reason why I am happy I didn't start this 10 years ago as all of the bands would have sounded like Alice In Chains and it wouldn't have lasted."
 
6 - What do you look for in a band that you will potentially sign to Coffee Jingle?
 
"Good songs, professionalism, ambition, work ethic and an overall good presence."
 
7 - Any releases coming up?
 
"Releases include Ravenous - 'We Are Become Death', Observing The Ghost - 'Burn The Tsunami', The Broken Arrows - 'Nothing Personal EP', Caught In A Crossfire - 'CIAC EP' which is available on CD and Davy's Gripp - 'Wicked Game' single. Future album releases include Missing Citizen, Caught In A Crossfire, The Broken Arrows, Davy's Gripp, ThreeQuarterSmile and Kodah." 
 
8 - Which record label inspired you the most?
 
"Sub Pop, coming from nothing with no qualifications or previous experience into popularising a movement as big as grunge was amazing. They clearly had their eye on the ball and took calculated risks; sadly once grunge died they couldn't recover. Also other independent record labels that done it for the love of the music, which inspired me to do the same. Clearly you have to be able to make a living out of it and be able to survive and all that side of it, but that shouldn't take away the reason why you started a record label up in the first place, same can be said of bands, never forget why you started it up!"
 
9 - What advice, as a record label owner, would you give to bands starting out in the industry?
 
 "The industry is changing very quickly and the way people listen to music is changing too, just make sure your music is available on as many platforms and websites as possible even if they don't pay to well, you never know who will be listening to you. Also keep a eye our for new technology and look at the best ways you can use it, but always copyright and protect your work as you don't want to be ripped off by anyone."


PART 2 - "THE QUICKFIRE ROUND"
 
1 - Favourite Beatle?

"John Lennon, Ringo a close second with the Thomas the Tank Engine talk over." 
 
2 - Favourite band?
 
"Alice in Chains."
 
3 - Favourite new band?
 
"Royal Blood, check them out."
 
4 - Favourite Coffee Jingle band?
 
"Sitting on the fence, but all of them!"
 
5 - Favourite song?
 
"Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush. To write a song that good that young was insane."
 
6 - Favourite album?
 
"One - Holy Bible by Manic Street Preachers, two - Dirt by Alice in Chains and three - In Utero by Nirvana."
 
7 - Vinyl, CD or download?
 
"CD."
 
8 - Style icon?
 
"Marilyn Monroe or James Dean."
 
9 - Favourite film?
 
"The Italian Job."
 
10 - Favourite TV show?
 
"QI."
 
11 - Who would play you in a film of your life?
"Colin Ferrell, no idea why." 
 
12 - Favourite food?
 
"Tacos."
 
13 - Football team?
 
"Portsmouth."
 
Hope you enjoyed this feature on Coffee Jingle Records! Check out our previous feature on Rhonda!

Check out Coffee Jingle Records at the following sites -
 
Buy "We Are Become Death" by Ravenous here - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/we-are-become-death/id604118681
  
Buy "Burn The Tsunami" by Observing The Ghost here - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/burn-the-tsunami/id633097378
 
Buy "Nothing Personal EP" by The Broken Arrows here - http://thebrokenarrowsmusic.bandcamp.com
 
Buy "CIAC EP" by Caught In A Crossfire - https://www.facebook.com/CaughtInACrossfireBand
 
 
Check out Royal Blood here - http://royalbloodband.com
 
You can also like our Facebook page to keep up to date with all future interviews at the following link - https://www.facebook.com/aldorabritainrecords
 
AB Records

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