AnalogueTrash is an independent record label, promoter, and music blog based in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. Founded in Manchester in 2009 by Adrian Brian Thompson and Mark Buckley – a pair of avid and idealistic music fans who wanted to share the music they loved with a wider audience.
Beginning with club nights and live music showcases, AnalogueTrash rapidly expanded and evolved, launching a record label in 2014 and new music blog in 2016. They continue to curate grassroots gigs, club nights and festivals, while sharing great music via blogs, podcasts, and playlists.
Many of my gig going highlights have been AnalogueTrash related and the 2019 10 Year Celebration was my personal favourite, standout for me being the incredible Factory Acts, a band that never fail to impress.
CherryVic caught up with Adrian to discuss touring, grassroots artists and thieving delivery drivers.
1. Where are you and what are you up to right now?
Adrian Brian Thompson: “Right now, I’m in my home office in a very grey Todmorden, listening to music and swigging the fourth coffee of the day. I’ve just done a post office run (thankfully it’s just across the road) and am settling into the last working week before Christmas. Oh, and answering some questions for you good people, of course!”
2. Can you tell us about how your label AnalogueTrash came into existence?
ABT: “Like most things in my music industry ‘career’ it was a silly idea that quickly developed a life of its own. We’d been running gigs and club nights for a few years and felt like some of the bands we’d been playing or putting on weren’t getting the love they deserved.
“So, we floated the idea of starting a small label on social media and before we knew it, we had folks wanting us to release their music. That led to a pretty steep learning curve, a lot of winging it and the start of the record label. That was ten years ago this month, and it’s been a wild ride.”
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3. Which artist would you most like to sign, past or present?
ABT: “Wow that’s a tough one. I worry I’d be too starstruck working with bands I’m a massive fan of, but I’d have loved to have been involved with some of my favourite record labels right at the beginning. Working with the likes of Polyvinyl or Dais Recordings would be incredible, and I bet I’d have learned so much.”
4. What’s next for your band VIEON? Did you have a good tour?
ABT: “We had an amazing tour this year. The Inter-City tour went better than we could have imagined, and audiences were enthusiastic, kind and came along in droves compared to our last tour. It’s exhausting and takes over your life for months beforehand, but I love touring and playing gigs.
“It’s such a buzz, and even between shows, the experience of travelling around and spending time with some of my favourite people is a blessing. Plus, we were joined by the super talented Kat Bryan on all our dates, who smashed it every show and was a pleasure to spend time with.
“Matt, the musical genius behind the band, is working hard to get a new album finished for release in 2024 and we have a few live dates in the calendar already. There’ll be the album to promote, but it’ll also be the ten-year anniversary of Vieon’s first release on AnalogueTrash next year, so we might even do a few dates to celebrate that.”
5. How will you spend NYE?
ABT: “It’s a quiet one this year. I have a DJ residency at an amazing alternative queer club night in Manchester called Dandy and was going to be at that, but I’m in desperate need of some time off so will be staying local and maybe doing something here in Todmorden. There are a few great pubs within walking distance from my house, so it’d be rude not to.”
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6. Vinyl, CD or streaming?
ABT: “Vinyl, cassette, MP3 and streaming, just to be awkward. Streaming is here to stay, and the convenience of it can’t be denied, even though it is terrible for artists and small labels.
“I love buying records and tapes, though I tend to only buy stuff from lesser-known bands at gigs or via Bandcamp. None of this paying through the nose for yet another rerelease from a major label nonsense. I’m not a format purist, but I want to support grassroots artists, and having a tangible, physical thing to keep and admire is still my favourite thing.
“Plus, because I DJ fairly regularly, I also buy a lot of digital music too. My MP3 collection is massive, but I’m proud to say they’re all legitimately acquired.”
7. What are your hobbies outside of music?
ABT: “Other than going to gigs as a punter, I’m a big gamer, and can spend many, many hours on the sofa, playing roleplaying games on my PS4 with one or more cats asleep on me. I’m a bit of an introvert to be honest, and really look forward to regular solo gaming or binge-watching sessions to help recharge my social battery.
“I also volunteer doing technical and communications stuff for a fab organisation here called Incredible Edible Todmorden, which does a lot of work around community building, tackling food poverty and social isolation. Between that, my day job, the band and the label, that’s about all I can fit in!”
8. Which was the last book you read?
ABT: “I tend to do audiobooks rather than regular reading, but the last book I listened to was The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett. I’ve a weakness for a bit of epic fantasy, and this is the first part of a series about a ravaged world where demons rise from the centre of the world every night and eat people, and a guy who discovers magic wards that can defend against them. As you do.”
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9. When did you last get into an argument?
ABT: “You know, I don’t think I’ve had a proper argument in ages. There’s been disagreements, sure, but I’m not one for conflict. I’ve just spent the past month in an ongoing battle with DPD and O2 because the delivery driver stole my new mobile phone instead of delivering it, if that counts!”
10. What song is guaranteed to get people dancing when you DJ
ABT: “Depends on the crowd, but if it’s a set at Dandy then anything by Slayyyter or Peaches is a winner. If I’m playing something more locally then you can’t go wrong with dropping Blind by Hercules and Love Affair. Forever a banger.”
11. What advice would you give to anyone starting a record label now?
ABT: “I could go on and on about this, but here’s three things I’ve learned from experience:
“[Firstly] be realistic about what you can offer and be clear on the artist’s expectations. With the right connections, skillset, and time an artist can do fine without a small label – have an open discussion about whether what you can realistically offer and what they need and see if it matches.
“[Secondly], surround yourself with the right people. It’s a hard, often thankless job running a label and there’ll be times where you wonder why you bother. Working with artists you genuinely love and developing a proper support network will get you through those tough times.
“[Lastly], be adaptable and independent. Even when you’re doing everything right, there are going to be external factors that scupper that. For us, in just the past few years we’ve had Brexit removing 90 percent of our European sales, social networks we relied on moving the goal posts or being taken over by cranks, a global pandemic that put everything on hold, and key services like Bandcamp getting bought out by suss companies. You can’t predict that stuff, but you can try to mitigate it. Set up a mailing list so you own your own customer contacts, have a standalone web shop that’s not running on a third party, and don’t rely too much on one social network because they are not on your side.”
12. Why are Factory Acts (signed to AnalogueTrash) so brilliant
ABT: “They’re amazing, aren’t they? In many ways they’re the perfect example of the type of artist we love to work with. Cool as flip, interesting music that defies genre boundaries, excellent live performances, and wonderful, kind, and fun people to boot. On top of that, they’re super supportive of the rest of the artists on the label, and we’re all better because of it.”
13. Anything else you’d like to add?
ABT: “I feel like I’ve gone on with myself enough at this point, but one last reminder to please, please support grassroots music and art, however you can. Venues are closing left, right and centre, bands are struggling to tour, and I’ve seen too many small labels shutting up shop this year. Oh, and listen to the new AnalogueTrash Label Sampler because it’s properly good. Thanks for having me!”
