Thread by @sarahlay

We're into our final releases of the year at @TheRecklessYes. It's been by far our hardest year yet as a label & we've seen most of the plans we had to grow shelved to focus on keeping going. It feels like time to share a bit about the challenges right now... 🧵

For those that don't know - there's just @razorcuts & myself at @TheRecklessYes. We're ethical, fully independent, supported by a membership & self-financed. We have an incredible roster, are artist-centred, & run as a not-for-profit taking no money for the work we put in

One of the biggest challenges is getting music made, especially on vinyl. There's more demand than ever & capacity is reduced at plants. This means lead times are now around 8-10 months, slots are sparse & snapped up by Majors for reissues & variants mostly

We had to do some fast financing & manoeuvring to make sure we could get records made this year as planned. To have the vinyl shipping at release date is nothing short of incredible right now. Kudos to @razorcuts for finding pressing slots for us

Even with slots secured there are unexpected delays - not great for those who've bought a record but also not good for bands /label who've invested in PR etc. We've been pretty fortunate but after 6 years of always having records on release this year put an end to that

The higher pressure on pressing plants means quality can slip too. We had one (already delayed) record turn up with Side A pressed on both sides. Hundreds of records had been sent to us without anyone noticing this visible mistake, & then further delays to get it all re-pressed

We try to minimise environmental impact (physical & digital music is not very green) & one way we do this is through eco vinyl. Using virgin pellets left over from other runs gives a 'lucky dip' colour effect. Good fun & a little more green. Except now...

There are no colours available. A shortage of coloured pellets mean choice is reduced back to black. Not a show-stopping issue but worth mentioning. It's a competitive market & not everyone who buys vinyl is doing so as an audiophile...some are looking for the aesthetic

But you get your records made, & you have fans waiting. Next issue is a shortage of card so your mailer choices are harder & way more expensive too. A record isn't something you should really just be wanging in an envelope & hoping for the best tbh so mailers are important

You've got your records, you've got mailers GUESS WHAT?!? Postage is fucked. It's expensive & if you want to ship outside the UK Brexit has screwed you. @ilovealcopop did a brilliant thread on shipping issues so go check that for all the depressing detail

So, just stop making vinyl for now, right? Well...80% of our sales are vinyl so that's not really a solid business plan tbh. CD sales are lower (although have a better profit margin), while digital doesn't really need a label & even so is pretty financially terrible for artists

Even if you make it through all the production challenges we're also seeing promotion get much harder. Right now there is a huge influx of releases, held back while we were in lockdown. This means getting coverage from publications & radio is ever-more competitive

For independent artists & labels this is very challenging a we don't have the money or the teams to compete fairly with bigger labels & Majors. They have the advantage. Shout out here to @WallOfSoundPR & @someonegreatpr who've helped our artists get covered this year

Also a thanks to the blogs who continue to support - for a small label with a roster of under-represented voices this means the world. We know how much time & effort you put in for free & love you for it - publications like @getinherears @Joyzineuk @austintownhall @ForTheRabbits

Away from PR (which is super expensive & always a gamble) lots of sales happen at gigs. But gigs haven't been happening (obviously) & are only (& rightly) only just starting to tentatively return. A usual channel for connecting fans & music is still stifled

We're lucky our wonderful membership are a community who support us & have financially & emotionally kept us going. Our roster too a community & without this I'm not sure myself or @razorcuts would have come through this with our mental health intact 💜

These problems aren't going away & things may even get more challenging as Brexit really kicks in & the pandemic continues. We've thought long & hard about whether we continue as a label. Where we at is....

It continues to be a huge privilege to support art into the world & we feel music (culture, generally) is needed more than ever. We'll keep going until we can't anymore. We'll keep trying to make a difference not just as a label but for social & environmental good 💜

We know we're not alone & other labels & independent artists are feeling this too. Solidarity with them & as ever open to ways we can support each other practically & emotionally. But what can you do as a music fan...? 👇🏻

If you have money to spare please consider buying physical music or merch direct from an artist or label. #bandcampfriday is a great time to do this for max impact. Even if you have to wait a long time between buying & receiving know how grateful artists are for your purchase

If you feel safe to do so please go to gigs. If you don't have money to spare (& we know pretty much everyone is watching the pennies) share stuff - it's free & it makes a MASSIVE difference in this competitive environment for coverage

And if you want to support @TheRecklessYes & our artists our membership is a great way to do this. You can still get a 2021 digital subscription to everything we've released this year (10 albums, 3 EPs & some remixes). Our 2022 membership opens this week 👀

So, that's a little look at what it's like to run a record label (alongside full time jobs, families, caring responsibilities, & our own creative endeavours) in 2021. These challenges make every sale & message of support huge for us - thank you all for keeping us going 💜

I've probably missed something so may add to this as I remember those things - or @razorcuts may chip in down the line & expand on what's captured here or the bits I've accidentally left out 😂

A big thanks to those we work with who've helped make this year possible for us @TheRecklessYes - @dmsvinyl @AGRM @CargoRecords @WallOfSoundPR @someonegreatpr @PackSmartGroup 💜💜💜

I should probably mention where you can get our releases - recklessyes.Bandcamp.com

2021 releases from @NERVOUSTWITTA @fightmilkband @PaperBirchband @japan_review @CrystalFurs @FrenchforRabbit @IncompStatic @TheOtherOnesUK @thsheridans @BitchHuntBand @PineyGir @HannahKessler1 ++

Something I Forgot Part 1: demand for vinyl & issues in supply chain of materials mean prices are rising. It also means some plants now won’t accept runs of fewer than 500 records or new customers. This is a big challenge for new & independent artists

Added this at end of thread too…

Something I Forgot Part 1: demand for vinyl & issues in supply chain of materials mean prices are rising. It also means some plants now won’t accept runs of fewer than 500 records or new customers. This is a big challenge for independent artists

And Another Thing Part 2: when people say The Music Industry & refer to his record labels are raking it in they really mean Majors & their subsidiaries. Not truly independent labels running on love