Watchmaker Record Company - Sound In The Signals Interview
You are welcome! I am always excited to discuss music. I am not sure what I would do without music to keep me going.
Your label is fairly new. For those unfamiliar with it can you tell me a little about your label and why you decided to start a label?
Watchmaker Record Company was started late last year (2013). We were originally called Random Tangent Records, but changed our name after we discovered there was already a Tangent Records in Ohio. The goal with WRC is to release albums to vinyl that people can really get behind. There are a lot of bands I listen to on a regular basis that would probably never see the format unless the fans make it happen. I decided to take matters into my own hands and have fun with it at the same time.
Your first release is a vinyl pressing of We Shot The Moon's Love On. Why did you decide to release this album as your first one?
I have been listening to Jonathan Jones (of We Shot The Moon) in various bands since his original band, Waking Ashland, released “Composure” in 2005. I have always appreciated the honesty in his lyrics and how the piano is the backbone of most of his songs. When I started WRC and began thinking about artists that would be available for a vinyl release, WSTM was the first band that came to mind.
With that you've got two different vinyl variants available. How did you choose what variants this would be pressed on?
After considering the album artwork and concept of “Love On,” I knew that gold vinyl was the right choice. The album cover features a heart made out of a map and the gold vinyl makes me think of the sun shining down while driving across the country. Also, “Love On” is a very upbeat album and gold is such a bright and cheery color. The black vinyl is still there to meet the need of all those vinyl purists out there.
How involved was the band with the pressing and did they have much input on the overall process? If so how important was it to have their input?
Releasing this album was great because We Shot The Moon and their management were actually the only people I worked with to release the album. WSTM owns the album outright so there was no record label to attempt to please. The release really came down to creating a vinyl album that the WSTM fans will appreciate. Watchmaker Record Co. had free reign to be creative and to release a product everyone involved can be proud of.
I got a chance to see some pictures of the We Shot The Moon Love On variants, center labels, insert, etc... on your Facebook page. It looks like you really put a lot of effort into making sure this turned out really good. What was the process like putting together this release and how long did you work on it to get it to fruition?
I really appreciate you saying that! I (Luke) did all of the design needed to convert the release from a digital/cd product to vinyl. I have a background in architecture, so I pulled from that to do the graphic design needed for the album. I decided on some unconventional methods to get the task done (for example, the lyric insert is actually a large heavyweight postcard with a glossy finish) but the decisions made were to keep the album cost for the fans low and hopefully have a unique release that will be enjoyed by everyone.
The release took about 6 months total from start to finish. I got a lot of great advice from other labels and friends and I am excited to share the finish product.
Do you have anything else planned for the remainder of the year that you can tell me about?
Watchmaker Record Co. is already working on our second release. I don't want to announce anything yet (sorry!) but I promise to share the news with Sound In The Signals as soon as it is finalized. The goal is to continue to work with bands that are of a similar caliber as WSTM and that we enjoy- not necessarily because they are a commercial success.
I guess that about wraps it up. Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions. Do you have anything else you would like to add?
Thanks for taking the time to hear what I had to say! I am looking forward to hearing everyone's feedback about “Love On.” Stay tuned for another album announcement soon!
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