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Rockathon Records

Although they still prefer vinyl, Rockathon have gone cyber. And that hasn't been long, only a couple of months. But long enough for us to ask'em some questions about the connection to Guided By Voices, The Tasties and...

Tekst: Nathalie Claeys

Publicatiedatum: 12 augustus 2000

Why did you decide to set up your own label?
"It was the original label of Guided By Voices. Bob wanted to make records and Pete "signed" him to a 3 record deal. They did it with a line of credit from the Dayton Teachers' Credit union."

Rockathon... Why not, RollingThongRecords? Just kidding. Sort of. Is there a story behind the name?
"Before Rockathon, the label had different names like Rocket #9 and Halo. Bob wanted a new label name for Propeller and it just popped into his head."

You've only recently gone cyber, but the label has been rocking the scene ever since... Well, since when? Can you give us a short history of the label. Who, what, when, where,...
"It started with Pete and Bob. The first project was in 1986 called Forever Since Breakfast. Sandbox, Devil Between My Toes, Same Place the Fly Got Smashed and Self Inflicted Arial Nostalgia were all vinyl only. After Propeller, Bob got signed to Scat so the responsibilities shifted to merchandise. From '91 to '96 that's all Rockathon was. In '96 Pete got permission from Matador to do a fan club only GBV outtakes album called Tonics and Twisted Chasers. Then came 84 Nash and Hershel Savage and the American Flag. Pete suddenly realized he had a real record label and brought me in to assist. From that point we have added videos, hats, and watches to the merchandise list and Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments and The Tasties to the band list. We also now have an intern from the University of Dayton."

There's also the Fading Captain Series. What's the difference with the Rockathon label? What's the story behind that name?
"A couple of years ago Bob asked me if I wanted to put out a fan club only album while he was in between labels. It quickly grew from limited edition 1000 vinyl release to a full blown release. I called Todd Robinson from Luna and recordhead for some guidance and after the conversation, I knew I needed his help. I asked Pete if he wanted to be included and it then became a Rockathon/recordhead joint venture. TVT included a clause in their contract that allows Bob to put out all of his alter-egos."

I guess, Robert Pollard decides which bands get signed. How does he find the bands? He finds a couple of kids and says "Hey, you will be the Tasties!"?
"They all are friends of Bob and Pete."

How do you work with the bands? A handshake? A contract? Threats?
"They give us music and we produce and distribute it. It's a very simple model."

Besides records, you also have T-shirts and even a crazy Guided by Voices video. Who designs the T-shirts? And by the way, how important is image for Rockathon?
"Rockathon is a grass roots label and our best seller is a hand screened homemade t-shirt. The images and designs come from Bob and his album art."

Can you describe a typical day at the office? Putting on some red leather and playing New York Dolls bootlegs?
"Dave the intern is on the computer while Pete and I drink beer and come up with ideas."

Indie vs Major, does it really matter? And while we're on the subject, what's the deal with Luna?
"Fuck major labels."

So anyway you have a website now. What are your thought on Napster and digital distribution of music in general?
"We love vinyl."

What's the biggest misconception you had when you started up Rockathon?
"They're were no expectations so there were no misconceptions."

What is the most fun about running your own label, besides filling out questionaires like these?
"Sitting around hammered listening to one of our new releases."

Question 13.... as the number is my lucky one, I'll ask you this question: Can I get a discount? No, I mean, any new records coming out that we should know about?
"The GBV Suitcase box set on Fading Captain is the next record. We have a new video called The Who Went Home and Cried. It has GBV practicing on Bob's front porch and features the Amazing Geo."

 Visit Rockathon Records' website @ www.rockathonrecords.com

http://www.kindamuzik.net/label/709/rockathon-records/745/
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