STA Interview on Beat Generation

Happy New Year!

This year was the busiest and most rewarding yet for me at Smalltown America. We released 16 titles in 2009 making it the most hectic in our catalogue as well. 

I've always enjoyed Christmas holidays as it gives me time to think and make plans for the label - I get to change things up, which I love doing. 2010 will be our ninth year in the game and by the end of it I would love for us to have reached catalogue number STA100 - that would double our physical CD/Vinyl output and push us to thirty releases plus per year. It wouldn't be Smalltown America unless their were some mishaps along the way - so it's with a mixture of excitement and queasiness that I set this ambitious stall out for the next twelve months! 

Record labels come and go - lots have disappeared this year along with many independent and chain stores; to analysts our industry is one in crisis. I'm not going to disagree with the facts, it's harder than ever to sell records - but why should it be easy? When Jamie and I began the label at the turn of the decade we always thought that if a record or an idea was good enough it would reach its audience eventually. Marketing and advertising helps of course, but it's not the way to build a real audience. And So I Watch You From Afar proved this year that being honest, steel-hard in the face of adversity and generally awesome live is the correct path to win hearts all over the world.

I've always thought that we've released great records and that we have a warm, independent and appreciative audience. I'm genuinely thankful to all people who buy our stuff and to all the bands that trust us with their master recordings.

Expect new records from all of the roster in 2010 and lots of new STA signings, we'll be launching our new webstore in January which will make it really easy to get hold of what you want - fast. 

Huge thanks to everyone that has helped me out this year promoting our bands: Brian, Charlene, Daniel, Ash, Jeff, Ben, Tim, Matt and Chris principally and many, many others besides.

Lots of love to you all and good luck for 2010! Let's go!

x

Smalltown Feature on 'An Sceal Nua' - Beware Foreign Language Alert!

Rare glimpse of STA Towers - thanks to Chrissie McGlinchey and the team for coming to talk to us

LaFaro - Live @ SERC-MAPA

Fresh from the announcement that LaFaro will be joining Calories in defending Smalltown America's honour against those southern tyrants from The Richter Collective, The lads recently took some time out from the recording of their debut album to play a couple of tracks and have a wee chat with SERC-MAPA for their monthly podcast. Check it out...

Live@SERC-MAPA La Faro from serc mapa on Vimeo.

We are Godzilla, You Are Japan

The long-awaited release of ASIWYFA's eponymous long-player is fast approaching here in the UK & Ireland. In fact, we'll be taking pre-release orders - ahead of the album's release date on Monday 13th April - before the end of this week. Keep your eyes peeled for that announcement!

For our lucky friends in Japan however, the wait is finally over, as the record was released there this week. Check out some of the awesome photos - We predict that it is now a matter of when rather than if ASIWYFA head towards the rising sun to lay waste to the Far East!

Many thanks to Graham Pavey from the band's Japanese label for the photos!

And So We Welcome Them From Afar...

We are pleased as proverbial punch to announce the addition of Belfast post-rockers And So I Watch You From Afar to the roster.

The eponymous full-length debut album will be released on Monday 23rd March 2009. The album will be preceded by the double-A sided single 'Set Guitars to Kill / A Little Solidarity Goes A Long Way' on Monday 9th March 2009.

And So I Watch You From Afar sprung onto the scene in 2007 with debut mini-album ‘This Is Our Machine And Nothing Can Stop It’. This year has seen the band steadily build their fan base, most recently joining Maybeshewill on a co-headlining, Rocksound-sponsored UK tour.

We are delighted to welcome ASIWYFA to the Smalltown America family. Their music is some of the most exciting that Northern Ireland has produced in the last five years, their commitment to the local scene is something we wholeheartedly applaud. This new record will melt faces.

ASIWYFA guitarist, Tony Wright said, “We are delighted to be working with a label that shares our enthusiasm for innovative and exciting music. With this alliance solidly forged, a debut album waiting to be unleashed and our unbreakable will to make the most tantalizing, new music out there - the world may yet spin backwards due to our uncompromising sound.”

The full track-listing for 'And So I Watch You From Afar':

1. Set Guitars To Kill
2. A Little Bit Of Solidarity Goes a Long Way
3. Clench Fists, Grit Teeth...GO!
4. I Capture Castles
5. Start A Band
6. Tip Of The Hat, Punch In The Face
7. If It Ain't Broke, Break it
8. TheseRIOTSareJUSTtheBEGINNING
9. Don't Waste Time Doing Things You Hate
10. The Voiceless
11. Eat The City, Eat It Whole

For further information please contact Brian at HQ

And So I Watch You From Afar Myspace