Lockdown interview - Olive Grove Records

Ahead of a 2-hour live stream from the Olive Grove Records Facebook page tomorrow (7th May) at 7.30pm I thought I would ping label leader Lloyd an email to see how he was getting on.

There has been rather a lot going on in the Olive Grove world, a label benefitting from the monthly Bandcamp days where the site waives its fees; June 5th and July 3rd are the next dates where this is due to happen. This monthly focus is really helping labels and artists in these unprecedented times and music fans are being incredibly supportive.

Be sure to check out Olive Grove via their bandcamp site and also via their website and don't forget to tune in on Facebook on Thursday.

Firstly, how are you doing?

Getting by thanks. Although I think I might have exhausted every conceivable walk from my house.

And how is the label and your roster doing? You seem to have had a busy few weeks with a crowdfunding campaign for one of your artists, the bandcamp sales and Randolph's Leap being prolific ...

We all seem to be doing OK, I've tried to check in with everyone at some point, just to see how they're doing. I'm regularly whatsapping Carla (J Easton), David (Broken Chanter) and Adam (Randolph's Leap). Plus I was on a Zoom call with all of the Leapers a week or so ago, which reminded me how much I miss hanging out with them all.

As you've already alluded to, Pete from Randolph's Leap had the massive misfortune of losing his flat to a fire a few weeks after lockdown kicked in. I can't imagine what it must be like going through that at the best of times, but having it happen during a worldwide pandemic was just horrendous. Thankfully though, both him and his pet hedgehog escaped safely and he had some great friends who took him in and looked after him. Thanks to a crowdfunder organised by a few of us, we managed to raise over £11k for him. Considering we'd hoped to raise a couple of hundred quid, we were all really blown away by the number of people who wanted to help him out. He's a lovely, lovely man, so it was great to see all the message of support. Plus there were loads of folk there to help him with things like clothes and lending him a bike. He seems to be getting back to a form of stability, he's got a flat of his own to stay in. Plus Frida the hedgehog doesn't seem to be traumatised by the whole experience.

As for Adam from Randolph's Leap, that man never fails to amaze me. What with writing and recording not one, but two albums in lockdown, coupled with the numerous brilliant videos he's come up with, it's been brilliant to see just how creative he can be. Plus the reaction he's received has been ace too, he's definitely bee a breath of fresh air over the past couple of weeks. On top of all the stuff he's been sharing publicly, there's also a new full band Randolph's Leap album which has just been finished off. It sounds incredible, it really captures the joy that the band exude. When it might see the light of day is another matter, but when it does arrive into the world, your ears are gonna love it.

Talking of people who are creatively brilliant, Carla J Easton has been doing some amazing things too. The video for her new single Get Lost was all filmed in her flat, but it feels like it was done in a proper big studio. There's also a session track that she's recorded for the Scotsman, which features four of her, which has to be seen to be believed! We are just about to order vinyl for her new album too. We are looking at getting something really pretty made up for it, which I'm quite excited about.

Pre-order Get Lost HERE

One of the main reasons we are going to be able to do something that bit more special is down to the two days in which Bandcamp waived their fees. The support we received from them has really helped, I think a lot of people are wanting to make sure that wee labels and (DIY/independent) artists can keep going and it's really helped to inspire me to want to keep doing this. So for any of you who bought anything from us recently, thank you, it means the world to me.

How is Olive Grove adapting?

I'm not sure if we are adapting, for me I am working from home and doing homeschooling at the same time, so the label hasn't always been at the forefront of my mind. I guess I am being more reactive to the creativity of others, which has actually been really good for me personally. I don't think like I;be had to drive anything, folk have just been getting on with it and I've been trying to help out when I can. I guess the big difference at the moment, is that it feels like a much more level playing field. It's been great to see everyone wanting to support each other too.

You celebrate your tenth anniversary as a label this year. I guess your plans might have to change?

Yeah we had a few ideas up our sleeves, but that's all been put on hold for now. Doing a live show to celebrate in any capacity seems unlikely, plus being able to release something out of the ordinary will be tough if folk can't get to a studio to record. So if anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear them :-)

Can you tell us about any release plans for this year?

We have Carla's new single, Get Lost coming at the end of May, with an album to follow at the end of August. We are also going to be rereleasing Woodenbox's first album, the Home and the Wildhunt on vinyl in July. After that I am not sure, if I can shift a few more copies of the Archipelago EP's, then I hope to reinvest that back in doing something else.

And after 10-years, what does the future hold? You seem as passionate and as driven as ever.

I honestly don't know. I don't have as much time to do it as I used to, but I now have loads of great folk on board to help me out. I also have a much better group of peers around me now. Having folk like Neil at Scottish Fiction and Ian at LNG has been great. Having someone who can act as a sounding board, or who just understands what you're going through is invaluable.

Skinny Dipper - Masks EP

Earlier on in the year I featured an interview with Lloyd and Halina from Olive Grove Records; a lovely organic DIY label from Glasgow. The duo's enthusiasm for new music in the city is infectious and I always keep an eye and an ear out for the music that they are either releasing or talking about.

The name of Olive Grove's latest signings caught my attention - Skinny Dipper. Who or what is a skinny dipper and do they like to skinny dip?!

Answering two of those questions the band say they are 'almost a girl group'. There are 8 girls and 1 lucky boy with a healthy background in groups like Randolph's Leap, Aerials Up, Quickbeam and Trapped In Kansas. So they have been around enough to know what they are doing.

Skinny Dipper, before the skinny dip

Masks is a gorgeous EP, perfect for the sunny Autumn day when it first entered my life. The production (Stuart MacLeod) captures the harmonies, melodies and feel of the music perfectly.

The 5-track EP is coming out on 12-inch vinyl and as a download on 8th September.

Landing openings proceedings and vocal harmonies combine with beats, violin and keyboards in a beautiful manner. The bands ear for pop shines through with catchy backing vocals following the first instrumental section and the whole song flows along.

The vocals that introduce Hospital Bed are absolutely beautiful (beautiful is a word that may be used a lot in reviews for Skinny Dipper). The band highlight their skills superbly on this song, capable of bursts of flowing melodies from nowhere.

Gentle guitars usher in the superbly titled The Kids Are Moving On. A soulful trumpet and slow considered percussion kick in at just the right moment. Skinny Dipper are in no rush, they know they are capable of moments of beauty and they inject them at just the right moments in this song. The closing instrumental is glorious, life affirming.

So swing fast and swing hard

For what you want to hold in your hands

Cellphones is nothing other than atmospheric ambience underpinning someone talking about Cellphones in a paranoid fashion. I was quite disappointed on first listen that this didn't go anywhere.

There is no surprise that the band opt to close the EP with Son Of A Mitch. Yet again the band show that they can fly and flow with the best of them in the exquisite closing section. I do hope to catch them live in full flight at some point in the not too distant future. The band play with fellow Olive Grove band Call To Mind at Stereo in September.

Skinny Dipper create moments of wonder on their debut EP. Definitely worth a dip (groan).

Olive Grove Records interview

I got a nice little feeling inside when Lloyd from Olive Grove Records posted online about his label's showcase show at Oran Mor as part of Celtic Connections selling out. Sadly I couldn't make it along, however I know how much work Lloyd and his co-owner Halina have put into the label and the support, passion and encouragement that they offer to the artists on it. So I was mightily chuffed for them.

I hope the exposure and success from the showcase gig helps to establish the label a little more and that they continue to pour energy and enthusiasm into the Scottish music scene.

I thought it might be a good time to catch up with them to hear about the trials, tribulations, successes and joy that come from running a D.I.Y record label,

So read on to find out about sticking out an album by someone wishing to remain anonymous, label highlights, future plans, the one that got away, dodgy dad dancing, juggling life with dreams and lots more.

If you are new to the label why not check out these beauties for starters;

1. Closing Doors by The Moth and the Mirror

2. There Is No-one To Thank by The Son(s)

3. Counting Sheep by Randolph's Leap 

Enjoy.

So how did Olive Grove come about?

Lloyd - Back in the summer of 2010, Halina called me one evening of out of the blue asking me if I wanted to start a label together. I thought about it for about a nanosecond, before blurting out “YES” in quite an over excited voice. We met up shortly after to come up with a plan, an ethos and talk about who we’d like to approach to work with us. About a month or so after we met up with Randolph’s Leap to see if they’d be interested in letting us release their debut EP, ‘Battleships and Kettle Chips’. Thankfully they said yes and we’ve pretty much been winging it from their ever since.

How did you arrive at the name? Can you tell us any of the rejects?

Halina – Lloyd and I used to have a big love of the band Snow Patrol (many will be surprised to find out) and one of the better songs of theirs, An Olive Grove Facing The Sea was a favourite for both of us. Lloyd suggested the name and it was a perfect fit as it was different, but captures the organic ethos behind the label. 

What's your basic philosophy?

Lloyd - That’s an easy one, release good music and don’t lose too much money! When we first agreed to start the label we both agreed that we weren’t doing this for the money and that any profits made would go back to the bands. When I tell most folk that they tend to look at me like I am insane, but that was the plan and to date we’ve pretty much stuck to that ideology.

What labels do you look to for inspiration?

Halina – I think there are loads. Johnny Pictish Trail has always been a source of constant inspiration as has Matthew Young and his label Song, By Toad Records. Others for me include FatCat Records and Smalltown America, both have produced some incredible bands. 

One of your first releases was by a mysterious outfit/artist going by the name of The Son(s). The music is incredible and it was a brave move to put something out by an act who remains anonymous and doesn't play live. Very frustrating for people who like his music - how frustrating for you as a label?!

Lloyd – The Son(s) was the very first album that we put out, so at that time I wasn’t too concerned about the whole live thing. I was just super excited that someone was willing to trust us with their hard work. Obviously we liked the music, but the air of mystery surrounding the band also sucked me in. I finally met Karl, aka The Son(s) about a year and a bit after we put their album out, which I thought would be really weird and awkward, but it was quite the opposite. We got on really well and he’s now someone I would consider to be a good friend.

As per usual I have waffled on and not actually answered the question. There have been times that I have found it slightly frustrating, but then I appreciate why it hasn’t happened yet. There have been plans afoot for a while now for them to play live, if it happens then great, if not, then such is life. There’s a new record on the way, which is enough to keep me happy.

One of my fave books is 'Rip It Up And Start Again' and I marvel at stories of bedroom labels (like Mute) suddenly selling hundreds of thousands of records. Things have changed dramatically but what are your ambitions for the label? Could you have a break through artist? Is that an aim? 

Halina – We have ambition don’t get me wrong, but for us it is more of a focus on the artists than anything else. It is always nice to think you would be able to quite your day job for the love of music, but I think people are more realistic these days. I am the romantic in the partnership in that I always think that something unworldly will happen one day and Lloyd is the grounded one. I suppose you have to have 2 opposites. The truth is that all the artists have the potential to be breakthroughs, the question is, how does one measure a breakthrough? 

What are your top 3 highlights of the label so far?

Lloyd - The Celtic Connections show on Sunday is up there as one the greatest things I’ve done in my life, never mind just the label. It’s something we’ve been working on since July last year and it took a lot of hard work and planning to pull it all together. Getting The Moth & The Mirror back playing live again was really exciting, then to sell Oran Mor out was pretty special for me –for those that had to witness my dodgy dancing on stage with Woodenbox, could probably tell by my cheesy grin just how happy I was.

Aside from Celtic Connections, there have been too many highs that I’d find it hard to single two more out. Highlights for me include our showcase at the Insider Festival, The Moth & The Mirror getting a five star review in the Skinny, seeing Randolph’s Leap headline the Queen’s Hall, the State Broadcasters album launch in the Wellington Church Hall, plus I am sure there’s loads more that I have forgotten!

What are your label plans for 2014 (that you can share)?

We are in talks with Woodenbox and Jo Mango again. The aim is to release a second album by one of our artists which we have yet to do. We have to nurture and develop what we have already.

Jo Mango

What are your top 3 favourite things about running a label?

Lloyd – 1) I have wanted to do this since I was 16, so I am kind of living the dream, 2) releasing records by some of my favourite bands, 3) introducing new music that I love to people

What are your 3 most challenging things about running a label?

 Halina – 1) Time – obviously Lloyd and I have full-time jobs and we also run our blogs so trying to fit things in is sometimes brutal. Lloyd also has a child which floors me sometimes.

2) Foresight – this a particularly honest response, but I think that because everyone is different and opinions are different then things will not always run smooth. It would be bullshit for me to sit here and say that things are always smooth. For the most part they are, but there is sometimes those moments whereby you will disagree, it is human nature. 

3) Money – if won the lottery I would put a massive investment and take on more artists. We had to turn down a band this week that broke my heart as I love them and it would have shown a completely different side to our roster and taste, but because we need to work that means no time.

Do you both need to agree on an artist for release?

Lloyd – that we do, as we’re doing this for the love of it, we both have to like the artist enough to want to invest our time in them. Recently we’ve had to pass on a few bands that we both really like, purely because we just don’t have the time and we wouldn’t want to do a half arsed job for them.

If you could release an album by anyone, who would it be and why?

 Halina – Well one that we really wished we had released was Song Of Return’s first album. I really believe that could have knocked a lot of things out of the park. The writing, production, performance and overall product was incredible. I still listen to  it.

Any advice for artists interested in approaching you?

Lloyd - Before approaching any label I would argue that you need to have built up some kind of a profile for yourself. If we haven’t already heard of you, then we’re unlikely to want to work with you. We get a lot of emails from generic lad rock bands, who you get the impression are just out there spamming any label they can find. Have a look at the bands that we’ve worked with before, that should give you a good indication as to the kind of music we like. 

The Shivers - Beauty

The lovely Lloyd who runs one of the best Scottish blogs under the guise of Peenko is putting on a show at Mono next Monday headlined by the American band The Shivers. Support comes from the excellent Randolph's Leap.

I like Mono, I like Lloyd, I like Randolph's Leap....so I decided to check out The Shivers who have all of their new album up on their Soundcloud page.

I've yet to digest the album, but the comments at the bottom of the set directed me to a song called 'Beauty' off their debut album 'Charades'. So I decided to check it out and I am glad I did.

The lyrics are below. They are poetic, beautiful, heartfelt and they flow easily.

The production is basic, the music is subtle, sounding live and raw. The vocals are rightly to the fore, as they should be on such a beautiful song. The singers voice is aching, harmonies come in at the end.

This is quite stunning. Exquisite. See you at Mono next Monday if you are going. 

i live off love

i feed off love

i breathe off love

i think of love

i drink of love

i sink in love

and in the middle of the night i need my love

i need to grieve and need to need and be in love

my love is gonna come to me

tonight

i feast on love, a beast for love, release my love

you're scared and unprepared for love, don't care my love

cause youre the only woman i've been dreaming of

i swear to god i'm loving you for that

i swear to god i'm making you my wife

and if you ever leave me

i never will be sore

i'll love you 'til you're lonely

then i'll love you some more just before

ohh..

beauty beauty beauty, there's nobody near me,

there never was

beauty beauty beauty, there's nobody near me,

there never was.