Rarely will you hear about the need for an independent label to expand the space in which it operates; but, given enough time and (painfully incremental) success, there may come a point at which such gradual growth eventually leads to bunked-desks and “LISTEN TO MY MUSIC” CD-Rs being stored in mini-fridges. Theoretically, a label should, at that point, “simply” move into a different/larger space (well…it’s either that, or else go all-in on the increasingly sweatshop-like environment and start piping German propaganda in through the intercom for the purposes of motivation). Mercifully, the 16-year-old indie label Important Records is shooting for the former solution…although, I suppose it’s misleading to suggest that founder John Brien and co. ever endured truly awful conditions like the ones I described above. Nope; turns out, they just never had a dedicated office to begin with, is all!
The Groveland, Massachusetts-based label recently set up a Kickstarter to renovate their barn — which, up until this point, has reportedly served as warehouse, with the basement being outfitted as a print shop, the porch as an office, and the front door as a receiving area — into a “proper” (read: significantly less barn-like) office space. Theories are welcome as to how the company ever managed to promote and propagate music for so many years (from artists like Coil, Merzbow, Xiu Xiu, Eleh, Cave, and Boris) using this setup. But regardless of the how’s, why’s, and huh’s: IMPREC is now hoping to collect upwards of $40k to fully fund all the renovations, and donors will have the chance to acquire goodies ranging from apparel and posters to a 100-CD package priced at $1 per album, depending on how much they cough up.
Head here to chip in and help these hardworking men and women have a slightly better place to stuff envelopes than the former calf-birthing stall, and watch the vid below for more “Important” details!
