Having
started life as a modest club night in a ramshackle pub on the
outskirts of Manchester, Scruff of the Neck have spent the last five
years expanding themselves, building on their knowledge and
experiences, eventually arriving at the point they're at now; a
self-sufficient creative collective whose sticky fingers are lodged
firmly in myriad musical pies.
Whilst
their many services may well echo those also at the disposal of major
labels, Scruff of the Neck ply their trade with a love befitting of
their independent nature; what they do is for the love of the music,
not
the love of the money. As such they've made it their personal mission
to “rejuvenate Manchester's music scene” (Emma Wilkinson,
Vita Magazine)
through offering local bands multiple platforms from which to promote
themselves, regardless of the size or popularity of the band in
question.
From
club nights to record releases, equipment hire to website building,
there's not many industry avenues that still remain unexplored, and
it's this devotion to their cause that will make Scruff of the Neck
the cultural force they're inevitably becoming. With a host of acts
already included in their ever-expanding roster of artists, it's easy
to see why people are getting excited about the label. One reason
they should be excited, is Scruff's ability to see the bigger
picture, resulting in numerous partnerships that benefit all
involved. Most recently of which, saw the label join forces with
another local label MUK Records. Whilst this is a move which will
undoubtedly bring exposure to all parties involved, predominantly it
will provide a bigger platform for the artists under both names,
harking back once again to the unwritten ethos of “Music First”.
Scruff
of the Neck certainly aren't alone in their venture; there are other
labels working tirelessly in Manchester to provide a bigger platform
for those bands overshadowed by the city's history and the
stereotypes the history in turn perpetuates. What sets Scruff apart
from the likes of SWAYS however (a collective based just outside of
Manchester in Salford) is their approachability. There aren't any
airs and graces about them that can ultimately end up feeling
pretentious. They're down-to-earth and grounded in the fact that
music matters more than anything else they're doing, something
ultimately intrinsic to their work, the mounting momentum behind it,
and their popularity.
We caught up with Mark Lippman to look at the ethos behind his company, and the direction in which it's heading next.
U&I:
Hi Mark, Thanks for taking the time out to have a chat and answer
some of our questions. First of all, can you outline the ethos behind
Scruff of the Neck and tell us what it is you set out to do?
Mark
Lippman: The ethos behind SOTN can sometimes come across as a bit too
good to be true for artists, but as a record label, promoter or
manager the number one rule has to be ‘if the band makes it, we
make it.”. We acknowledge artists can do a HELL of a lot on their
own these days, so I suppose what we can offer is another set of eyes
and to pass on our experience so that the artists can share best
practice.
In
the way we conduct ourselves, I’d say it’s a little more
corporate and geeky; we are always trying to utilise obsessive
compulsive organisational skills and modern technology to mean we can
do more than your average person in what really is limited time! It’s
all about playing to strengths and then trying to connect people who
can help bridge your skills & network gaps.
U&I:
Has that plan changed much as you've expanded? Or has it just become
more ambitious?
ML:
It’s evolved a lot really. It’s a bit of a cliché but you
genuinely ‘can’t stand still’ in the music industry. The minute
you come up with a ground breaking concept, someone is immediately
there to jump all over it, something we have been guilty of to! I
believe the main thing that’s driven us is my desire to think
outside the box. I always want to ‘do’ as well, I NEVER sit back
and wait!
U&I:
What do you look for when signing a band to the label? Are there any
similarities between your artists, or is it more a certain attitude
and approach to songcraft that you look for?
ML:
I’m going to use that word ‘corporate’ again here to articulate
my answer...
Our
ethos has always been pretty simple at entry level for artists, we
focus on three main criteria:
Music
– of course this is the foundation of our existence in this
industry, so the music has to have something about it!
Fan
Base
– some artists get a bee in their bonnet suggesting ‘it’s the
promoters / labels job to fill the venue / sell the music’, but
that’s pure bollocks! You could pay millions for an advertising
campaign for a band, but if they haven’t built that core fanbase
to start the proverbial snowball, then there is nothing to build
momentum. An act with a current fan base that THEY built is
impressive, as it demonstrates work ethic, popularity and that
people must like their music!
Professionalism
– we
only ever want to commit to acts that are committed and serious, but
they also have to be nice
people. In
music, your passion and hobby crosses with your drive and ambition
and therefore it’s not all ‘strictly business’. Some of my
best friends have come from working with artists, we are all young
music and beer lovers at the end of the day!
U&I:
As well as your label, you put on a number of gigs in and around
Manchester almost every month. Are there any artists that you've yet
to book but would love to see playing a SOTN show?
ML:
Well I imagine we are referring to ‘emerging’ artists in this
instance as it’d be too easy to say Arctic Monkeys! We are big fans
of The Darlingtons, although we did have them on once in Chorlton.
I’d love to bag them again for a city centre show as they are
generally electric.
I
also really regret passing up the opportunity to book Catfish and the
Bottlemen when I had the chance...they are really breaking through
right now.
U&I:
Similarly, it's also a city filled with a huge array of
characteristic venues, and though we ask this question to most bands
you'll be coming at it from a sightly different perspective, what's
your favourite venue to host a show at and why?
ML:
It’s a toss up between Manchester Academy and Night & Day Café.
The reason being is that they are run by great people with great
staff. We get treated with upmost respect and professionalism at all
times and you can tell both venues really believe in what we are
doing, which is incredibly rewarding to know! It’s not city centre,
but I’ve also got to mention The Royal Oak in Chorlton who have
been so supportive of us since day one, letting us commandeer a large
space on floor one for our recording studio!
U&I:
Manchester is obviously a city with a massive amount of music
happening within it. What do you think it is that makes the city the
culturally rich place it is?
ML:
I absolutely love the people. You rarely meet a selfish Manc, no
matter what walk of life they come from. It’s again a bit of a
cheesey answer but I would be lost without the people of this city,
they make our lives so much better! I’m marrying one in October and
have a baby Manc now (Alfie Lippmann!)
U&I:
You recently signed Delamere (a band we've championed here at U&I
before now) and they're currently looking forward to releasing their
second single 'Headstrong'. Care to give our readers a bit of
information on that?
ML:
After our affiliation was announced with MUK Records, I think it
really grabbed attention. ‘Headstrong’ is the first release since
that affiliation was formalised and it hopefully means we are going
to gain a lot more notoriety for what is effectively a potential hit.
These guys will really blow up in the next 12 months so get them
young as they say!
U&I:
Any other releases forthcoming on the label you'd like to shamelessly
self-promote?
ML:
No shame in promotion! We’ve recently put out a few great tracks
that are worth a mention: ‘Stay’ by Jolanga and ‘Wilde’ by
The Fevers are excellent and we’ve got a really exciting new band
coming to the fore in November....but that’s TOP SECRET.
U&I:
What does the future hold in store for the label side of things? Is
there anyone you've got your eye on signing or bands you've been in
talks with? Or is it all a bit hush-hush at the moment?
ML:
Let’s just say we’ve got a few groundbreaking acts and projects
in the pipeline!
U&I:
On a similar note, what are your plans for the company as a whole?
More expansions and eventual world domination or are you taking
things as they come?
ML:
We will always evolve and look for new opportunities, as I said
earlier that’s our USP and why people love us. That said, we are
now really focussing on making sure the label is of a great standard
so we are putting a bit more focus on further consolidating and
improving current ventures.
The
main thing for me is that I want to meet more people. There are so
many doing great things for Music in Manchester alone! My philosophy
is again a bit romantic, but let’s all get to know each other and
see how we can help each other out. Few beers to be had in that ethos
to!
U&I:
You've got your finger on the pulse of Manchester's unsigned scene
somewhat. Who should our readers be listening to that they might
otherwise not be aware of?
ML:
I’ve got to say, you don’t need to go much further than the SOTN
roster (Delamere, YOUNG, The Fevers, Jolanga & David Liversidge
and all the ‘Mix Tape 1 & 2’ acts), the MUK roster is
brilliant as they are really on the pop/electronic scene (check
MDNGHT, Berlin Berlin, YOU, Animal Music, Red Sky Noise).
Aside
from the above, I like the look of The Slow Readers Club, The
Tapestry, Puppet Rebellion, The Nankeens, The Lottery Winners, Skinny
Roller (soon to be ‘Tremors’), Feed The Kid, Hey Sholay, The High
Nines, Lucky T. Jackson...I’ve written this off the cuff so if I’ve
missed anyone I hope they understand, they know who they are if we
love them!
U&I:
You hold a yearly all-dayer in Sale which promotes some of the best
bands from the city. Do you have any plans to turn this in to a full
weekend festival? A Scruff of the Nextival if you will?
ML:
Nice, can I have that one? The Pop-Up Festival we hold in Sale is in
its baby stages but it’s been a massive success two years running.
Let’s just say we’re laying dormant on the festival scene and
will be back sooner than you think! Don’t forget we ran Beached 2
years ago with the Futureheads and The Whip amongst others so we have
some experience!
U&I:
What advice would you give to smaller bands who are interested in
getting involved in some of the Scruff of the Neck Action?
ML:
I know artists HATE this, but fill in the contact us form on
www.scruffoftheneckrecords.com
and leave a personal message about yourselves, I personally read
every single one even if it takes a while! Don’t hesitate!
U&I:
Finally, any parting words of wisdom or exclusives you want to leave
our readers with?
ML:
I’d just say don’t be scared to go and have a beer with other
people in music, you’ll find we are more friendly than you think.
Keep the fun element to what you do whilst remaining focussed,
organised and committed. Also don’t hesitate to ask for help off
people, you’d be surprised how willing people are to help.
