BROKEN STONE RECORDS ROADSHOW
What do you get if you stuff four outrageously talented and attractive bands in a suitcase, along with some visual aids and a bottle or two of independent spirit? You get the Broken Stone Records Roadshow, busy hitting the blacktop in a city near you. Jonathon Miller (Magnetic Heads) gives us a peek inside the trunk ahead of Thursday’s gig …
What would you say unites the bands here? The inception of the record label was spurred by a respect and excitement for a group of artists [Sister Jane, Caitlin Park, The Maple Trail] who were self-producing their work… Writing, recording, producing and performing is a lot of hats, but it allows the artist to have complete control of their work. This is core to the governing principal of Broken Stone Records (BSR).
Please tell us a little more about the artwork of sculpture, photos and cover art we will be able to explore on the night … We have a selection of prints for the art created by the artists we have worked with on album covers and video clips, with projections and some sculptural props from one of the film clips.
Stand-out moment so far? On the tour? Or in life in general….? I’ll go with the tour: we had an amazing time this week on the road with Mark Bolotin (Synarcade audio visual) who has been live Video Jockeying and projecting his creations behind the bands as we perform. It’s hard to single out one moment, but his interpretations of the songs are so clever that sometimes it feels like you’re watching a video clip being made… live on the spot!
How important are showcases like these for emerging and indie record labels and bands? I think this Roadshow is about displaying the work of a very small group of passionate artists, we are grouped under the umbrella of BSR and sometimes it feels like a little family. We share our skills with each other, perform on each others’ work, and collectively generate a body of work that spans genres. For us, playing together and putting on this show is a way to illustrate these relationships. It’s a blast!
And what song do you hope people won’t be able to get out of their heads when they leave? Well we have been writing a whole lot of new material and using the Roadshow as an opportunity to work the songs into shape. One of the songs laments the speedy passing of time, it’s called Your Time Has Gone Running and it’s how we all feel about the way this tour is rolling along. I feel that it’s the kind of song everyone can relate to, and it would be nice to see them singing it as the walk out the door…
Feb 23, 8pm, The Standard, L3/383 Bourke St, Surry Hills, $15, roadshow.brokenstonerecords.com
