Exclusive: Smith Street Band launches label with Melbourne indie

Melbourne punk poets The Smith Street Band have launched their own label imprint in partnership with Remote Control Records, TMN can exclusively reveal.

According to the band’s drummer Chris Cowburn, Pool House Records was created to further their independence and to help their fellow musician friends.

“We’ll have the opportunity to be extremely flexible and do things our own way – a great example is the chance we’ll have tohelpour friends to release the amazing music they create,” Cowburn told TMN.

The Smith Street Band will take inspiration from the two labels they previously released their music through before forming Pool House, Melbourne’s Remote Control and Poison City.

“I think the partnership with Remote Control will be of huge assistance to do things in a highly professional way and target not just a wider audience, but the right audience.

“Poison City Records have been a huge part of our journey so far, and (Owner/Founder) Andy Hayden is a true mentor and idol of ours, so with Pool House we’ll actually be hoping to mimic the way that label is run and its ethos, not deviate from it.”

In a statement sent to TMN, Remote Control Records said: “There’s been a cheer squad for The Smith Street Band down at Remote Control for ages, so we’re really thrilled to be working with them. We love their DIY attitude and the energy they put in to everything they do. So it’s going to be a real buzz to work alongside them.”

Cowburn said the ethos of the label directly mimics that of The Smith Street Band.

“We aim to create an inclusive community for people to love and share music. Music has made the world a much smaller place for us in a very positive way, and we’ve met and become friends with liked-minded people all around the world; we’d like for everyone to have the opportunity to be a part of that.”

The band said they had been wanting to build the label since the release of sophomore LP Sunshine & Technology in 2012.

“We’ve always been fans of artist run labels, like Merge and Dischord,” said Cowburn. “[…] It’s a super exciting opportunity to now have the means to do it and a really positive thing for us!

“We’ve always loved being a very DIY band, in the true meaning of that term – we’re very hands-on and love to be able to do everything ourselves. The idea of being a self-sufficient entity and building something up that you’ve created yourself is so exciting to us.”

Pool House was named after the title given to the band’s headquarters in Melbourne; it’s also the home of Wagner, Bosma and the band’s cat Sinclair, and features in multiple music videos, including the just-released Death to the Lads clip.

The first offering from the label is the band’s just announced new single Death To The Lads. The track was penned whilst on tour through the US and recorded in September at Panoramic House studios in San Francisco with producer Jeff Rosenstock, engineer Jack Shirley and mixer John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., The Hold Steady).

Cowburn told TMN they do hope to release music by other acts through Pool House after it’s “a little more established.”

The accompanying video for Death To The Lads, directed by Neal Walters, features The Smith Street Mums and is a homage to the four members’ mothers.

“It was a great chance to thank and appreciate the people who have done more for us than anyone, our families,” said frontman Will Wagner. “We basically wanted our mums to get to be rock stars for the day and get some credit for helping us get this far,” says Wagner.

Death To The Lads is the lead single from the band’s upcoming, still-to-be-titled fourth record. The LP will mark the first album to be released via Pool House Records.

The Smith Street Band also announced a national tour in support of the single. Taking in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, the band will be supported by The Nation Blue, Grim Rhythm and Forevr.

’DEATH TO THE LADS’ TOUR DATES

Wed November 23rd – The Gov, Adelaide
Thurs November 24th – The Triffid, Brisbane
Fri November 25th – Factory Theatre, Sydney
Sat November 26th – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Sun November 27th – Corner Hotel, Melbournew/ High Tension (The Nation Blue not appearing)

Tickets on sale Friday Nov 4th 9.00am
www.thesmithstreetband.com