Former Gang of Youths guitarist Joji Malani launches Broth Records
Former Gang of Youths guitarist Joji Malani has today announced his latest venture, Broth Records, an independent label with distribution company The Orchard.
There are currently four acts signed under the label, set to be unveiled at a later date.
Broth Records is profoundly indebted in a DIY ethos, with an emphasis on community and diversity. “Joji came to me with the idea of a very modern independent record label that represented an incredible diverse roster of artists and genres,” Blake Rayner, General Manager of The Orchard for Australia and New Zealand shared in a statement.
Malani explains that the seed of Broth Records was planted whilst working in hospitality. In a press release, Malani details a soup-spillage incident that triggered a profound realisation. “In one of my early hospitality jobs, there was a storeroom malfunction that caused our many vats of broth to collapse and flood the storeroom,” he shares.
“It added a painful extra five unpaid hours of cleaning the spillage and remaking all the broths to my shift, causing much-justified resentment towards soups and warm liquids. I thought it was nonsense, a soup made up of so much of random meat and veg, that takes so long to prepare and to my untrained taste buds, made very little difference to the end product.
“The chef saw my disgruntled demeanor and was motivated to improve my countenance towards broths. He made two dishes, one with and one without the broth, which he asked me to try and to show him which one tasted better. Unbeknownst to me, I acknowledged the broth based dish. The chef then went on to impart a lesson I would never forget: ‘You may not see the value in the process of what goes into the broth but without the time and process, you don’t get the end result.’
“I changed a lot that day. That thought and concept caused me to become so thorough. Not cutting corners but trying to be present and fall in love with the process. I’m privileged enough to have had the career I’ve had so far and achieved so much success, but it’s the ‘broth’ that nobody else sees. A good broth can either be enjoyed on its own or can form a strong base for most meals. A good broth is uncompromising. The labour of love behind those many tours and recordings, that’s what makes the end product so much more special. This is what I look forward to sharing with Broth Records, and to be a part of with the new acts that I will be releasing.”
Broth Records is set to celebrate the launch with a forthcoming live music showcase, ‘Soup Kitchen’, with details to be announced at a later date.
This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.