CATCH THE DRIFT

Features - Sounds

Photo courtesy of www.driftrecords.co.uk

While Southwest music is undoubtedly stronger than ever, there has been one thing noticeably absent – until now. Enter Drift Collective, a Devon based record label and shop that is leading the way in terms of record production/distribution in the Noughties.

Words by Matt Wilkinson

Set up by Westcountry troubadour Rupert Morrison, Drift is in many ways a reaction to an all-powerful London that really should be redundant by now. For some reason our capital still has a rather greedy grip on the music industry, despite technology advances that have altered the boundaries – allowing people to create something brilliant, unique and sellable from their own front room without the Northern line rattling underfoot every five minutes. That’s what Drift does.

“It works as simply as possible,” says Morrison, “we find a band or artist we think are brilliant, we offer them a contract, we manufacture their album/EP, we hand seal and construct each copy here at Drift HQ, we deliver it to our distributors, and our press company does their very best to shout about it on our behalf.”

Rupert in training for that elusive postal job

Photo courtesy of www.driftrecords.co.uk

What makes the Collective so successful (Drift currently has nine acts on its roster) is its business ethic. “We are adamant that we want to run a label our way,” says Rupert, “remain close with the artists, keep our integrity and never fall into the ‘scene’. Myself and Johny [from Drift band Thirty Pounds of Bone] felt we had something to say, so we just set about doing it. We have a lot of close friends who have been signed to majors, and the horror stories just put us off straight away.”

Of course, all this means nothing if what you’re promoting isn’t much cop. But Drift have been lucky in this respect, picking up a number of beguiling, talented acts like The Poppycocks (who sound like The Kinks sharing a bed with Gorky’s), Thirty Pounds of Bone (rousing folk with stark, contemporary lyrics) and Rupert’s own band The RG Morrison, who’s debut album Learning About Loathing was recorded in a disused church in Cornwall in a single day.
As Rupert explains, 2007 is offering even more encouragement: “We’ve got albums from Matt Eaton and Birdengine before April, and we’re negotiating festivals now so we hope to fly the Drift flag this summer. Other than that it’s just ‘keep the worth ethic up’, play lots of shows, meet lots of new friends…”

To listen to Drift Collective bands go to:
www.driftrecords.co.uk
www.myspace.com/driftcollective

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