The Price of Music: Sour Grapes Records on the vital role of independent labels today
The landscape of the music industry has undergone significant changes, making it increasingly difficult for acts to sustain substantial careers. While it may be tempting to attribute this solely to external factors, such as decisions made by those in power, the situation is far more nuanced than that.
The gap between top-tier acts, who effortlessly fill stadiums, and the rest of the music scene has always been evident. However, in today’s climate, this divide has become even more pronounced. At the grassroots and small to mid-sized levels, artists are particularly feeling the impact of this shift. Factors like the rising cost of living and major labels redirecting funds towards fleeting TikTok sensations are exacerbating the situation. This disparity becomes even more glaring when the industry celebrates record-breaking profits.
Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to advocate for independent labels and embrace the DIY spirit. These institutions play a vital role in supporting local music scenes and providing opportunities for artists to share their work, especially in the face of economic and systemic barriers that might otherwise hinder their access to audiences.
Navigating the obstacles posed by the cost of living crisis and the lingering effects of the pandemic has never been easy for the music industry and its broader ecosystem. However, running an independent label faces especially tough challenges in the current climate. To gain insight into the realities of operating an independent label today, we spoke with Alex Tadros, one of the co-founders of Manchester’s influential Sour Grapes Records. Their efforts have not only sustained the city’s music scene but also attracted talent from afar to perform on its stages. Their impact is undeniable and far-reaching.
So far, they have put out records by artists such as The Big Peach, Farfisa, and Sioux. Recently, on April 18th, alongside Rennes independent Swish Swash Records, they also released No Jury, No Prizes, the long-awaited debut album by Hull’s post-punk stalwarts Lumer. Being such a key and enterprising part of the British music scene for so long means that no one was better suited to discussing the intricacies of being an independent label in 2024.
Sour Grapes Records emerged in 2017 as something of an “outsider label” specialising in psych and garage rock. Their breakthrough came when they secured a residency at the intimate Manchester dive bar Big Hands. Although the venue wasn’t hosting many shows at the time, this residency served as a pivotal starting point for the label’s journey, according to Tadros.
He explains: “It was really due to the popularity of that residency that we were able to take off, offering up quality underground artists from across the UK for £3 seemed to grab folks’ attention.”
Citing the substantial role independent labels can have in showcasing bands, he continues: “We selected a few artists that stood out to us at early shows and began printing cassettes, we doubled down on the whole cassette-appeal thing and now own and manage Mars Tapes – the last cassette shop in the UK.”
Tadros offers insight into the role Sour Grapes plays in the local musical and cultural ecosystem and how they have also provided opportunities to acts from as far afield as Australia and the US. Their carefully curated line-ups seek to do away with the familiar mixture of genres often seen in local venues and construct something more worthwhile and professional for everyone involved. Furthermore, regular shows are something that the label champions as part of its commitment to bringing great music to the area and keeping the creative flame alive.
“We try to offer great up-and-coming bands to the public as often as possible. In good months, we sometimes go to three to four shows per week, but we try to maintain a one-per-weekend policy with our shows when there are people in the city,” Tadros tells me. “We try to always accommodate bands that come from far away and always pay a good fee, which has led to certain out-of-town artists coming back for more shows”.
As being an independent label has always been a tricky undertaking, I wondered if there were any obstacles Sour Grapes currently faces, be it the cost of living crisis, the post-Covid-19 landscape, or anything else. Tadros was frank in his answers, explaining that they actually did reasonably after pandemic restrictions eased. Of course, having no gigs hurt, as it accounts for 60-70% of what they do, but it forced the label to diversify. They continued to evolve by increasing the scope of their online shop and teaming up with local and international radio stations. This saw them showcase bands they would have put on live on a well-promoted radio exhibit instead.
However, despite this paying off in the short term, there are still problems with expanding the business due to a tight budget. This is also the central issue for others in their position. Outlining this situation in light of the broader cultural climate, Tadros concedes: “Expansion is our main issue at the moment; we have very tentative budgets set aside for our gigs and our shop, so it can be hard to try new things or organise bigger shows/releases. Cultural funding opportunities for music and art-based businesses are few and far between when compared to sport.”
Without being all doom and gloom, Tadros was defiant in his stance on what makes being an independent label so essential today. In doing so, he had something significant to say about the landscape vis-à-vis the prominent labels. He maintains: “Not every band can feature on KEXP, and not every band can release on Sub Pop. Most big labels don’t accept unsolicited demos and don’t take chances on bands; they want to hear the artist’s praises sung by a few bigwigs first, even if they enjoy the music.”
Continuing down this trail of thought, he adds: “DIY labels offer an outlet of support for grassroots artists. Some of them aren’t even labels by definition. They’re talent developers – small pocket collectives that will fund a physical release or promote a headline show for an artist who doesn’t want to or doesn’t know how to do it themselves.”
Looking to the future, Sour Grapes wants to keep pushing and expanding its reach in Manchester. They know they’re growing annually and have been able to create a decent-sized platform for the artists they love, but, as Tadros concludes: “We want more… we’re done with surviving – we wanna thrive.”
With many local venues going under and artists looking to retrain as the door to Neverland continues to be slammed in their faces, independent labels such as Sour Grapes offer a necessary lifeline and a shield between propping up culture and its extinction. Go out and buy one of their records, and if you live in the area, get down to one of their shows.
