Music / Baloji
Interview: Simon Raymonde, Bella Union
It’s 2017 and indie giant, Bella Union, is 20 years old. While lesser mortals were distracted by the shimmering kitsch of Britpop, label head Simon Raymonde (a former Cocteau Twin) was conscientiously collecting artists from all over the world to formulate a truly alternative stable. He would go on to create a global label that is both nuanced, yet hugely appealing. No mean feat.
Two of his earliest signings were Melbourne outfit Dirty Three and John Grant’s band The Czars. It’s a credit to Simon that he believes in what he signs. John Grant was 42 before he released his first solo record, or saw any kind of major success, and it was the Bella Union family that kept him going. Simon sums up the label’s ethos as “having a label that I would like to be signed to.” His experience of being in a band, being signed to an indie and then a major, has informed his attitude. Rather than being purely about the commercial viability of signings, he believes “you can be friends with your bands… we have amazing relationships with our artists.”
Whizzing through the roster, there is no particular characteristic that ties these groups together – the only theme is that Simon Raymonde loves their music and welcomes them into the label’s inner circle (“We no longer sign bands if we don’t like them as people!” he says). His long-standing love affair with the alternative US scene is clear: Ezra Furman, Mercury Rev, The Flaming Lips, Midlake and Fleet Foxes just scratch the surface. And indeed, to date, Fleet Foxes is Bella Union’s biggest selling band. But then there’s the UK and the rest of the world: Baloji, Emmy the Great, Mammut, I Break Horses… it’s an unpredictable, eccentric list of original artists.
is needed now More than ever
Newcastle’s Lanterns On The Lake was one of the first UK bands to sign and has been in the fold ever since. Producer and guitarist, Paul Gregory, is effusive. “They allow their artists to do whatever they feel is the right thing. No meddling, no interference.” He and the rest of Lanterns appreciate the freedom bestowed upon them. “Some of our songs don’t even have choruses!” exclaims Paul. He produced the debut album by one of Bella Union’s most recent signings, Holly Macve, and Golden Eagle dropped in March to a thunder of approval from taste-makers like Lauren Laverne, Cerys Matthews and Steve Lamacq. “She’s a very, very talented person. Just put a microphone in front of her and off she goes…” Holly talks about the experience of recording with Paul with comparable fondness. “It was very chilled-out. We drank lots and lots and lots of tea… it’s a Northern thing.”
So, the label is celebrating in style this year, with anniversary concerts up and down the country. In Bristol, however, we like to do things a little differently. Here the festivities are of a particularly noteworthy affair: Saturday, October 14 sees a complete Bella Union takeover of St George’s, just off Park Street, featuring Lanterns On The Lake with chamber ensemble, Holly Macve with full band and head honcho, Simon Raymonde, hosting an intimate talk and Q&A ahead of the live music, followed by a DJ set to close the evening. “Sometimes these collaborations in your head are a nice idea,” says Simon of the evening. “But the reality of getting them on the same bill is incredibly difficult to arrange. It just becomes a logistical nightmare. But in this situation, it’s been just perfect.”
The venue will also host an exhibition of Bella Union artwork and there will be an extended merchandise point for all the nerding-out one can muster. Mr Raymonde puts it succinctly: “It’s a beautiful event, both musically and aesthetically. It works on so many levels.”
Lanterns On The Lake with Chamber Ensemble supported by Holly Macve, plus Simon Raymonde Q&A + DJ Set takes place on Saturday, October 14. For more information, see www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/event/lanterns-on-the-lake-and-holly-macve/
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