Lockjaw Records quickly became one of my favorite record labels out there. Besides releasing great music records, they recently also got themselves in coffee project with Sham City Roasters. Punkrock and coffee? Yes, please! It was about time for me to talk about everything with Sarah from Lockjaw Records/Shout Louder zine.
PUNKROCK AND COFFEE, IS THIS A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN? ARE YOU GUYS COFFEE ADDICTS LIKE ME? LATTE OR MACCHIATO, TURKISH COFFEE, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE?
The Lockjaw team is definitely obsessed with coffee! Our social media expert Joelle is a bit less keen, but the rest of us more than make up for it. I tend to drink my coffee black – no sugar, no milk, no nothing – just to make the most of the flavour. I used to drink a lot espresso, but nowadays I tend to go for an americano.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN FOR OUR READERS THE PHILOSOPHY AND BACKGROUND BEHIND LOCKJAW RECORDS? IS IT SMALL DIY LABEL BUSINESS?
We’re all individually part of the DIY music scene, however as Lockjaw we like to take it a step further with a ‘do it together’ philosophy. Our aim is to contribute to the music community by supporting bands as best we can. None of us have any grandiose expectations of financial gain! We’re also keen on doing that in the most ethical and environmentally sustainable way possible, which has led us to producing merch using bamboo, cork and recycled materials, rather than plastic.
LAST SUMMER YOU GATHERED A NEW CREW, NEW TEAM, COULD YOU TELL WHO IS ON BOARD LOCKJAW CREW RIGHT NOW?
There are five of us in the current Lockjaw crew; it works well because we’ve got a variety of skills and a lot of enthusiasm between us.
Rob Piper is our head honcho; he’s run the label since 2011, however he’s also known as the guitarist in Darko. Lesley-Anne O’Brien is our resident spreadsheet wizard and industry expert, she also plays guitar in Midwich Cuckoos.
Cedric Degruyter is a web designer who’s a whizz at keeping everything up to date, improving our webstore and making all of our online material look bangin’. He also plays bass in The Affect Heuristic. Joelle Laes is in charge of all our social media; she’s got lots of experience from previously running Less Talk, More Records. I’m Sarah Williams – I look after press, publicity, marketing and write all of our blog posts / online content. I’m probably slightly better known for looking after a website called Shout Louder.
HOW MANY RELEASES DID YOU HAVE UNTIL NOW? DO YOU ALSO BOOK TOURS FOR YOUR BANDS? IF I HAD A BAND, HOW COULD I GET YOU INTERESTED IN THE MUSIC OF MY BAND? WHAT ARE YOUR HOTTEST RELEASES RIGHT NOW?
Since 2011 we’ve put out more than 60 records, although we’ve not properly kept count. In 2018 we put out 8 records, including successful albums from Fair Do’s and Drones and we’ve got a similar amount booked this year. This year there’s even more on the way, plus we’ve just released a coffee and a hot sauce.
We help our bands make connections with promoters, and Rob often drives or tour manages bands that we’re working with. We tend to work with bands that we’ve enjoyed watching live; it’s important that we love their music.
We’re stoked at the moment to be working with Chicago skate-punk legends Much The Same to release their new album Everything Is Fine. If you want our hottest release though it’s definitely Fights & Fires’ Kebaptism! It’s a bottle of hot sauce with an EP attached.
LET´S GET BACK TO COFFEE. PROJECT LOCKJAW RECORDS COFFEE IN CO-OPERATION WITH SHAM CITY ROASTERS, HOW DID IT COME TO THAT? IS IT THE TWO SMALL BUSINESS DIY PROJECT? IS IT BORN OUT OF YOUR OWN LOVE FOR COFFEE?
I’ve been in love with Sham City Roasters for a long time – they’re an excellent punk-inspired artisan roastery in Hastings, with a little veggie cafe attached. I’ve been pretty keen to work with Dave over at Sham City for a while and, with a bunch of coffee addicts behind Lockjaw, it seemed like the perfect time to start up a fresh project.
photo by:Josh Sumner
IS THE NEW PUNK COFFEE AVAILABLE FOR BUYING? HOW MUCH DID YOU GUYS RELEASE? ARE THERE BIG QUANTITIES? ARE YOU GOING FOR BIGGER SHOPS DISTRIBUTION OR PUNK STYLED, LIKE DIY RECORDS AND MERCHSTYLE?
We sold out of our first batch of coffee pretty quickly! We’re getting a fresh batch roasted in time for KNRD Fest in Nuremburg, where we’re planning to serve up some Lockjawesome espresso martinis.
The coffee’s small batch only so that it stays fresh. Initially we’d planned for it to be a one-off, but there’s been so much demand that we’ve ordered more. You can buy it direct from our webstore, or come find us at a gig or festival. You can’t buy it anywhere else – this is DIY only.
BESIDES COFFEE, THERE IS ALSO COMPILATION FOR OUR LISTENING PLEASURE, HOW DID YOU CHOOSE BANDS ON IT? ARE THERE LOCKJAW RECORDS BANDS ONLY OR OTHERS TOO? WHAT ARE YOUR MUSICAL FAVORITES PERSONALLY RIGHT NOW?
The coffee comes in an exclusive 30-track compilation. It’s a mix of Lockjaw Records bands, bands we admire from outside the label, and bands based in Hastings (where Sham City is). We wanted the comp to reflect the collaboration between the two businesses, and we’ve got ourselves a diverse (but awesome) comp as a result.
I got the pleasure of finalising the tracks and fiddling about with the running order, which was great fun – like making a big mix tape for all your friends.
WHAT GOT YOU INTO THE WHOLE DIY PUNK HARDCORE MOVEMENT PHILOSOPHY?
Personally, I grew up in a family with a fairly alternative ethos and an interest in music, so it’s pretty deeply ingrained. Growing up, I started watching a lot of ‘punk’ bands. I’ve always felt embraced by the music community and I agree with the principles of helping one another, supporting venues and bands, and being socially and environmentally aware.
IS THERE SUCH THING AS UNITY OR IS IT ONLY HARDCORE PUNK ARCADIAN DREAM, UTOPIAN LAND OF DREAMS?
I think that it’s better to focus your efforts on what you can achieve: support local businesses, venues and bands; be good to the people around you; always be open to new ways of thinking. Focus on and build on the positives that you have.
I CAN´T AVOID POLITICS HERE, DO YOU GUYS THINK THAT BREXIT WILL BRING GREAT PROBLEMS TO PEOPLE AND BANDS FROM UK TRAVELING TO PLAY OR VISIT FESTIVALS ABROAD CONCERNING VISAS, WORK PERMITS AND STUFF?
Unsurprisingly, none of us support Brexit. For one thing, three of our team are in England and two are in Belgium, which presents enough challenges without adding extra legal complications.
We’re expecting it to be a clusterfuck and for there to be complications with visas, etc., but we’ll still make it over to the mainland for tours. I’m more worried that we might see less international bands coming to play in the UK. I’m worried about the queue for the ferry getting bigger too!
I SUPPOSE THAT LOCKJAW DOESN´T PAY YOUR BILLS. WHAT DO YOU DO PERSONALLY?
No, Lockjaw doesn’t pay the bills! We all do it for the love of punk. We’ve all got full time jobs and other projects alongside Lockjaw.
LAST QUESTION:WHAT FESTIVALS ARE YOU RECOMMENDING FOR US TO VISIT THIS SUMMER? WHERE WILL YOU GO? WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITES?
This summer, the Lockjaw Crew will definitely be at KNRD Fest (Germany), Brakrock Ecofest (Belgium) and Punk Rock Holiday (Slovenia). You can also spot a couple of us at Polite Riot (UK), Jera On Air (Netherlands), Boomtown (UK) and Wotsit Called Fest (UK). Come say hello!
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 