Interview: Wayne Stadler (Pacific Ridge Records)
Posted on Play Crack The Sky Music on Friday, September 30th 2011.
Recently Pacific Ridge Records have released two new compilations. First of all the Ramona-based label released A Tribute To Alkaline Trio, a two-disc tribute to the Chicago punk group, which featured contributions from Into It. Over It., The Wonder Years, Punchline and Jonah Matranga, as well as several other up and coming bands.
The second compilation, The Scene: You Just Need To Know Where To Look, is made up of emerging bands that label founder, Wayne Stadler strongly believes in and have potential to reach further heights.
PCTS Music editor, Sean Reid, recently caught up with Wayne to discuss how the label started, how the Alkaline Trio tribute album came together, how Atticus Clothing and Vagrant Records compilations influenced ‘The Scene…,’ his future plans for the label, and more.
To begin with can you introduce yourself and your role with Pacific Ridge Records?
My role with Pac Ridge is as the owner, operator and everything else that doesn’t require musical skill. This label is a one man operation, so I do everything from sending out mailers to scouting for bands, and of course everything in between.
I understand the label started 9 years ago in 2002. What inspired you to start PRR and how it began?
Pac Ridge got it’s start when my best friend and I came to the conclusion that we had no musical talent what-so-ever, but what we did have was a knack for finding bands years before they were popular, or even relevant.
Basically we fantasized about being involved in music and starting a label from about the time we were sixteen until day one of operation which was a little after my eighteenth birthday.
If I were to pick a reason or inspiration behind the creation of the label, I would have to give credit to Drive Thru and Vagrant Records. They had, by far, the greatest combination of musical talent on their roster, and they were pretty much responsible for every major album in the scene in the late 90’s early 2000’s, so I would definitely call them inspirational.
For those who are unfamiliar with PRR. Could you give us a brief description about the label and what it has done since its origins?
I’ve done a lot of struggling in my short time. Who would’ve thought that when you start out with literally zero connections, you don’t get taken seriously. No matter how hard we were willing to work or what crazy amount we were willing to invest in projects, nobody would give us a shot. This was understandable to a certain extent. If I was an artist, I wouldn’t want to potentially waste my first release on an indie label with zero credibility and who by all appearances didn’t know what the hell they were doing. We honestly didn’t have any experience, so what could we really offer besides recording, manufacturing and other miscellaneous services? Even those somewhat simple processes were new endeavors for us. Basically the whole beginning of Pac Ridge could be summed up as trial by fire.
Anyways, we managed to cultivate a relationship with a local San Diego band by the name of Forgotten Alibi. Nothing really went as planned and by the end of the release everything was a mess. No one was entirely to blame though, we all managed to mess the project up a bit. From the artist who did the CD art, to the manufacturer, studio, band and of course ourselves. We managed to just do about everything wrong. I learned from the mishaps though, and took the loss and failings in stride. That’s when I decided to put together the Blink-182 tribute. I figured that I knew the basics for releasing a regular record so why not complicate things up by attempting to conquer a project that I again knew nothing about. This is about the time that my best friend and business partner at the time had somewhat of a falling out. He left to do his own thing and I continued on and created the Blink tribute.
Surprisingly that project earned me quite a few death threats. It’s amazing how serious people take their love of Blink. Anyway, I had no idea what I was doing throughout the creation of the compilation but I did manage to land some unsigned talent in Four Year Strong, All Time Low, Southcott and a few others that turned into pretty sweet finds. Overall that tribute was a completely different learning experience, but once the album was released I considered myself well prepared for any other challenges. Plus I had pretty much figured out the general process for releasing albums and had built up a decent amount of contacts.
Every album since Forgotten Alibi and Blink has gotten bigger and better and with a little luck that trend will continue.
Now in 2011, you’ve recently released two compilations; an Alkaline Trio tribute album and ‘The Scene: You Just Need To Know Where To Look.’ First of all, why did you decide to put together an Alkaline Trio tribute album?
First off, I love Alkaline Trio. Seriously, I should get paid for how much I spread the gospel of the trio.
The primary reason for putting together the album relates to my love of the band and the love of covers. In my opinion there are only a few things in the musical world that’s better than a cover of a song I already revere adjusted in some way to make it completely original. This unique process makes me fall in love with the original song, the new song, the original band and the new band all at once. That’s a lot of love going in a lot of directions. Plus when you mix prominent artists together with indie artists, the deserving indies will garner a little bit of fandom that they definitely deserve. And the established acts get to pay tribute to a band they respect and love. Making the whole affair mutually beneficial for all parties.
As for ‘The Scene,’ I put that project together because I want people to hear artists who will excel in their respective genre and will become prominent in the same way that Four Year Strong and All Time Low did after the Blink tribute. I’m not saying everyone on ‘The Scene’ will go on to be as successful as those two artists, I’m merely saying that they all have a chance to build careers in this business if they stay dedicated.
I also want to stress that I wanted to work with a number of these artists because they are terrific in almost every way. I know it sounds like I’m using a hefty dose of hyperbole, but these bands aren’t egotistical or held hostage by aggressive labels or condescending managers. They’re simply playing quality music because they want to make a living playing music in front of dedicated fans for the pure enjoyment and selflessness of creating art for the masses. Don’t get me wrong, I put The Scene together because there’s been a serious void in quality comps and I like these songs. But overall working with bands that I think will do nothing but grow is probably the most satisfying part of this job. Especially when you see those visions go from possibility to reality.
I recall you using the KickStarter site to raise funds for the tribute album. How was the reaction to using this online tool?
There were two reactions. There was the “Why does the label need money for the album? Shouldn’t they pay for the record?” reaction. Then there was the second and more prominent reaction that sounded a little like this, “That’s understandable, look at the artists he’s trying to get on board and how many songs he’s putting on there”.
To the people that are constantly full of vitriol and message board vile, I want to let them know that the Kickstarter fund raiser was awesome and the response I got was amazingly positive, but the total money I accumulated during the fund raiser was less than 10% of the total cost of the album. So the Kickstarter (project) was basically in place to ensure that the album would have the quality it deserved, and more specifically the donations were gathered so I could pay the artists who participated what they deserved. Which definitely wasn’t as much as I would’ve liked it to be, but as an indie I only have a finite amount of resources without sending myself into bankruptcy.
To the people who understood why I used Kickstarter, I want to say that you’re the reason the music scene is still alive and kicking. Your the kind of person who obviously understands that a project like this costs money to make, and most importantly, you deserve to be championed as the saviors of this industry.
There was no real middle-of-the-pack response when it came to the Kickstarter process that’s for sure. People either hated me for it, or thought it was a great idea to improve the quality of the album. I definitely made sure to reward the people who participated in the Kickstarter, and actually a bonus was the fact that I’ve cultivated a friendship or two out of the process. I chat with a few of the guys on a regular basis. In that regard the project was better than almost any social networking site because people knew what they were getting into from the very start, and to have a united goal like that tends to bring people together in ways that Twitter or Facebook simply can’t.
How beneficial was Kickstarter to the album? Did you receive more exposure from using it?
I received a little bit of hate and a lot of love, so I would consider the process successful. I don’t know if I would use it again though, I don’t want people to think I’m trying to pawn the cost of albums off on fans, but a project this size was simply too monumental for Pac Ridge to take on alone and get the quality of talent that was necessary to pay proper respect to a band that’s as influential as Alkaline Trio.
The tribute album has a mixture of familiar and unknown bands. How did it all come together?
Word of mouth is how it came together. I would either approach a band I worked with previously, or I would go through the proper channels and attempt to work with specific bands that I admire and believe to be standouts in their particular genres. Once I filled the artists in on the details, they were usually eager to get on board. This is the point where they would usually inform me that they had old tour buddies that were interested in coming on board. I would listen to the request and chat with the band who wanted to join up, and if we were on the same page, and I enjoyed their sound, we would move forward.
There were a couple of cases where I would get random messages asking if their was still room on the comp.
And Then There Were None and When We Team Up were two of the bands that contacted me out of the blue, with no connection to anyone I’ve ever worked with before. I enjoyed what they had to offer and their passion, so I included them. I don’t care that When We Team Up has no web presence or previously released music. They simply had what I considered to be an awesome post-hardcore rendition of Warbrain, and I thought it would add a different element to the album. Same thing with And Then There Were None. They were obviously a prominent band that wanted to pay respect to Alkaline Trio and I loved their track. It’s as simple as that. Regardless of whether you’re on a major label, indie label or are unsigned I think you should be heard if you have quality music. That’s sort of my motto regarding all projects and compilations.
What are your stand out tracks from the album?
My favorites in no particular order are Bleeder by The Material, I’m Dying Tomorrow by Jonah Matranga, She Took Him To The Lake by Koji and If You Had a Bad Time by And Then There Were None. The reason why they’re my favorites is because all of these tracks were made original by the artist that covered them. And in my opinion they deserve respect for their ability to alter art in a way that makes their rendition unique and novel.
You’ve now released a Blink-182 and an Alkaline Trio tribute album. What other bands would you like to pay tribute too?
I actually plan on doing a similar project every year or two, and I already have a list of artists that I want to cover that is fairly extensive, but I want to keep that information to myself for now. It’ll be a nice little surprise each year. People will probably be mildly surprised about the next artist I pick, but hopefully they enjoy the selection even if the choice is a mild shocker.
Moving on to ‘The Scene…’ compilation. I understand it’s influenced by the old Atticus Clothing compilations. For those who are unfamiliar with them, tell us about them and what impact they had on you?
I used to preorder the Atticus comps every time I got wind of their release, because without a doubt I knew that all the Atticus compilations would be brimming with talent and quality artists that I probably had never heard of. The first Atticus is where I originally discovered Alkaline Trio and their track Jaked on Green Beers, so it was a epic discovery to say the least. Not to mention that I originally heard Finch, The Starting Line, Taking Back Sunday, Name Taken, Rise Against, Bad Astronaut and a half-dozen other artists off that original record.
I would even go as far to say that ‘Atticus’ still holds up to this very day. I can still spin the first three in the series and enjoy the tremendous amount of diversity and skill that’s in almost every track. So if you have no clue what I’m talking about, pick up a copy, they’re only four or five dollars.
I understand Vagrant Records’ ‘Another Year On The Streets’ was one series that also influenced you?
I randomly picked up “Another Year…” on a whim and discovered The Anniversary, Saves The Day, The Get Up Kids, Hot Rod Circuit and The New Amsterdams all for the very first time. I understand this compilation is a label roster compilation but it still introduced me to some fantastic new artists that I consider to be major influences in my life, so I have to give Vagrant a lot of credit for introducing me to that kind of lineup.
Are there any other compilation series that have had an impact?
Drive Thru had a few compilations that definitely guided me towards their roster, but nothing had quite the musical impact that ‘Another Year…’ and ‘Atticus’ had. The early editions of the Warped Tour compilations had their moments too, but overall there just seemed to be too much of a degradation of quality and effort put into the series over time. I just couldn’t ignore the flaws after a while.
One of the main reasons for ‘The Scene…’ compilation is to introduce emerging bands to a wider audience. How did you go about finding new bands?
To be honest I just cold-contacted most of these artists. I spent more time then I would like to admit browsing the internet in an attempt to find hidden gems among the gluttony of forgettableness that exists in the music industry these days. Once I found an artist I liked, I would write their name down and would eventually widdle the list down until I had what I thought was the cream of the crop. That’s how I got the lineup you’re looking at now.
I did work with a handful of the artists before too, like The Lion Faced Boy, My Arcadia, Floral Terrace, Jesse Ponnock and Joe Wilson, but the majority of artists I just contacted out the blue to see if they were interested in my vision.
Obviously it took a huge amount of faith for the bands that I honestly had no working relationship with to trust me, but hopefully I didn’t disappoint them. I wanted to stress to them that I hope to build on this first release and make something truly special over time. That might be wishful thinking, but my heart is in the right place, and if anything this comp will at least bring the bands an extra fan or two without costing them any money.
What bands on the compilation are you especially excited about?
I’ve brought them up a couple of times in this interview but I think The Lion Faced Boy has a chance to do something special. They have the talent and the unique sound to reach the pinnacle of success in this business. As long as they continue to work hard and never quit I don’t see why they couldn’t succeed. Just listen to their track ‘1993’, it’s a masterpiece in my opinion. Usually a bands first recording is iffy at best, but they manage to make a memorable track worthy of a place in any iPod. Same goes for My Arcadia, Floral Terrace, Move Out West, Joe Wilson and The Ethnographers. All of those artists have the ability to reach great heights in their musical careers because they have a combination of skill and great personal character. A necessary and vital combination to succeed in this world despite people thinking that the contrary is true.
Can compilations still have an impact? Especially in a time where listeners can easily go online to find new music, and bands can easily distribute their music?
Absolutely. Good music is still good music, and like cream, the best of the best will still rise to the top. Plus I think the more people that work together in this business the better off we’ll be. A project like this brings a tight-knit feel to the industry that’s been sorely lacking because there are simply too many people who are unwilling to work together even if a project is mutually beneficial.
Back to my point though, just creating music and distributing it because it’s easy to do doesn’t mean people will buy the songs or even listen to it. There are hundreds of thousands of albums out there and only a fraction of those are being listened to. Why? Because they’re the best of what’s available. If you have the talent and ability you will emerge from the pack, and by choosing bands that I believe in, I’m not only getting to work with artists I respect and enjoy working with, I also get to produce a quality release that people will listen to and probably enjoy.
‘The Scene…’ compilation is an interesting project. How has the reaction been to the idea and the compilation itself?
Slow and less than overwhelming, but I knew that was going to be the case going into this project. I understood that this release was going to be a slow process that would be underappreciated. The hope is that the comp will come to be respected over time. But even if I fail miserably and only a few people pick up the album, I’ll consider the project a success because more than likely those few people that hear the comp will find a track or two that they really like and with a little luck maybe a few of these bands will gain an avid listener, and in the end that’s what really matters.
What other plans do you and Pacific Ridge Records have in the works?
Pac Ridge will definitely be busy this year. We plan on releasing an EP titled ‘Getting Through It’ by Bright and Early on October 19th. Then we’re putting out a currently unnamed full length by former Fueled By Ramen artist August Premier. Then we’ll be wrapping up work on a project by former Drive Thru Records artist Jesse Ponnock who is just entering the studio with Ace Enders to record an EP. Not to mention I’m already working on the next tribute album. It usually takes a year or more to put together so its very early in the process, but I’m already going through the motions and have a handful of artists confirmed. So yeah, I’m staying busy.
Is there anything else you would like to say to close the interview?
This is going to sound really weak, but if you like a certain artist, don’t pirate their album. Bands and indie labels like myself are living on next to nothing and every time you torrent a song there’s an increased chance that the band you like will break up and we’ll go out of business. So if you like a song, just try and buy it. If you can’t afford the song, so be it. I rather have you listen to it then not, but if you can spare .99. Try to do it. Because artists and labels will be able to bring you more great music if you support the work we’re doing. And trust me, it’s a lot of work.
I don’t want to end on that buzzkill of a statement though, so if anyone wants to email me at contact@pacificridgerecords.com I would be more than willing to chat with you about anything. I’m also known for giving out free music to intelligent conversation so definitely feel free to hit me up.
A Tribute To Alkaline Trio and The Scene: You Just Need To Know Where To Look are available now on Pacific Ridge Records.
Pacific Ridge Records: Official Website |Twitter|Facebook|Bandcamp
(Source: pctsmusic)
