New Independent Label Promoting Local Talent
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — If the first phase of the North Adams creative revival was defined by Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art as a symbol, and the second by an influx of new citizens from the creative class, the third is being defined by efforts to organize and present that work from that community in a visible way.
Focusing on the music scene is Sounds And Tones music, a new label that offers musical releases for purchase, and organizes live shows around the area, bringing in out-of-town acts and pairing them with Sounds And Tones talent.
Label boss Christopher Hantman started it originally in 2011, with a few friends as a side project from going to school at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. That resulted in the label's first release, "It's A Pop Punk Kind Of Summer," a compilation of local indie rock and pop punk bands, as well as some bands from around the country. College proved to be a bigger load than imagined, though, and Hantman put the label project on the back burner for three years.
"After I graduated college I was bored," he said, "and I was booking all these shows and working with a lot of artists, and everyone kept saying to me, Chris, you should pursue this more seriously. So I thought about bringing it back. I talked to some friends and local musicians and people I knew who were all interested in being a part of Sounds And Tones Records."
That was last spring. Since then, Hantman has gathered a line-up for the label and begun releasing albums, with limited release CD pressings, as well as a download store online. To get up to speed in the beginning, though, Hantman opted for another compilation, this one featuring 40 tracks by 40 bands from the Berkshires to Rhode Island and as far away as Singapore.
"When we decided to reboot the record label, we decided that's how we wanted to come back," Hantman said, "because that's what we had done before. So I reached out to a network of bands that I had booked before, that I had friends in."
Along the way, Hantman established his line-up, which includes Francesca Shanks, Izzy Heltai, acoustic solo act Heart of Gold, and Philadelphia-based A Day Without Love, a two-person band that played a show in North Adams this past October.
"I had been working with Francesca and Izzy and Heart of Gold before," said Hantman, "and we already had a good rapport and worked well together, so when I was considering bringing it back, I knew I wanted to approach them, bring them in on it if they were up for it, which they were."
Shanks, whose ukulele-centered album, "Wolf Island," was just released in November by the label, was excited that Hantman intended to concentrate on the label.
"I think we needed something like S&T in this area," she said, "a small, open-minded independent label is a perfect fit, especially based in a city filled with artists and writers and freelancers of all kinds."
And Hantman, she says, has the all-around grit to make the label continue in a way that serves the community and helps the artists make things happen.
"Chris has been incredibly supportive in all aspects of my musical life," Shanks said. "He really, really believes in his artists' talent and does a lot for us — he's the booker, he's the marketer, he's the Web guy, he keeps everything on track."
Hantman admits that the label is singer-songwriting heavy at the moment, but maintains that largely because that form is such a staple in the Berkshires. One of his main goals over the next year is to expand beyond that genre, which reflects his own wide-open taste. And it's important that the label's artists have a thoughtfulness and commitment to the community, as well as their own work.
"Anyone who we have as part of our group, we want them to be writing socially conscious music," he said. "It doesn't have to be all geared towards change, but we don't want anyone writing anything that would be hate-filled or anything along those lines.
"There are some bands that will be rumored about as being great for the community, and really setting up safe spaces at their shows, so we'll look into those bands, because I'm really interested in doing more with art. Art is great, but I like to take it a step further if possible."
The label debuted Heart of Gold's new release with a record release party at Crowne Plaza in Pittsfield on Saturday. And a holiday-themed compilation called "Snow Songs" is due on Dec. 15, a charity effort to benefit Erika's Lighthouse, which supports youth with depression.
Hantman is hoping to grow, but is also cautious in the name of label sustainability. In that way, his plan is simple.
"I want to take this a small step at a time," he said. "I don't want to bite off more than I can chew, but I really want to just continue to expand the artist base we have and put on more shows and get out more releases. Add a few full bands of different genres to try and vary the talent that we have on the roster. And someday, I have no idea what the end goal is, just to continue to put out good music that we're proud of."
Tags: artists studios, music, musicians,
