You may know Andrew Hartshorn as one-fourth of supergroup Hartshorn, Jackson, Jackson and Warren, or as a talented post-classical musician in his own right. What you may not know is that he founded his own label Monochrome Motif in 2022, featuring not only such artists as fellow bandmates Cosmic Bos and A Sea Warren, but also Natalie Wiliams Calhoun, Hipster Pug, Dan Johnson and Spaced Out Studios. We picked his brain about what it takes to start a label. Not to steal his ideas, we swear.
Uncle Funkbeard: Why did you start Monochrome Motif?
Andrew Hartshorn: Having produced my album The Final Corridor of Uncertainty, I thought “this is bloody good” and deserved a CD release. Not feeling there was a label it would suit, I decided to set up my own. However, I didn’t want it to become a vanity label and began looking for other artists to work with. I felt the label became “real” when the professional Canadian cellist Natalie Williams Calhoun agreed to release her EP Act Three through the label.
UF: What’s the significance of the name?
AH: I wanted to come up with a unique name and was thinking of something along the lines of sheet music and it came from that, monochrome – black and white, motif – as in a musical phrase. You’ll see from the label site that a simple style runs throughout the releases. Each artist has their own background color which is then used for their future releases, a black and white photo selected by the artist, and a common font throughout.
UF: Basic question, but what does a label do? What service does MM provide artists that, say, a paid distributor does not?
AH: Whatever the size of the label, I think their primary role is to bring an artist’s work to a wider audience than they would possibly do as an individual. Promotion budgets obviously vary subject to the size of the label. Labels will also take on the production of physical copies, in our case CDs.
MM arranges all the digital distribution of our releases, so there is no outlay to the artist in that respect. We also sell CDs through a Bandcamp label site. This gives additional promotion both ways, for example an album appears on the label and artist site. The artist also gets an upgrade to their Bandcamp site to Pro level for free. We’re also looking at contingencies should Bandcamp disappear.
UF: What does a label NOT do that people might think it does? As opposed to, say, a manager or agent?
AH: A difficult question. I think this will vary from label to label, I think some smaller labels would potentially also be carrying out the management/booking side as well.
UF: What distinguishes MM from other labels, either indie or major?
AH: I can’t speak for other labels but I like to think I’ve got a personal relationship with all the artists, and we’re building a nice community feel. A good example of this was the Monochrome Assembly album Poseidon’s Realm to celebrate the first anniversary of the label. It features all of the artists including several first time collabs. I also believe in being transparent with everyone.
One thing we do is that we pay artist royalties from the first sale. I know some Indie labels will, for example, insist that the costs of pressing any physical products are covered first.
UF: Monochrome Motif specializes in post-classical, cinematic, and electronica. Why, aside from your own personal interests and talents in those genres?
AH: You’re right, these are my areas of personal interest and when I set the label up I didn’t think there were many labels covering these. I felt there was a place for a small niche label focusing (though not exclusively) on these areas.
UF: Why might an artist want to sign with a smaller label or indie label, rather than a major label?
AH: I think that generally smaller labels will give an artist greater control and sense of freedom, but the downside is obviously the amounts of money involved are vastly different.
UF: Having been on both sides, what is the biggest misconception artists have about labels?
AH: That all labels are out to rip off artists.
UF: I’ve heard that some labels give advances and pay for studio time, but then the artist owes the label until those costs are recouped.
AH: As a small label we don't pay an advance. All the artists on the label have home studios and deliver a master recording to the label for release but I've helped with mastering when required.
UF: Walk me through the process of signing an artist. What should an artist be expecting to happen? What commitments get made on both sides?
AH: Initially I’ve approached artists, or they’ve approached me. The first thing I will do is listen to a lot of their existing work. Then we will discuss what a new project might look like for the label. Artists are signed on an album-by-album licensing agreement. In other words, both the artist and the label are never committed to more than one release. Also, the artist continues to own the masters subject to the license agreement and at the end of the term, all rights are returned to the artist but may be renewed by mutual consent.
UF: What if you haven’t recovered your expenses yet? For example, the costs of having the CDs pressed.
AH: It's probably a bit naive but I like the artist to see something from the start and if I haven't recovered my expenses at the end of the term then it's my loss. I tend to get CDs pressed in small batches for this reason and get a repress if required. This is a reason I work with a small roster of artists who I really believe in and who I think deserve a wider audience. The licensing agreements last for five years to try and give me the opportunity to recoup through CD, downloads and streaming. At the end of the five-year term, all rights can be returned to the artist or we can renegotiate an extension.
UF: Do any other commitments get made on signing? What kind of creative control does the artist have over the final album?
AH: The artist has total artistic control within the framework already discussed. For example, if we’ve agreed on a cinematic orchestral album, I wouldn’t expect to receive a drum n bass album. We don’t put any time pressure on the artist as most of them have day jobs and we all want the album to be the best it can be. The label commits to release the album within six months of delivery of the master; this allows a little flexibility should several artists deliver at the same time. The label also commits to release all of our albums and EPs on CD although we do the odd digital single.
UF: What is your background in the music industry or business in general?
AH: In the past I played in various bands, gigging, recording and trying and failing to get the big record deal. That all went on the back burner as family and a career in finance took over. Now family are grown and I’m no longer restricted by the 9-to-5 so mI can devote time to making music and running the label.
UF: So, you yourself were never signed to a label?
AH: I do have a nice folder full of reject letters from back in the day.
UF: What have you learned in the past year and a half?
AH: I’ve learned that you never stop learning, every day’s a school day!
The main thing I’ve learned is that everyone involved with the label works at a different pace and therefore having a set release schedule is challenging, and I’ve had to adapt to that.
UF: What have been MM’s biggest successes so far?
AH: The biggest success to date is the wonderful Orchestral Suite No.1 - New Lanark by A Sea Warren (Al Warren). This was featured on Bandcamp New & Notable in January 2023 where it was compared to the work of Aaron Copland – high praise indeed.
It has since had around 7K plays on Bandcamp and is our biggest CD seller. This was so different to any of Al’s previous work, it took many people by surprise and brought his work to a new wider audience. He continues to work on his second orchestral suite among his many ongoing projects.
A more general success I think is working with artists in Canada, The Netherlands, England, Scotland and various area of the USA. This just wouldn't have feasible a few years ago.
UF: Tell me one of your favorite experiences from this past year.
AH: My best experience of the year without doubt is recording and releasing the Hartshorn, Jackson, Jackson & Warren album Sound Investments via the label. But that is just the start and we’re already beginning to sketch out the next album now. It’s going to be amazeballs.
UF: What projects do you have coming in 2024?
AH: I’m so excited about what we’ve got lined up for 2024. We’ve got album releases coming from Cobey Rokes, The 18th Musician, Tonal Drift, Hipster Pug and myself plus a couple of other projects that should be completed in 2024.
UF: What changes do you see coming generally to the music industry?
AH: I think with what we’ve seen with “Big Business” getting involved in Twitter, Bandcamp and the forthcoming changes to Spotify, there is a rising tide of an Indie backlash, and the communities are starting to build now. I think there will be new Indie outlets for merch, physical media, downloads and possibly streaming.
If people are not already aware, then three areas to get involved in are the Only the Host Community, Cosmic Bos’ Monthly Music Challenge and The Lights & Lines annual Album Writing Club. While there is some crossover within these communities, I would love that Venn diagram to merge into a massive circle with everyone pulling in the same direction.
On a final note: if you've been thinking about setting up your own label then just do it!
Check out Monochrome Motif’s website and follow them on Twitter.