Sarah Records - The Basics :
- What: Independent record label Sarah Records
- Where: Bristol, UK
- Founded by: Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes
- Founded: 1987
- Closed: 1995
C86 - Sarah Records' Roots :
In 1986 influential British music mag NME released a compilation tape, C86, which was instrumental in starting the heighten interest in the UKs indie pop scene. The scene was characterized by a 60s pop influence sound and a DIY culture and created a huge rise in the number of people writing and read fanzines and setting up labels. While influenced by the punk ethos of the late 70s, the C86 scene rejected a lot of the attitude and image of punk and rock. Despite being described as twee or fey, many of the bands associated with the scene produced emotionally dark and political lyrics.
Sarah Records Launches:
In 1987, Bristol based fanzine writers Matt Haynes and Clare Wadd joined forces to launch Sarah Records. Both writers had previously given away flexidiscs with fanzines, and Haynes 'zine Are You Scared To Get Happy? had been a part of a flexidisc only label, the Sha-La-La Organisation. Sarah released both flexidiscs and fanzines as part of their catalog - as well as Sarah50 - a board game. Many releases included inserts written by Haynes and Wadd, which were often as eagerly awaited as the records themselves. Sarah worked with numerous bands over the years including The Field Mice, Blueboy, Heavenly and Talulah Gosh.
The Music Press:
Sarah's early releases were well received, several gained the title Single of the Week in British music papers. Sarah, like most labels and acts that had been linked to the C86 "movement", were keen to disassociate themselves from what they felt was a cynical campaign designed to build a "scene" in order to sell more papers rather than the paper championing music they believed in. In a typical case of building-them-up-to-knock-them-down, NME, along with the rest of the music press, turned against the scene it had 'created' and Sarah's releases rarely troubled the music presses pages.
7" Singles:
The label is best known for it's 7” singles, it released almost 100 - and it was a format the label championed as being the true pop format. This was both a romantic attachment to the original pop 7”s of the 60s as well a gesture against the trend for labels to release numerous versions of records: ltd editions 12”s, picture discs and EPs - something they saw as the over commercialism of the music industry. All of the Sarah 7”s are these days collectors items, with many early releases fetching high prices on internet auction sites.
Sarah's Politics:
The label, while not overtly political, had a strong political ethos of standing against the capitalism and sexism of the mainstream music industry. They attacked the industry through their writings, both in their fanzines and inserts, and through their promotion and marketing. They had a particular ire for the 'indie' labels who had sold out, co-opting the marketing and promotion tactics of the major labels and bands who have a “sanctimonious socialist pose” which is soon forgotten when it comes to “the sell”.
Feminism and Sarah Records:
The indie pop scene, partly due to the fact they shunned the macho male images of the rock scene, was always more female friendly than the industry as a whole. And not just for fans of the music; many of the artist, promoters and managers were women. Sarah in particular attacked the sexism that was, and still is, rife in the music industry, for example never using women in their cover art as they didn't feel that women's images should be used to sell records. Wadd's musing, both in the fanzines and record inserts, were often of a distinctly feminist nature.
A Day for Destroying Things:
In 1995 Sarah announced their own destruction with ads taken out in the UK music press which emphasised their independence stating that “Nothing should be forever. Sarah Records is owned by no one but us, so it's OURS to create and destroy how we want. And we don't do encores”. Their final release was a compilation of tracks from the labels 8 years in existence, called There and Back Again Lane.
Encore?:
True to their statement the label has never been resurrected. Haynes went on to set up Shinkansen Records, who released records by several Sarah artist such as Blueboy as well as Trembling Blue Stars and Fosca. After years of being dismissed, the C86 scene is under going a resurgence, with several clubs in London dedicated to the music and Rough Trade releasing an indie pop compilation. There influence, both musically and ethically, is seen in bands such as Franz Ferdinand and The Arctic Monkeys.
