Heaps Normal has announced the launch of Heaps Normal Records, a record label created to work with new and emerging musicians and help them launch vinyl records, merch and other products.
In addition the label will also help music artists with one-off shows and national tours through venue and artists partnerships, which will see Heaps Normal provide its non-alcoholic beersto venues and artists.
Heaps Normal lunched in 2020, and since then has supported and invested in over 300 shows and tours, and has also donated close to $100,000 to music charities driving positive change in the music industry like Support Act and We Are Warriors.
Heaps Normal CEO and co-founder Andy Miller explains Heaps Normal Records marks a significant step up in Heaps Normal’s ambitions to support the Australian independent music scene.
“We want to bring together all of our work in and with the music industry, to build on the investments we’ve made in the music industry over the past four years, to make the records that might not have otherwise been made and give a leg up to musicians building their profiles,” Miller said.
“It’s tough right now in Australia for musicians to break through and find a sustainable footing in the music business. There isn’t always a clear path forward and navigating the systemic and financial barriers standing between an artist and a thriving career is challenging to say the least. And let’s face it, our live music industry needs more support.
“Venues, in particular, have borne the brunt of rising costs of compliance, promotion and production, hamstringing their ability to support live music in the way they might want to.”
The first release from Heaps Normal Records comes from Sydney metal band Bard, with frontman and long-term Heaps Normal ambassador Akira Alvarez saying the brand is doing a great thing in helping new artists.
“This collaboration is an amazing opportunity for an emerging band like Barb. The recording process is slow and complicated for many bands and that makes it daunting.
“To get things off the ground and put out a physical single or LP on vinyl has a lot of financial challenges if you don’t have the initial capital to do so. We aren’t necessarily a band that is getting asked to go to Big Sound and expose the music industry to our weird brand of Fantasy Metal-Punk.
This kind of support for bands is something that I feel that any ‘music focused’ brand should get behind as the Australian music industry needs that kind of assistance right now.”
Heaps Normal said the label is looking to drive change in the music industry by not only directly supporting venues, artists and workers but by also supporting and driving change in the systems, conventions and culture of the Australian music industry.
Miller said: “How do artists make the leap from small local shows to supporting the larger acts on the road to becoming the main acts themselves? How do they make the money to create merch and records when the only revenue available is from selling merch and records? How do venues continue to support music when the costs of compliance with regulations are so high and the returns so low? How do music workers create sustainable lifelong careers supporting the people and work they love?
“We don’t have all the answers, but we want to do something that helps to address some of these bloody hard questions. We want to see a more inclusive, safer and more fun Australian music industry and experience.”
Emerging local musicians interested in being part of Heaps Normal Records can register their interest by emailing records@heapsnormal.com.
