Like most independent labels, Sell The Heart started to document a scene without really asking themselves “Where do you see yourself in 15 years?” In 2010, founder Andy Pohl was barely even thinking about vinyl.
In “History 101” tradition, Scene Point Blank picked out some of the label's notable releases to get a reflection at 15 years. SPB picked out five of the albums below, and Sell The Heart chose the other five for discussion.
The label is also hosting an anniversary party in San Francisco, CA in early August and will have several bands playing at FEST 23.
Snipers!!
Let The Wolves Eat Themselves CD*
This was the very first release on Sell The Heart Records. It was also the band I was playing in at the time, so I felt it was kinda apropos to have it be the first one, haha. At the time, producing vinyl wasn't really even on my radar since CDs were still very much the go-to physical media at the time. We only pressed 100 copies of this, but they sold through pretty quickly since we had a decent local following. I'm glad we moved through them since it wasn't before too long that CDs became less popular and vinyl became the format of choice.
Though I'm really proud of all of the albums that I've been part of making, this one holds a special place in my heart since we recorded and mixed it by ourselves, and it took about a year and a half to make. We really dug our teeth into it, and even though we didn't have the fanciest equipment and access to all of the most expensive plug-ins, I really do feel like it has that "BIG" sound quality that I had been hoping for in an album. Years later, I went ahead and opted to do a small vinyl pressing of this album, with new artwork done by my long-time design go-to Demetrius Antuña of the bands Hauntu & TVLPA LVNA (both of which have releases on Sell The Heart). Though we won't be re-issuing the CD any time soon, the vinyl was a nice way to keep it's legacy going
Build Us Airplanes
At The End Of The Day LP*
This was the first band that the label started working with that weren't from the North Bay. While Vacaville, CA is not all that far away, we had originally set out to document that greater North Bay Area music scene as our primary intent. I had found, though, that there were not as many local bands that were really wanting to move beyond playing locally to feel like it was worth investing the time and energy into them and their release. I had known some of the guys in the band from when they were in another band called Unalaska, which one of my older bands (Good City Lie Still) had played some shows with. I really liked the recording a lot and they were pretty active, so I felt like they were a terrific band to launch our "expansion" efforts.
For this album we went ahead and went a bit "big" on the packaging. We opted for multiple variants (black, purple, and purple with red/white splatter), and we also went with reverse board jackets, which were an upgraded option. We managed to get some really good PR coverage for this record, and the band was able to play a good amount of shows, but they kinda fizzled out and stopped playing shows as consistently, with some members going on to play in other bands like Great Apes, and ultimately going on an extended hiatus...until earlier this year when they released a follow-up album (All Things Expire) which picks up directly where they left off in the best way.
Various Artists
Everybody Wants Somewhere: A Tribute To Fugazi 12" LP**
Fugazi is easily one of my favorite bands in the world. They've always felt like the perfect example of a band that has artistic and moral integrity, really encapsulating the spirit of DIY and "punk" in everything that they do. I had been wanting to do a tribute album for them for a number of years leading up to this album, but was always hesitant as I felt like it might come up short or not do them justice somehow. When I finally got the will to make it happen, I reached out to some friends in bands who I knew would likely be down to contribute, and I kid you not when I say that all of them, without hesitation, jumped at the chance to do it.
This was the first album that we upped the quantity to 500 units (vs the normal 250 or 300). I wanted to make sure that we could leverage as much from album sales as this was built around the idea of being a fundraising effort, which I knew from day 1 was going to be the case as it was in-line with Fugazi's approach to being a band. We found this awesome nonprofit based in San Francisco called Taking It To The Streets, which provided housing and all sorts of awesome assistance programs to unhoused folks. We managed to raise a nice chunk of change for them, but sadly they shuttered their doors about 2 years later, so any funds we raised after that have been going to Punks With Lunch, another rad organization that helps to feed the unhoused. Honestly, I would love to continue doing compilations just like this one, but I will admit that they are A LOT of work.
Decent Criminal
DC/EP 7" EP**
This is a really special release for me as this was a band that had come from the same area that the label started, Santa Rosa, CA. They had been featured on a compilation that we released very early on (Atlas Amped) and, over the years since, they had been working their butts off with a ton of touring and releasing a few albums through their own channels and a few other labels (like Wiretap Records). The band had approached me about doing a re-pressing of the album that had come out on Wiretap, and I jumped at that chance as it's a really fantastic album, but shortly afterward we began chatting about this EP of new material. I was blown away at how good the songs were.
7" records are a hard sell in most cases. They make for great table merch for bands at shows, but selling them online or in stores is tough. But the band had done a great job of building up a decent (ha!) following and it ended up selling really well. The band even had Mark McGrath (of Sugar Ray) do a Cameo video where he critiqued the song (and gave it a glowing review by the way), which was hilarious. I've really enjoyed seeing how DC grew and evolved over the years, and am so happy I was able to be a part of their journey. It's a shame that they decided to call it a day recently, but they put in the good work and thankfully got to check a lot of things off their musical bucket list
Middle-Aged Queers
Too Fag For Love 10"*
The label had been on a bit of a "soft" hiatus for a few years between 2015-2019. I say "soft" in that it was still active and you could buy our albums, but I wasn't working with any new bands or promoting anything new during that time since I moved a few times and shifted my professional career. After getting my feet firmly planted in the East Bay and settling into my new career, I decided to pick things back up and put out the call to see if anyone I knew was going to be releasing new material. Shauners from Middle-Aged Queers was one of the first people to reply to me, so we set up a coffee meeting to discuss what would eventually be their debut release.
The first 10" Record that Sell The Heart ever did (1 of 2), it was also initially done in a way that was a bit backwards in terms of how most releases would be handled. The band was already set to press and release the album themselves, so what we ended up doing was essentially agreeing to "buy into" the release for a certain number of records and help promote it through our channels. The song that hooked me right in was "Gary's Making Biscuits." It's such a juggernaut earworm that I just knew it was destined for greatness. The whole album is super fun, and they've really proven to be one of the most unique and dedicated bands on the label, and their continued growth is a testament to their work ethic.
Various Artists
Lawbreaker: Dear Who? 12" LP*
The label has been part of producing a few tribute albums over the years, most of which were done with our pals at Lavasocks Records. This was the third one that we were part of, for the mighty Jawbreaker. Much like the ...And Out Come The Lawsuits album, this is a full-album tribute, this time for Dear You, Jawbreaker's infamous and polarizing major label debut. Both labels are represented on this one, with Sell The Heart alumni Middle-Aged Queers, Heavy Seas and TVLPA LVNA contributing tracks to the album, a few artists from Lavasocks' roster, and a few other bands not representing either directly rounding it out.
As with any kind of covers album, it can be challenging to put them together in a way that is both thoughtful and unique, so that you're not JUST making carbon copies of the original material, and I feel like this album does a pretty damn good job of just that. Jawbreaker, themselves, were pretty stoked on the idea of the album and were super cool about signing off on us releasing the album. I ran into Adam (drummer) on Valencia Street in SF once, actually, and we chatted a bit about it... he was stoked that we did it, which made me feel pretty good.
Hopelifter
Anthemology 12" LP**
From the ashes of one of my favorite bands (Screw 32) came Hopelifter. They were a short-lived melodic hardcore band out of Northern California, featuring ex-Screw 32 singer Andrew Champion, along with members from various other bands that I knew of like Triple-A, etc. They released 2 phenomenal EPs during their short time together, and both had a big impact on me at the time. I had both CDs on constant rotation in my car for years. I actually never got to see them perform live, which was a huge bummer, but at least we had the music. Well, fast-forward to about 2020... I had gotten to know Andrew a bit through mutual friends, and it occurred to me that it might be a fun idea to take those EPs and turn them into an anthology on vinyl since they would both fit on one record. I asked Andrew what he thought about it and he loved the idea, so I got to work.
I love doing archival records like this, where it feels the effort is really worth it. Though Hopelifter may not have had the same large impact as other bands around at that same time, I feel like they wrote some timeless stuff that feels just as fresh as it did then. Andrew's vocals have always felt really unique to me, and the dual guitar onslaught of Casey and Ryan over the super tight (but not overly slick) rhythm section just hit my earholes perfectly. Thankfully, there were a lot of folks that ended up being really excited that this was coming out, and folks are often surprised by the fact that it exists. Lots of old Screw 32 fans are often shocked to know that Andrew had been involved in this band and are eager to listen to it. Re-issuing albums on vinyl that were never on that format can be a little risky, but this one has paid off well and it was a real pleasure to make happen.
Various Artists
Fest 20 Comp 12" LP**
FEST has been an institution within the greater punk scene for the last few decades now. It wasn't until 2018 that I managed to go there in person and experience it myself. It was Tsunami Bomb's first time at FEST, and we had an absolute blast. We've since gone back three other times, with this year being our fifth appearance. After those first few times, it occured to me that it might be fun to do a special compilation specifically for the event, featuring artists that perform at that year's event. With the help of my friend Rob at Wiretap Records, and Jamie from the band American Thrills, we were able to get things rolling. We wanted to make sure that the compilation was something "special," with music that you either could ONLY find on the comp, or perhaps had only ever been released digitally. We had a really tight timeline to work with since vinyl turnaround times were really long at that point, but we were able to find a great spot called Solid Merch that had an "express vinyl" service, with turnaround times being as quick as 5-8 weeks. They were able to get it pressed in time, thankfully.
The comp was really well received and we were able to sell through the 100 copies we pressed pretty quickly. In following years, we have done two additional comps, pressing 200 the second time, and 300 the third. This year, I decided to not do the comp, though. Although it is a really fun idea, it is A LOT of work to pull off each year. The folks that perform and come to FEST are seriously such a great bunch. Tony Weinbender has really put together something really special there.
Sammy Kay
July 1960 12" LP**
Though Sell The Heart has dabbled in several genres over the years, one thing we hadn't done up to this point was release a solo musician's folk/americana style record. Sammy Kay approached me with the songs for the record thanks to some encouragement from some mutual friends. The songs were strikingly good right out of the gate. I had heard some of his material before, and I liked it, but I felt that these songs were just off the charts. He and I ended up working very closely on the preparation, promotional and release cycles of the album, which was really quite awesome since many times it can feel like the band and the label end up doing separate "jobs" in those areas. But with Sammy, he was hands on the whole way, and I appreciated that.
The album itself is hauntingly beautiful. It's melancholy but not sad. There is a weight to it that just really sticks with you. Though I truly stand behind every release I've ever had a hand in releasing, this is definitely one of my all time favorites if I had to make a list of them.
Datura
Songs From A Dark House LP/CD*
This is one that I had been really excited about for quite some time. The band and I had connected during the pandemic, and we released their debut full-length (Arcano Chemical) a few years back, which is such a fantastic album, and given how well it was received I was eager to continue a relationship with them. When they reached out and let me know that they had a new album's worth of material to record, I jumped at the chance to work with them again. I've always prided myself on making Sell The Heart a label that didn't JUST focus on one specific style of music. Though the vast majority of it tends to fall under the greater "punk" umbrella, a band like Datura transcends that label, leaning much more into the goth/darkwave/post-punk category.
For this release, we once again partnered with Bat-Cave Productions from Poland, and this time we were able to secure some partnership with long-time ally Engineer Records in the UK. The band has done such a fantastic job of creating a unique but familiar sound, and it's been really cool to see how far they've been able to grow their listenership without really leaving the Pacific Northwest that much (they've really only played a handful of shows outside of Washington and Oregon). Fun fact: Datura has the highest streaming count of ANY Sell The Heart Records release.
