Indie Music Label Research

1. Independent Artist
By Shannon, Emily, Maddy and Charlie

2. Artist: Smoove &Turrell
• Smoove &Turrell is a band from North East England that creates a style of
music they describe as 'Northern Funk'.The duo's contemporary sound fuses
a variety of musical genres including funk, Northern soul, hip-hop and jazz.
• Their band is composed of Jonathan ScottWatson (known as Smoove) and
JohnTurrell.
• They have released three albums: Antique Soul (2009), Eccentric
Audio(2011), and BrokenToys (2014), all which are produced by the
independent record label: Jalapeno Records.

3. • Smoove (Jonathan ScottWatson) originally started out as a professional DJ,
outsourcing all of his technology in 1990, when he worked in bars and clubs,
mainly in the Newcastle uponTyne and Sunderland areas. In the years leading
up to the formation of Smoove &Turrell his DJ career flourished and he
presented a local radio show - called Ultravibe - on Sunderland's Wear FM.
• Meanwhile, JohnTurrell is a vocalist and songwriter.The two formed the band
Smoove &Turrell in 2007 in hope of them both benefiting from the alliance.
• The first Smoove &Turrell release was a limited edition single called "I Can't
GiveYou Up”, issued in 2007 on German record label ClubTikka as a double A-
Side shared with 'Curry Rice (Instrumental)' byTorpedo Boyz. It gained huge
underground popularity, and all 500 pressings of the record sold out very
quickly.The resultant lack of supply started a notable bidding war for one
copies on auction site eBay - one of which sold for £166.

4. Record Label: Jalapeno Records
Distribution: Physical – GrooveDis
Digital – Record Kicks &
Jalapeno Records Shop
Publishing – Bite the Apple

5. Record Label: Jalapeno Records
• Jalapeno Records is an independent record label based in Brighton.
• Upon completing the recording of their first album, Smoove &Turrell sent a copy
to Jalapeno Records, who offered the band a deal within an hour of listening to it.
• Ahead of the release of the debut album 'Antique Soul' (2009), Jalapeño reissued
the single 'I Can’t GiveYou Up'. It collectively earned two 'Record OfTheWeek'
accolades on BBC Radio 2 and was playlisted on BBC Radio 6 Music.The band
toured extensively to support the album, including a triumphant appearance at
the Big Chill Festival.
• Because Jalapeno Records are not part of a conglomerate, they do not have cross-
media-ownership for materials (such as hardware/software for a recording
studio).This also means there is no chance for vertical integration, therefore
meaning they need to outsource everything for their artists, until they receive
more funding.

6. Synergy
• S&T tracks could be heard on the video game The Crew and international
smash hit series like The Finder & World of Jenks.
• Their track Hard Work was used on a national advertising campaign as well
as others being used on a host of primetimeTV shows such as Match of the
Day, Strictly Come Dancing, Splash &Coronation Street opening up S&T
to yet a wider audience.

7. Creative Control
• The way the band produces his music and their relationship with their label,
they have much more control over the creative process and decisions about
the direction of their careers.
• This is different to bands involved with the major production companies (i.e.
Sony ME).