According to HoZac Records cofounder Brett Cross, success for a fledgling record label isn’t really obtained as much as it’s realized. “You’ve got to let it happen organically. If you push that shit, you might end up prolapsing your rectum.”
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“It was our Trojan horse,” Cross says of the Smith Westerns.
Explore the roots of three other local labels (and give them a listen): »Chocolate Industries: An early education in IDM fuses hip-hop, rock, and soul »Peira: Forget turntables and a mike—how about three bass clarinets and a modular synthesizer? »Not Normal: A man, a woman, and a mission to document the midwest’s hardcore-punk scene
The minds behind Drag City, Thrill Jockey, and more explain, “This is how I’d run a label”: »Dan Koretzky, Drag City »Bettina Richards, Thrill Jockey »Matt Clark, Tic Tac Totally Records »Michael Frank, Earwig »Plus, a whole bunch more
With the record’s success—not to mention a push from releasing the first pressing of the Dum Dum Girls debut LP, I Will Be, in 2010—Novak was able to focus on the label full-time after losing his job of 13 years at AWH Skateboard Distribution in Niles (formerly located in Evanston). When asked if all-day label life ever became brain numbing, addled by an apartment packed with vinyl and an endless barrage of e-mails, Novak spins it positive. “I actually don’t mind taking a walk and putting up posters. I don’t mind driving to the post office. One day I do Web ads, one day accounting. I like doing every part of it. It’s not overwhelming.”
And so when the pair finally decided to take the plunge, they tapped into their resources at garage/punk cohorts like In the Red, Dusty Medical, and Douchemaster. Located in LA, Milwaukee, and Atlanta respectively, the labels helped school HoZac with info about what they charged and how to get in touch with Revolver for distribution.
