The Lithograph is a new, online zine out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Earlier this Summer, an interview was conducted with Phratry label-owner Jerry Dirr regarding current and upcoming releases, as well as general philosophies about art and music. Here is the interview, in full, as it appeared in June 2009:
At the Lithograph, our aim is to promote musical happenings in and
around Cincinnati. As such, we are starting a new feature profiling
local record labels imaginatively called: Record Label Feature (so
creative! so forward-thinking! I know.). Kicking off this brand new
feature is local record label Phratry Records, owned and operated by Jerry Dirr (who is also a member of Phratry band Knife the Symphony).
I exchanged some e-mails with Jerry over the last few weeks, finally
culminating in this interview which perfectly illustrates the struggles
and joys of running an independent record label. Enjoy!
1) Tell us a little about yourself. How/when/where did you start Phratry? How has it grown over the years?
Well, I’ve played in four bands since 1992. The most recent is Knife
The Symphony and I was in another band called Theraphosa before that.
The first two or three bands I was in self-released a few seven inches,
two EP’s and a two full-lengths. By the time I had decided to start
Phratry, I already had some experience dealing with pressing plants and
handling the print production for the cover art and packaging. Looking
back, it was a natural progression, really. I enjoy the process of
making a record. I like the production of the physical record and
packaging and seeing it come to life. Photography, design and
print-production are things that I’ve been interested in for a long
time. My day job is in the commercial printing industry, so it all
definitely overlaps with my responsibilities concerning the label.
I started the label here in Cincinnati but more specifically, in the
living room of my old apartment in Price Hill. That was in 2004. In
2005 I went legit and had Phratry set up as an LLC. Coming up this
August will be Phratry’s five year anniversary. In that time I’ve put
out seventeen records with plans to release five or six more before the
end of this year alone. Somewhere around late 2005 or early 2006 I was
able to get a distribution deal with a company called Stick Figure out
of Atlanta. They deal direct but they also deal with additional
distribution companies to deliver the releases. I also obtained a deal
with a digital distributor in San Francisco called IODA that delivers
the releases to iTunes and every other digital store you can imagine. I
have a lot more to offer bands now than I did when I first began. I
started out working with bands in Cincinnati but as time has passed,
I’ve branched out and started working with some bands in various spots
across the country. So, yeah, the label has definitely grown. The name
is a little more recognizable than it once was. My mailorder has grown
a little bit more and more people seem to be getting excited about the
bands.
2) Discuss the Phratry sound and aesthetic. Is there a specific
one? A lot of the bands on your roster seem to lean towards a hard
rock, almost punk aesthetic with quick tempos, shouted vocals, etc.
(I’m thinking Knife the Symphony, Arms Exploding, Caterpillar Tracks,
and others). At the same time, there seems to be a heavy emphasis on
melody with a lot of these same bands. A comparison I read about Knife
the Symphony, in particular, to lots of Dischord bands is, I think,
very accurate and I hear a lot of Minor Threat and Fugazi in the music.
Do you think Phratry has developed a characteristic sound? Is this
something that you’re going for?
Well, no, it’s not actually something I’m going for. In all honesty,
I hope there won’t ever be a recognizable Phratry sound. I don’t know.
I guess I never really thought about it. A unified sound or aesthetic
might be inevitable but it’s really never anything that I’ve set out to
accomplish. I’m a fan a of a lot of different music. The idea behind
the label has always been that each band should be unique and just do
what they do – regardless of what the other bands on the label sound
like. And when I approach bands to work with, I’m never concerned with
how their style might fit, or not fit, with the other bands already on
the roster. I just try to work with bands that I’m a fan of and put out
music that I personally enjoy listening to or seeing live. I also make
it point to work with people that I generally enjoy being around and
talking to. I definitely wouldn’t want to work with a band without
getting to know them a little bit first.
I’ll admit that a fraction of the bands currently on Phratry
definitely have some stylistic similarities. I’m not denying that.
However, I hope to ultimately represent a fairly diverse roster. I
don’t want Phratry to be the type of label whose name is synonymous
with a certain style – the way that Fat Wreck Chords is, for instance.
I’ve always been a fan of SST and Touch & Go and their diverse
rosters. I’ve actually been working with Jesse from [Phratry's] Sah for
quite some time now to put out an album for his side project called The
Terminal Orchestra. They’re a stripped-down orchestra with a lot of
strings and piano. I’ve also been pushing for Lauren [Phratry's LKN] to
make a piano record. She’s written some really beautiful piano
compositions and I would love to have a part in getting those out into
the world.
I definitely think that a lot of the Phratry bands subscribe to a
punk ethic when it comes to their art. They create music on their terms
and they don’t want anybody to fuck with it. Nobody is doing it to
become popular or the next big thing. They certainly don’t do it as a
career move or anything like that. Everybody holds down a day job.
I think there are only a couple of things that I care about with
regard to a Phratry aesthetic. First, I want there to be a real sense
of honesty in the music as well as a sense of community within the
confines of the roster that will hopefully spread and energize others –
whether it’s other bands, people that come out to shows or buy the
records. The second is something I don’t really talk about because it
seems like such a distant reality. My ultimate goal is for Phratry
Records to become a non-profit organization. I love music and I really
do think it has the power to inspire people and change people in unique
ways. In fact, outside of my family, everyone that’s close to me in my
personal life is the result of relationships built from playing music
or skateboarding in one way or another. I don’t want the label to be
just another business or just another label. It pains me to see music
cheapened by shows like American Idol or the so called talent shows.
And the manufactured boy-bands and that sort of thing is another sad
story. Anyway, I’m not saying that music and labels aren’t important if
they’re not charitable organizations. Art in its many forms is
necessary in our society. I’m not trying to be snob about this. It’s
just that for me, and for my label, I would like it to ultimately be
something special. Something where I could actually do music and help
people at the same time would be amazing. First, though, it’d just be
nice to break even on the releases more often…
3) How would you characterize the music you and the bands on
your label make as it fits into today’s popular/independent music? Is
this something you think about?
I can’t speak for any of the bands but my personal feeling is that a
lot of what the Phratry bands are doing is just as good, if not better,
than a lot of the popular or sought after independent music these days.
I personally don’t worry about the music fitting in with what’s popular
but I do worry about it getting the recognition it deserves. I see
first hand how some of these bands work their asses off and how much
their music means to them. I try to do as much as I can for them but I
continually struggle with the promotional aspects of the releases. I
wonder if I’m pushing it enough or pushing it too much. I don’t want it
to become a meaningless product – like a McDonald’s hamburger. But I
also don’t want it to go unnoticed.
This music is art first and foremost. It can be characterized as a
lot of different genres, I suppose. I do think that some of the bands
could appeal to wide range of audiences outside of the punk or indie
realm. Anyway, I don’t think any of the bands concern themselves with
fitting neatly into specific genre or category.
4) Are the majority of Phratry’s bands from Cincinnati? How do
you feel Cincinnati has contributed to and helped foster bands on your
label? Or, on the contrary, has it been hard to gain an audience and a
strong support system here?
Right now, yes, the majority of the Phratry bands are from the
greater Cincinnati area but there are a few who are not. LKN is out of
Portland, Sah is from Michigan and Blue Velvet was out of NYC. I’m
currently working on a new release with a band out of Chicago called
Quatre Tete and I’m also working with Ampline [Cincinnati] to put out a
split-release with a band from France called Atomic Garden. Those two
bands will be touring together in the U.S. this Summer and then
hopefully in Europe later in the year or next year. And, again, I’m
trying to get something with The Terminal Orchestra who is also out of
Michigan. I’ve also extended an invitation to National Suicide Day out
of Cleveland to join the Phratry family. They’re a cool, rock / soul /
metal band with crossover members from This Moment In Black History.
Cincinnati is the area that I’ve had the most exposure to and, quite
frankly, there are a lot of great bands in this area. Whether they’re
affiliated with Phratry or not, there are a lot of musicians doing
really exciting things around here. In all honesty, Cincinnati is not a
bad place to live in if you’re an artist of any medium. It’s true that
it’s a conservative town with a city government completely inept at
pulling people together to harbor new ideas or innovative thinking.
However, what the majority of the mainstream population and media
doesn’t realize is that Cincinnati is home to a modest-sized,
progressive and productive arts community. There are a lot of
independent business owners and publishers and a few independent radio
and television stations. Galleries, museums, the symphony and the
ballet are all thriving. Skate culture, zine culture, tattoo culture,
gay culture, bike culture is all thriving here as well. It’s pretty
wild. There isn’t much support from the community as a whole – be it
the city government or the mainstream media – to push these sorts of
things into people’s collective consciousness the way that say, New
York or Chicago might. But then again it’s probably for the better that
most people around here don’t understand these various movements. I
think that giving up too much of a counter culture or giving up too
much of yourself as an artist, to people who otherwise wouldn’t give a
shit, can be harmful.
To get back to your question, there have been some systems both here
in Cincinnati and outside of the city that have been extremely
supportive of Phratry Records since the start. Their support has been
immeasurable. I’m gaining at least the attention, if not the support,
of new systems – be it bands, promoters, media or filmmakers –
everyday. There are some media outlets across the country where I
still, even after five years, cannot seem to get their attention. But
for the most part, people are supportive.
For as much positive attention as the label has received, especially
just within the last year or so, it really says a lot about Cincinnati.
It proves that people can get excited and are excited about what’s
going on here. A lot of people get down on the music scene here. The
thing about Cincinnati is that you have to work hard to get the word
out about what you’re doing. Unless you’re just the luckiest son of
bitch in the world, you can’t just expect anybody to find out about
what you’re doing here without touring or pushing yourself beyond the
I-275 loop.
5) What are some bands on Phratry that we should be on the
lookout for in the months to come? Anything else you would like to add?
Well, like I mentioned before, I’m working with this band out of
Chicago called Quatre Tete who are one of my favorites. My band, Knife
The Symphony has gotten to do some dates with them in both Chicago and
Kentucky over the last couple of years. They self-released a great new
full-length called “Art Of The State,” about a year ago on the bass
player’s, Bec-Rec label. It was later picked up by Chicago’s Sick Room
Records. I’m pretty excited to put out something new by those guys.
I’ve also got a full-length release in the works for Cincinnati’s Swear
Jar. They are easily one of the most underrated and under-appreciated
bands in this area. They don’t sound like anyone else around here. They
self-recorded their album and it honestly gives Steve Albini a run for
his money. Anybody that’s a fan of Albini and the bands he’s worked
with should take note. I’ve also been talking to the guys in a band
called State Song about putting out their debut full length. Those guys
blew me away from the start. I got a chance to hear some rough mixes at
New Fidelity Studios this past Winter when they were working on a demo.
I went to their first show shortly after that and I was hooked. They
remind me a lot of Sunny Day Real Estate and honestly I think they’re
just as good. I’ve got more on my plate right now than I can
realistically handle as a one-man operation but I’m excited about
everything that’s coming up. I hope people will give it all a chance.