Sunday, December 11, 2011

Ben Kweller starts label, announces album

It's been a busy week and I'm catching up on some notable news and press releases. Here's one...

After 15 years of releasing records through both major and independent labels, Ben Kweller has announced the formation of his own label, The Noise Company. The Austin-based label will be home to all future Kweller releases, beginning with his new album, Go Fly A Kite, set to hit stores Feb. 7.

Signed to Mercury Records when he was 15, Kweller is interested in a situation where he has complete control. "When I signed my first record deal 15 years ago, many artists had little understanding of, or interest in, the contracts that would eventually bind their musical future," says Kweller.

"I was one of those artists. Fortunately, I've been lucky to make my music with little interference. I've worked with some great people, most of whom I remain friends with today. Unfortunately, we've all been operating within an antiquated system that doesn't work anymore. The Noise Co. is another step in creating my own system. It gives me the opportunity to work directly with people in the industry who were previously 'off-limits.'"

He continues, "There's a lot of geeky stuff involved, but as a die-hard music junkie and record collector, these things get me excited! It's the real deal, not just an artist self-releasing his music. We have a real staff, real funding, real distribution, and I look forward to eventually helping other artists achieve their goals too."

The label will have a global presence as well, having already secured deals with Lively Up in Japan and Shock in Australia.

Go Fly A Kite, Kweller's fifth studio album, hits hard with the unforgettably melodic and heartwarming fuzzed-out rock that first put Kweller on the map with his debut, 2002's Sha Sha

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