The official home of Australian Independent Music, a place for music industry professionals alike, featuring the cream of the crop of Australia’s diverse and thriving independent music sector.

Let's get to know the Mullumbimby, NSW-based independent label Vitamin Records, whose artists Stu Hunter and Jonathan Zwartz are both nominated for the 2010 Jagermeister Independent Music Award for Best Jazz Album [studio footage compilation by Stu Hunter embedded above].

Below is an interview with Vitamin Records' owner and manager, Glenn Wright.

How and why did Vitamin start, Glenn? 

In late 1999 - I owned a venue in Sydney, the Harbourside Brasserie and wanted to help some bands release their music. There was a lack of smaller grass roots labels for the music I was interested in.

Which bands were involved at the beginning? 

The groups mainly played at the club at the time, so the late and great Jackie Orszaczky, David Lane, The Millers Tale, CODA, Tony Buck and Chris Abrahams - both from The Necks, Fourplay String Quartet & others.

What changes have you seen since the label began?

When we started Shock was the biggest indie distributor and MGM quickly grew to be of a similar size, Inertia became a great option and Vitamin has slowly grown in a more boutique manner. I felt it was important to own the distribution as well as the label and I now feel that has paid off. We have managed to survive in an ever changing market and we are now finding things are getting easier. We have always tried to focus on what we do and not what the rest of the industry is doing. When I moved the company to Northern NSW about 6 years ago we started to look at A&R from a more national level and this has helped. We now have great independent original artists in most states.

What does being independent mean to you?

Independent artists are actually better placed in the new market as they already have the skills to market and promote. Nowadays revenue comes from a mix of areas, eg online, at gigs, in stores, publishing. It's far more open to artists and labels that are proactive. Recording artists that have previously been with major labels tend to lack some of the skills in order to get a gig, set up a fan base etc. It's a hard process for these artists to pick up these skills.

What are some of the label's proudest moments and success stories? 

The music we release is the great achievement really. I think for over 10 years Vitamin Records has released album after album with brilliant 3, 4 and even 5 star reviews in credible publications. I think releasing Jackie Orszaczky's last album Ready To Listen was a hugely important and satisfying thing. He was a truly unique original voice in this country.

Also Jesse Younan's great album A Good Day For A Migraine. I think Lucie Thorne being short listed for the Australian Music Prize this year was a good achievement. Tina Harrod's Worksongs winning multiple respected jazz awards in 2008 and 2009.

As our priority is not pop music, and the music industry is majorly focused on this, our achievements are not as widely heralded as they could be. We tend to release artists that sell their music consistently over years, as opposed to pop artists that tend to sell larger volumes for shorter periods.

In recent years I have noticed many of the recording artists we work with grow their fan bases substantially. Jordie Lane from Melbourne is a great example of this. He now sells out gigs in many parts of the country whereas when we started with Jordie he was just establishing a fan base. Same goes for artists like Tinpan Orange, Sal Kimber, Lucie Thorne, Kat Frankie, King Tide, and many others. They now fill 500 seater venues regularly. 

Conversely, any artists or investments that didn't take off as you'd hoped? 

You always want things to do better but the great thing about this industry is there is always a new release just around the corner. You scrape yourself up off the ground and get excited again.

What's your definition of a successful indie label? 

Good indie labels have a purpose and help the artist develop a fan base. A good label has some kind of continuity so when the release is put out the retail shop, the reviewer, the radio programmer, and the fans - they all say we will give this a go as that label has some cool music that I like. A good label has an element of integrity. A good label puts the music in the right hands where the musicwill be supported and promoted.

What are some of the values that your label adheres to (or tries to adhere to)? 

We look for artists that will be around for a while, that at least one of us at the office really likes. Ultimately the music should be good and their needs to be the potential for the artists to develop a fan base if they don't have one already.

What measurable effect has illegal mp3 downloading/'piracy' had on your business? 

It's costing us money and the artists money, but possibly not as much as it does the more mainstream pop artists. The artists we deal with tend to be developing a fan base. They also tend to create albums and not singles. Most fans are happy to buy an album or pay for a download. They actually want to support the artist.

How have you been involved with the Independent Music/AIR Awards over the years? What are some of your wins and losses?

Tina Harrod won in 2008, best jazz artist and Jackie Marshall should definitely win something this year as her album Ladies' Luck is far and away the best album of 2010 in this country.

Looking to the future, do you see the role of your label changing at all? 

Yes, but not substantially, we have survived possibly the biggest upheaval the music industry has experienced and we are still very viable with plans for growth. Being small we have been better placed than most to handle the downsizing and restructuring. I'm very positive looking forward.

Finally, give us a hot tip or two - which local bands are you watching closely?

Jordie Lane, Tinpan Orange, Flap!, Lucie Thorne, Jackie Marshall, Heath Cullen, Kooii, Leah Flanagan, M Jack Bee.

Thanks for your time, Glenn! For the latest on Vitamin Records, head to their website.

The 5th Annual Jagermeister Independent Music Awards are held at The Forum Theatre, Melbourne on Friday October 1st, 2010, featuring live performances from British India, Cloud Control, The Amity Affliction, M-Phazes, Sally Seltmann and Joe Chindamo. Doors open at 8:00pm; tickets are $29+BF and available now via Ticketmaster.

For more info on AIR and Australian independent music, visit http://www.ausindies.com/