INTERVIEW: Label State
Label State has made it simple for DJs, producers, bands and even festivals and community radio stations to share their wearable artwork with the world.
LABEL STATE is one extraordinary company, with bands like VELOCIRAPTOR, DZ DEATHRAYS and MOONBASE COMMANDER all having one-of-a-kind merchandise listed on the site, Label State has been attracting the attention of music lovers around the world.
Label State has made it simple for DJs, producers, bands and even festivals and community radio stations to share their wearable artwork with the world. We had a chat with the brand's main man Grant Barnes before the brand opens a very special pop-up shop in Darlinghurst.
For those playing at home, tell us a little about Label State and what it does?
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On the surface, we're an online store for incredibly cool music tees. But our online platfrom also solves a huge problem for bands/artists in regards to merch - bands can upload their t-shirt designs, we get them onsale, and when a customer buys one, we print it, post it out, and pay a royalty. So instead of upfronting for a bulk orders, having to choose which sizes to print and getting left with a bunch of XLs or smalls (depending whether you're an indie folk act or a hip-hop act, I suppose)… you can try us out. In fact, you could sign-up now at www.labelstate.com if you really felt like it.
Is there an underlying ethic / concept behind Label State that we should know about?
Our vibe is a grassroots helping-musos-make-a-buck sort of thing. Making merch more accessible for the bands we love and making it more financially viable to get it out there. That's the mission - I want millions of bands to get something postive out of our service.
Which tees currently on your site are your favourites??
I can't help but love our DZ Deathrays tee, our Velociraptor range, and the Rice Is Nice Records tee are awesome too. They're really really cool designs, as well as great music makers.
If you could choose one band/act/artist/DJ to make a t-shirt for from in the history of music, who would you choose??
Ah good question! I would say Morrissey, that would be a bit of a dream come true.
How did the idea of Label State turn into a reality?
Its great fun to try and come up with the million dollar idea/crazy scheme. Late last year, I stumbled upon this one, did a lot of research and made the decision that it was a feasible business. Then I registered a company, scratched together some cash and quit my job to follow the dream!
What's been the most popular tee to date?
I think DZ Deathrays are our best selling - great band, awesome design too. Win win, really.
Not only music, you also cater to visual artists, which ultimately could work as quite the duo when a band is sourcing someone to design their merch. Did you intend this or was the idea born as solely a project for musicians?
Right now, we're focussed on music - its definitely where my experience as a venue marketer is grounded, and since musicians are one group of people who can really benefit from extra income streams, its helpful to the music community as well as a cool concept-website to buy tees.
The Label State Pop-up Tee Shop has just opened on Sydney's Oxford Street. If all goes well, do you think the online store will eventually operate a permanent, walk-in store? Or are internet sales more efficient?
Online sales are definitely the core, but I love the idea of having an office that is also a permanent shopfront and printing production house... I think this will definitely happen eventually, and would make sense to do that in Sydney, and offices in the USA, UK and Hong Kong as we expand - that's the 3 year plan anyhow.
Have you got any brand new shirts coming into the store?
Screamfeeder tees are looking great and its an honour to have a seminal 90's Aussie band on the site. Also the new Post Paint t-shirt (a painting of Tyler The Creator from Odd Future) is going to be massive. Check it out!
You've got some exciting things going on in the Tee Shop, such as a live set from Jeremy Neale that is to broadcast on FBi Radio. Who else can we expect to perform at Label State?
Hoping to do a workshop with MusicNSW, as well as some live mural art. We'll have to see how raucus the Jeremy Neale gig gets on the 6th of July (its BYO!), if the roof is still attached, we'll plan something huge to farewell the store at the end of July. Stay tuned to facebook.com/labelstate!
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