WHY THEY LOVE THE LABEL
Bry Webb Records: Provider, 2011; Free Will, 2014; Live at Massey Hall, 2015 A lot of industry-minded label folks would try to tell you that putting out sad-ass, anti-establishment, softrock/folk records by a tired dad in his late 30s, who had no real intention of touring or promoting himself, would be a bad business move. But not these guys! Honestly, they started working from a pool of friends whose music and well-being they already cared about and they figured out what they could do to support those people. They also refuse to be garish or overbearing in the way they promote our work, opting for subtlety, humour and attention to detail to reach people, which I believe attracts a more sensitive audience. We are very lucky people.
Simone Schmidt of the Highest Order Records: Rainbow of Blues, 2012; If It’s
Real, 2013 Eight years ago people sighed and said, “The album is dead,” and now they’re saying that about the song like it’s just the new order of things. But it’s only that way if you make it so. Idée Fixe is aligned with me on this. Songwriting’s my vocation and I make full albums because albums have always done it for me. They allow for a balance of expression. So I see Idée Fixe standing firm and guarding the song, guarding the album, enabling artists who are all pretty different but can’t assimilate the new quick sensibility, who want to make a repeat listen through the big speakers.
Jennifer Castle Records: Deloro, 2011; Pink City, 2014 People that might not find my records sellable or my songs catchy or whatever . . . that never comes up with them. They just want you to be yourself and forget about everything else. There aren’t lot of voices in this industry telling you to walk the line, keep your work tight and cut the fluff. In fact, the more middling you get the more support you get sometimes. Jeff wants your best, most personal music; the stuff that others might find too idiosyncratic, that’s the stuff that gets Jeff swaying in his chair. —Joshua Kloke