Pioneering label Electric Honey is still creating a buzz 30 years on
Plans under way to mark the anniversary of studentrun record company that helped launch top Scots acts, writes Mike Ritchie
PLANNING is under way for the anniversary celebrations of a unique record company that helped launch the careers of top Scottish acts such as Biffy Clyro and Belle and Sebastian.
The latter’s successful debut album, Tigermilk, came out 25 years ago this June – and mega-selling Snow Patrol are also indebted to student-managed Electric Honey from their earliest days as a band. Currently run at Glasgow Kelvin College and set to mark three decades of study and label success next year, Electric Honey came into existence in 1992 at the city’s Stow College.
It is a label that has more than held its own in a tough business even though its name might not be that well known.
The idea was to create a platform for students undertaking the Higher National Certificate/higher National Diploma Music Business course.
By enrolling, they can work within a record company’s operations, while also being in the frontline of a thriving music scene in Scotland that involves releasing music by local bands.
The Electric Honey label was once described by the prestigious music magazine Uncut as “the most successful student-run label in the world” thanks to its history of having top artists releasing records on its imprint, like Belle and Sebastian, Biffy Clyro and Snow Patrol.
It was established by Stow College lecturers Gordon Campbell and Alan Rankine. Alan was one half of the highly rated 80s Scottish post-punk popsters, The Associates.
Douglas Macintyre, who now runs the independent label Creeping Bent, then took charge before Ken Mccluskey of The Bluebells – best known for their hit Young At Heart – came on board the award-winning programme 15 years ago.
“The music industry is exciting, challenging and ever-changing with careers that can excite young people,” said Ken, who also performs with The Mccluskey Brothers.
“At first, I would say more males than females came on the course but nowadays it’s about 50/50.”
Televised shows like Britain’s Got Talent are in the glamour business of finding new acts with massive production budgets.
The Glasgow Kelvin course is more down-to-earth with much less flash but it still asks students if they can see themselves discovering that next big star or artist who could take the music industry by storm and get their name in lights.
“In the music industry, people can find a career with a record company, in band management, in music promotion or artiste and repertoire so the course looks in detail at all of that,” said Ken.
“We focus strictly on management and cover important topics such as copywriting, marketing, publicity, promoting gigs and we have to make sure we adapt to how the music industry is evolving through streaming and the digital world.”
And involvement in the running of Electric Honey is a massive boost as students have to, with support from the lecturers, find and sign a suitable band or artiste, identify music for publication, record or license the selected band or artist, co-ordinate the marketing, promotion and distribution of the product and get involved in the staging of a live event associated with the chosen band/artiste.
Recent acts such as Dundee’s Be Charlotte and Toni Woods, from Glasgow, have benefited from Electric Honey’s backing.
Music writer and radio DJ Billy Sloan is an admirer of Electric Honey. “I was a guest when Belle and Sebastian launched Tigermilk back in 1996 and I still have the invite,” said Billy. “For a label like Electric Honey to be able to say they have had Belle and Sebastian, Biffy Clyro and Snow Patrol on their roster of acts is hugely impressive.”
The music industry is challenging and everchanging