How do you organise your calendar? The twelve subdivisions of the globally recognised Gregorian Calendar do the job for most of us. Pay-checks, rent outgoings and student finance keep us locked into a sense of regularity. But COVID-19 had other plans. Being forced to abandon, now seemingly irresistible library spaces, our favourite eateries and entertainment venues, the days blur into an endless stream of nothingness for many. 

And then along came Bandcamp. 

In support of the producers, designers, organisers and many others who have had their financial stability and inspiration torn apart by the pandemic, Bandcamp decided to waive their revenue share from purchases on the first Friday of every month since March 2020.  Overshadowed for so long by the automated and algorithmic excellence of Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube, this humble platform has finally achieved stardom within the electronic music community. Not only has Bandcamp Friday provided emerging labels, such as my own, structure and confidence in these trying times, but this gift has simultaneously fostered the growth of musical communities and the connection between creative projects and charitable causes relating to racial and gender equality as well as international emergencies.

Six months ago, my close friend Louis Tooth and I founded Gimme A Break Records. After working the Hyde Park house party DJ circuit, we were stunned by the talent of Leeds-based producers and selectors alike. Through GAB, we hoped to create an unpretentious yet structurally competent label to support these talented individuals, riding on the current revival in UK Garage and Breakbeat. 

Following a burgeoning mix series and free download feature, ‘The Edit Room’, we chose to make our first venture onto Bandcamp in November 2020. Our ‘We Are Viable’ compilation brought together producers from across the UK to remix a popular song with all profits in turn feeding back into Leeds’ own musical ecosystem through the indescribably admirable MAP Charity. 

Bandcamp has revived the compilation with a new purpose: to connect producers, labels and their audiences with humanitarian crises and socio-economic issues

Bandcamp has revived the compilation with a new purpose: to connect producers, labels and their audiences with humanitarian crises and socio-economic issues varying from the personal and local to the national and global. Praiseworthy projects include but are not limited to: 199’s ‘IN ARMS’ compilation raising money for Tom’s Fight; ‘Grief Into Rage’ donating proceeds to the Lebanese Red Cross and the Beirut Musicians’ Fund; and Yung Singh’s two ‘Punjabi Garage Bundles for Charity’, offering support to Khalsa Aid as well as spotlighting the often overlooked Punjabi garage scene thriving from the late ‘90s to today. More recently, in celebration of International Women’s Day, Radiant Love curated a stunning compilation, donating all proceeds to charities working with queer people of colour, refugees and trans sex workers in Berlin. It becomes clear that Bandcamp Fridays has facilitated a confidence amongst music buyers that their money will directly benefit a variety of important causes and support suffering marginalised communities across the globe. 

Whilst there is no doubt that Bandcamp Fridays have become internationally renowned, for Gimme A Break, the resultant formation of powerfully supportive musical networks within the UK has been noticeable. For instance, collectives at the forefront of Northern dance music developments including Babystep Magazine, Stretchy Dance Supply and Late Night Shopper have used Bandcamp Fridays as an opportunity to extend a helping hand to start-ups like GAB. ‘Top picks’ in this monthly celebration serve to bolster the confidence of creatives in a time when new tracks cannot be appraised in the club environment. 

In this temporary ecosystem the regional disparities in cultural infrastructure, whether this be physical media or tangible spaces like clubs and bars no longer serve to elevate the prestige of musical produce coming out of the capital

However, arguably more significantly, I believe that the animation of dialogue between different musical actors has begun to erode the disconnection between the North and the South. I might argue, perhaps controversially, that in this temporary ecosystem the regional disparities in cultural infrastructure, whether this be physical media or tangible spaces like clubs and bars no longer serve to elevate the prestige of musical produce coming out of the capital. Therefore, Bandcamp’s digital network has potentially levelled the playing field. DJs now look across the country, and beyond its borders, on the first Friday of each month to find the perfect tunes for their next radio mix. 

The widespread support ‘We Are Viable’ received from the UK’s electronic scene emboldened Gimme A Break to begin releasing original EPs in 2021. Unsurprisingly, Bandcamp Fridays continue to guide us. The platform’s monthly waiver has structured our releases. Furthermore, receiving the majority of our monthly income on the first Friday of each month has guided our future plans. This may seem trivial but for a recently launched label Bandcamp Fridays has offered a clear schedule, allowing myself and Louis to manage our other commitments alongside the GAB grind. 

GAB has kept me going through lockdown but there’s no chance that our label would have grown at this rate without Bandcamp Fridays. Looking beyond our label, I believe that the revived connection between musical compilations and charitable causes has produced a more caring electronic music scene which now looks inwards to its newfound peers and friends in times of trouble. I look forward to seeing how these attitudes transpire in the club and hope that, as explored profoundly by Mixtress on IWD, fair representation of marginalised creatives becomes a priority for booking artists, labels and DJs alike. 

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Reckless Yes is independent in the purest sense of the word. Actively opposing exploitative industry norms, the record label stands out against a murky backdrop of unethical practices that have become hallmarks of the trade. The curating of an inclusive roster, offering fair deals to their artists, and making sustainable choices are the pillars that hold up a label determined to make a difference. 

The single came about as a continuation of a collaboration between Pete and Sarah, who had been putting on DIY shows in Derby throughout early 2016. Writers and journalists in their own right, the pair met when Sarah was Editor of the brilliant music mag Louder Than War. ‘We got chatting when [Pete] submitted a piece, about a gig at JT Soars in Nottingham I think. It was evident pretty quickly we had lots in common, and as we talked about how we thought things should work in running gigs or anything else it was clear we shared the same outlook about what was fair, or not, in music.’

Today, Reckless Yes is home to a diverse and ever-growing community of artists. As of 2020, more than 62% of the label’s roster were women, non-binary, trans, or other gender minority artists. Although maintaining this balance is an active commitment for the label, the inclusive lineup developed naturally: ‘It was never a tick-box exercise or a gimmick but it’s been fairly easy for us to be inclusive when womxn, gender and other minorities are genuinely making the most interesting music around, in our opinion’, Sarah says, ‘But we’re also aware regardless of talent most of those people will be passed over by other labels, and diminished or oppressed in other areas of the industry simply because of who they are.’

It was never a tick-box exercise or a gimmick but it’s been fairly easy for us to be inclusive when womxn, gender and other minorities are genuinely making the most interesting music around, in our opinion.

It makes sense that a label built from an ethical standpoint is going to be attractive to artists, especially those who face continual oppression within the music industry and away from it. The formation of a safe space is a priority for Reckless Yes, who clearly recognise that the wider music community does not actively work towards curating these spaces. Of course, it is marginalised groups who bear the full weight of this negligence.

The label compounds its progressive nature by giving all artists 50% of their record profits. Pete, who himself released music under the ever-looming presence of a major label contract, explains why this is the case: ‘The good thing about being on a major is they’ve got money. Promo and plugging isn’t a problem. Getting paid for being in a band, as long as you don’t live a ridiculous lifestyle, is also not an issue. But they own you, your songs and your recordings. You can’t leave them if you’re not happy with the team or the service, but they can leave you on the pavement whenever they like. […] I also wanted to make sure it felt like a partnership by having a 50/50 split of the profits of the record sales. Without these talented folk making these great records, we’re nothing, so it should be equal. You don’t get that from a major label either – it’s typically 70/30 or 80/20 in their favour.’ 

‘We don’t live or die by the next record, which was a big fear for us for the first few years – the cash flow was such that if the next record was a commercial disaster, it would be game over.’

In a further attempt to financially support artists, Reckless Yes’ business model is built around its revolutionary membership scheme. Members pay a one-off annual fee and receive all of the label’s releases for the year, presenting benefits for the label, artists, and consumers at once. ‘For our artists it means we can offset the costs of their releases. We don’t try to recover the membership money so artists are in profit faster, It also means they have a group of enthusiastic and supportive people ready and waiting to advocate for them and spread the word about their music to others’ explains Sarah. Pete adds, ‘We don’t live or die by the next record, which was a big fear for us for the first few years – the cash flow was such that if the next record was a commercial disaster, it would be game over.’

Reckless Yes don’t fail to recognise the intersection between their social cause and the need for climate justice: as a result, environmentalism plays a key role in their business model, including giving a percentage of label profits to causes working to protect the environment and signing up to schemes like Offset Earth.

Predictably, the label’s social and environmental commitments have led to resistance from reactionary corners of the industry. Sarah and Pete would both like to see reform in the exploitative major record label model, but they understand that change will likely only come about when profit margins dictate. As Sarah explains, ‘The model is designed to exploit the artists on which the whole thing is dependent, and profit will likely always be a priority over doing the right thing. What’s quite interesting is that we can work this fairer model and still be a successful business. It does show the two things aren’t mutually exclusive.’

For many artists, though, any systemic change will be too late. This is particularly true during the national lockdown, where a musician’s only reliable source of income from their art, touring and selling merchandise, has been cruelly ripped away. Spotify royalties aren’t going to provide a wage for the vast majority of artists and most have been forced to compete with one another for limited employment opportunities outside of music. Government responses to the pandemic have repeatedly put corporate profit above human life, and it’s been made perfectly clear that artists will have no choice but to fend for themselves. 

Reckless Yes seem to have navigated the lockdown relatively smoothly, presumably in part thanks to the effectiveness and security of the membership scheme. Of course, the lack of gigging will no doubt have had a negative impact on the artists, but the label’s packed release schedule shows that creativity hasn’t ceased under the restrictions. ‘It’s been a rollercoaster!’, reports Sarah, ‘It’s definitely been really hard on our artists who are missing being able to play live – for the connection as much as the income. Some releases have been delayed but otherwise, our plans didn’t change hugely, and we were even able to pull in a couple of extra releases we hadn’t expected.’ Pete adds, ‘It’s also allowed us to pour more energy and effort into the label as I’ve been working from home and doing label stuff and day job at the same time. So I’m a little worried about when I have to be in the office full time again!’

The label hopes to carry this energy throughout 2021 and are already looking forward to some big plans for 2022. ‘This is undoubtedly our most ambitious year yet in terms of the number of releases, and the scale of those releases too. We’ve pretty much got something out every week this year so there’s plenty of stuff to get into, and really makes that membership amazing value. We’re also setting the foundations for some big things happening in 2022, and wanting to support our artists come out of what is an awful time to be a musician (not only the pandemic, but thanks to Brexit too) by supporting their wellbeing and development as much as we help them get their music out there.’

Reckless Yes’ latest release is Hannah Rose Kessler’s new single Come Feel Me. Hannah is incredibly talented and she has a real eagerness to experiment with different genres – she’s not afraid to try on new hats as it were, from one song to the next, so while I totally expect what she does next could be entirely different from what she’s done with this selection of songs, at the core of it are great well written catchy songs that deal with big issues from a female perspective – Pete.

Information about Reckless Yes’ Membership Scheme can be found here – https://recklessyes.com/become-reckless-yes-member/

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