The mythology that now surrounds Courtney Barnett wherever she goes cannot be divorced from Milk! Records, the independent record label she founded and now runs with fellow Aussie singer-songwriter Jen Cloher.
For many, the label cements Barnett’s indie cred as much as her characteristically Australian drawl on her songs or her insistence on wearing Australian band tees whenever she makes a US television appearance.
But it all started with a loan from her nanna. Speaking recently to Double J, Barnett explained how her grandma lent her money to press her first EP, which set the wheels on the car that became Milk! Records in motion.
“I just drew this little logo on the back of my CD hoping that that would make it look more professional,” the now Grammy-nominated songwriter told Double J. “And then a real record label grew around it.”
“I took a small business course, set up this basic website and web store and started selling it, to not many people. But that small amount of people grew over time and I had so many friends that were making music so we banded together.”
As Fraser A Gorman, one of the friends now on the label, the whole thing was pretty casual. “One day she said, ‘do you wanna be on Milk!?’. She just said it to me in the pub. I was like ‘yeah sure that sounds good’.”
But despite the nonchalance with which business is seemingly conducted, Cloher insists it’s passion that drives Milk! Records. “Right at the beginning I watched that lovely care and attention to detail,” she told Double J.
“I just drew this little logo on the back of my CD hoping that that would make it look more professional.”“That real community way of putting something out into the world. It’s a great thing because it’s a shared passion. You both get to enjoy the successes together. I guess Milk! Records has been a little bit of a musical baby for us.”
Speaking recently to the Sydney Morning Herald, Cloher revealed some of the business behind this community of friends making music together, who will soon embark on a national tour to celebrate their latest label compilation (see dates below).
“The second [rule] is don’t go into debt,” Cloher told Fairfax. “Whatever you can do to raise money, whether it’s go play some shows, get a grant, crowd fund… then that’s what you’ve got to do.”
“Business wise, each band makes their money off their own sales, but then there’s what you’d call the Milk! Records pool,” Barnett explained, “to put on events; make these kind of compilation albums.”
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“We sell T-shirts and merchandise and stuff,” added Cloher, “and that’s really the way the label sustains itself because we don’t do licensing agreements with bands.”
“None of us have the time to sit there and work on each other’s release plans. The main idea was to just have a collective and community because when you’re out on your own you can go a bit crazy.”
Barnett, Cloher, and Gorman are set to host Rage next week and Barnett recently performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which readers can check out below.
Good For You Tour
Courtney Barnett
Jen Cloher
Fraser A. Gorman
The Finks
East Brunswick All Girls Choir
Ouch My Face
Thursday, 3rd March 2016
Fat Controller, Adelaide
Tickets: Milk Records
Friday, 4th March 2016
Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
Tickets: Milk Records
Saturday, 5th March 2016
Howler, Melbourne
Tickets: Milk Records
Thursday, 10th March 2016
UC Live, Canberra
Tickets: Milk Records
Friday, 11th March 2016
Anita’s, Wollongong
Tickets: Milk Records
Saturday, 12th March 2016
Vic On The Park, Sydney
Tickets: Milk Records
Sunday, 13th March 2016
Bar On The Hill, Newcastle
Tickets: Milk Records
Thursday, 17th March 2016
Bangalow Hall, Bangalow
Tickets: Milk Records
Friday, 18th March 2016
The Triffid, Brisbane
Tickets: Milk Records
Saturday, 19th March 2016
Joe’s Waterhole, Eumundi
Tickets: Milk Records
Sunday, 20th March 2016
Miami Marketta, Gold Coast
Tickets: Milk Records
