INTERVIEW
PIRATES PRESS RECORDS/ MFG.
by Christer Davidsson, August 2006

Hey there! How are you?

Eric: Tired.

Eddie: Can't complain.              

Tell me a little bit about yourselves, who are you?

Eric: My name is Eric, but almost everyone calls me Skippy. I’m 25 and I started Pirates Press in the fall of 2004 after working in the music business and seeing too many bands and labels get ripped the fuck off by greedy corporate manufacturers out to make a quick buck off people who weren’t as saavy to the ways of the business...
Because of our successes in manufacturing and being able to booster so many key contacts, Eddie and I were able to start the label last summer.

Eddie: Hey, Im Eddie. Like Eric said, P.P was started in 04. A few friends got together and it was on from there. One stayed in SF, the others were in NJ getting the ball rolling. Now were all here plus a few extras J

How come you decided to start Pirates Press/Pirates Press Records?

Eddie: I've been playing in bands and helping out labels and managing & tour managing for other bands for well over 18 years. I got frustrated with the way labels & such treated my bands & many others alike, like steerage. So we decided to do something about it, instead of just complaining. We put up. So here we are with P.P.R

Eric: We wanted to bring some of our favorite artists, bands and labels together on cool projects that everyone can be proud of. …Stuff other labels might either be too closed off to put out themselves or maybe just too intimidated by. We don’t want to compete in that sense with other labels, we’re out to support independent bands and labels on a whole and the label allows us a really creative and fun way to do it…

Have you always been into this type of music?

Eric: Yes… well since I started feeling that oldies were just a little too slow.

Whats so good about punk rock?

Eric: There are no expectations, less focus on money, much more truth being told, and usually a little less bullshit in the industry… oh and the people are fucking real… and my life just goes better with 16th notes on a high-hat and someone belting out

Eddie: I can tell you what WAS good about “punkrock”. But we don’t have enough time for that.  Yea, what Eric said…

How come you decided to call the label Pirates Press?

Eric: Pirates are carefree, passionate, romantic and real, just like us.

Eddie: ARRRRRRRRR!!!

How many records have you released up until now?

Eric: Our label has pressed up about 12,000 records (the boxset & singles), not including all the Ratchets, Lucky Stiffs and Under One Flag stuff we’re about to send off to press… Pirates Press has pressed over a million pieces of vinyl in the last two years!

Eddie: So about 9 releases to date, not including the Comp & New boxset coming out fall/winter.

Which release are you the most proud of and why?

Eric: The Boxset. I cant believe we pulled it off in time for our record release party… stickering 18,000 stickers, inserting 9000 records, handnumbering 1500 boxes, etc… What a fucking mess. We were up to our knees in sticker backings… but worth it.

Eddie: Hands down, the Boxset. It was our first and just look at it.

I know that the artwork of your releases is something that you take very seriously. Tell me about that.

Eric: We just try to pin some of our favorite artists, especially tattoo artists with music and projects that can highlight the talent that we see! That stuff is so close to home it pretty much just comes naturally. We consider almost all of the bands and artists we’ve worked with on a label standpoint up to this point family.

Eddie: When we decided to start these projects, we wanted to help friends and up and coming bands out as well as artists. Everything just goes hand & hand. We take each project very serious, we try to make it the best it could possibly be.

You actually press the records yourselves too, right?

Eric: Well, I have pressed records myself at our plant in Prague, but for the most part we don’t do the pressing, we just keep people happy and make sure the back end is all solid so people get the best shit at the best prices in the quickest amount of time… but I did press a few records myself, yes… it’s a tough job. My hat comes off to the people who bust their asses to make sure our vinyl is the best in the world.

Eddie: Would be fun though I'm sure.

How important is the artwork for a release?

Eric: Without the art, you just have music… its fine in and of itself, but its just not a complete package in my opinion. You need something to go on visually to understand the music better… or else, you might as well get your sense of what music is by only listening to the radio… Which plenty of people do… but you don’t find those people living, breathing, eating and shitting music in their daily lives. People who do that, people like us, demand more…

Eddie: About just as important as the music… You can tell, just by looking at a bands artwork a lot about them. As much as listening to their album almost.

What is the best looking record of all times?

Eddie: That's such a hard question to answer. There are so many different records out there and they all look great on there own accord. I don’t think I could narrow it down to just one. That’s a tough one.

And what would you say is the best sounding record of all times and why?

Eric: I listen to live albums a lot, so I'd say it's a tie between "Loco Live" by the Ramones and "Runnin’ Riot across the USA" by Cock Sparrer… probably that one just for the sheer memories in helping organize the whole thing and being at all the shows and hearing the banter…  but fuck man, wait till you hear this new Ratchets album. It hasn't left my stereo since I got the first demos in January.

Eddie: The Clash's "London Calling" is so freakin' raw or Stiff Little Fingers' "Go For It"
Oh yeah, and The Lucky Stiffs & Ratchets new LP's. Fucking amazing!

Whats the best and the worst thing with having your own label/manufacturing company?

Eddie: Knowing when its time to STOP working. I mean, the more you work. The more that gets done. So you never want to take anytime off. Its something you do 24/7 even when you don’t know your doing it.

Eric: The best thing is being my own boss, working with my best friends and knowing that working 14-16hr days means more happy customers, cool releases and growth for our family… the worst, if you can use that word, is the stress of being responsible for the livelihood of my best friends.

Tell me about your next release "Under One Flag".

Eddie: Well, it’s another one of our crazy idea’s. 30 great bands from across the World on a DOUBLE LP PICTURE DISC GATEFOLD (limited edition of 1000) backed by a 6 panel digi pack CD & BONUS DVD. Everyone from – ANTI-FLAG, THE EXPLOSION, BOMBSHELL ROCKS, TH RATCHETS, LUCKY STIFFS, STREET DOGS, LOWER CLASS BRATS, THE LOVED ONES, THE SKELS, DARKBUSTER ETC. SO MANY GREAT BANDS. Check it out on the website.   www.piratespressrecords.com

Do you buy a lot of records?

Eric: Yes, but not nearly as many as we manufacture.

Eddie: Not nearly as many as I did years ago. Its probably due to the fact that we manufacture records from most of the labels that usually release what I buy..hahahaha  shhhh

Whats the latest record you bought?

Eric: The New Aggrolites record!!!

Eddie: I didn’t buy it, we pressed it but it’s the new Anti-Flag. So good. A great band with a great message.

What other labels do you like?

Eric: Labels that pay their bills ; )

Eddie: There are so many great labels out there plugging away and doing the right thing. I wouldn’t know where to start.

If you could release a record with any band at all, what band would it be?

Eric: A gatefold 7” double picture disc with The Clash bw CockSParrer and Rancid b/w The Ramones (ha.)
 
Eddie: Silly question. That would be The Clash b/w Buddy Holly & SLF as the backing band. Seriously now…

What are your plans for the future?

Eddie: Well it’s always been about getting the music out there to the people. Right? A lot of people lose sight of that at times. So, I guess my plans are just that.

What would you like to say to the ones who read this?

Eddie: Thanks to everyone who helped us along the way and be sure to check out THE RATCHETS & THE LUCKY STIFFS new CD/LPs. Sept/Oct. Support your local bands, with out them. We have nothing.


Links:

http://www.piratespress.com

http://www.piratespressrecords.com