Label Feature #4: Paper Bag Records

Since launching in September 2002, Toronto-based Paper Bag Records have continuously evolved and innovated as the music industry has undergone a revolution, resulting in their status today as one of Canada’s premier record labels.

The team at Precision Record Pressing have had the pleasure of working with Paper Bag Records since our plant opened in 2016, delivering countless projects and even collaborating on a few limited releases along the way. The label has developed a reputation among music lovers for elevating the careers of young Canadian artists and bands, as well as being an ever-reliable source for quality new music.

We spoke with owner Trevor Larocque and label director Tory Cassis about the early days of the label, the cultural shifts in vinyl record buying, as well as what the future holds for the industry veterans.

Paper Bag Records was founded by three friends in 2002. What was the catalyst for starting a new record label?

Trevor: The three of us met at the MTV Canada launch party in 2000. We all worked for different companies, we didn’t know each other, and we were just joking around that night about starting our own record label; like what it would be like, what we would call it. Then the next day I got an email being like “were you maybe serious?” Our biggest influence at the time was Three Gut Records, who had signed Constantines and Cuff the Duke, and seemed to be building a label identity specific to Guelph. I was selling their records through Outside Music and had been following what they’d been doing. Based on their success, we decided to do something similar; sign some Toronto bands and make a platform for a sound that isn’t really being represented yet. The label I admired most was Sub Pop; I wanted to be the Canadian Sub Pop.

Two of the label’s early signings were Stars and Broken Social Scene (whose second-ever release went on to win a JUNO award in 2003). Did the very early success come with any new pressure/challenges, or did it make discovering and signing new talent easier?

Trevor: No, the landscape became much more competitive. I saw Stars at NXNE and immediately wanted to work with them, and Broken Social Scene came on board around the same time. When we first started the label, there weren’t that many labels interested in the same acts as us, but with the initial success of Stars and Broken Social Scene, people started to pay attention. Shortly after that labels like Arts & Crafts and Dine Alone Records started and the scene started to change.

The label has been consistently releasing quality music ever since, with an incredible four albums making the Polaris Music Prize long-list in 2011. What does the team look for in new signings to the label, is there a formula you follow?

Trevor: Something new that we haven’t done before; no artist on the label is alike.

All Paper Bag releases feature a distinctive printed obi on the left hand side of the record jacket. This is a unique feature, what originally inspired this aesthetic?

Trevor: My trips to Japan. I liked the idea of giving the listener a little more information about the record before they hear it; there is so much music out there, so if we can give someone who has never heard the record before a little more to work with, then why not?

How has the label adapted to the cultural shift within the vinyl record market, now with a greater focus on collectible items and special colors/effects?

Tory: I think Paper Bag has always had a keen interest in cultivating a space where music lovers turn for compelling and diverse indie music. With vinyl as an increasingly important format for collectors, it’s been a priority to invest the time and energy in creating physical releases that are distinct and exciting. The colours, materials and effects available, create a unique opportunity for both the aesthetic experience but also the limited edition collectability of each pressing.

Trevor: We’re finding our place; we always do limited edition pressings with interesting colours and effects.

What does 2020 hold in store for Paper Bag Records?

Tory: Paper Bag has an exciting year planned. With a half-dozen new full-length releases expected from Paper Bag artists in 2020, we are also hard at work on as many vinyl reissues via the Paper Bag Vintage imprint. These will include some of Paper Bag’s favorite early releases as well as some exciting Canadian titles that haven’t been available on vinyl for some time.

For more information about the label and releases visit paperbagrecords.com.