Label Feature #5: Stratford Ct.
By Simon Daley
Stratford Ct. is a record label that you might not know, but probably should. Founded in 2014, the chill label based in Del Mar, California exhibits a level of craft well beyond their years.
The label first popped up on our radar when they were searching for a pressing plant for a project by Portland-based Hotel Pools. A quick dive into their social media channels and catalog on Spotify and I was instantly a fan! As a full service pressing plant that handles both vinyl records and printed jackets we love a label that places a strong emphasis on their aesthetics as well as putting out great music. In it’s relatively young history, SCT has shown a level of consistency that would make many more-established labels green with envy. I recently caught up with founder Andrew Walker to learn more about the Californian outfit and their process for releasing new music.
You launched Stratford Ct. in 2014 with a release by Oklahoma-based AIRGLOW. What was the inspiration for starting a label?
The inspiration for starting Stratford Ct. as a label was to have a place for my friends and I to release our own music. At the time, we would hang out at the “Stratford house” in Del Mar religiously. It was the epicenter for chillin’, partying, having jam sessions and the home of my good friends Caleb & Ryan. It was 50 yards from the beach and embodied the spirit and vibe that I try to replicate in our releases.
You’ve been consistently releasing new music since launching six years ago. What’s your process for discovering new music and artists?
There are a few ways I find new artists, but most of them stem from Soundcloud. When the label started, it was easy to just stumble upon a new artist you had never heard of. Then, for a while, it became super hard to find new music through Soundcloud. Once they introduced their “Soundcloud Weekly” and “The Upload” features, finding new music has gotten a little better. Most of my finds come from looking through what other artists that I like have liked.
What’s one piece of advice that you would give to someone wanting to start a new label in 2020?
Just do it. Ideally you have your own niche in mind, I think it’s cool when you see a new label emerge and they have their own taste and style. I think it’s beneficial to have a focus, I love knowing the style of music a label is offering so that I know where to go to find that style. That way, if you release something almost no one has heard of (but has a similar sound to what people are used to you putting out), your core fan base will be more likely to be into it. A good example of this that comes to mind is 100% Electronica, I am a big fan of what they do.
Artwork and design is clearly an important element of your releases, with you personally handling graphic design duties for most projects. Where do you pull inspiration from for the label’s striking aesthetics?
I’d say it’s a mix of blogs & Instagram. There is a tumblr page called Palm & Laser that posts a lot of vintage artwork, mainly within the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s aesthetics which I am particularly drawn to. I draw a lot of inspiration from old school airbrush images, Memphis Milano style art, and vintage VHS and cassette designs. As far as Instagram goes, I look up to artists like Robert Beatty, Mikey Burey, Clay Hickson, and tons of others.
Your recent releases have taken advantage of some of our multi-color vinyl effects. At what stage do you begin to think about the effect/color that you’ll pair with the artwork?
Choosing the color for the vinyl has probably become my favorite part of the process. Occasionally I will have an idea about colors when I’m close to finishing the artwork, but for the most part I choose the colors at the end of the design process. I try to pick colors that will complement the album artwork.
Which three releases have been important or unexpected milestones for the label since you launched?
Stratford Ct. – Amicus Curiae. This compilation was our very first digital-only release. It was basically a huge mashup of all the styles we wanted to showcase (synthwave, chillwave, vaporwave, future funk, nu disco) and the response blew us out of the water.
Airglow – Memory Bank. This is a definite milestone for Stratford Ct. One of our best received albums to date and first Stratford Ct. album released on vinyl. We did this album through a crowdfunding campaign on Qrates and the response was better than I could have imagined. This kinda opened my eyes to the idea of pressing more vinyl in the future.
Hotel Pools – Fall ‘18. This was the first official vinyl project run through a pressing plant (Precision Record Pressing). It sold out in less than 24 hours and we’ve done 3 runs of this album. The music Hotel Pools puts out is amazing, it’s no wonder the albums sell out so quickly. I thank Ben because with the confidence I gained from pressing this album, I’ve been able to press a handful of others. This was the album that opened the door. It was also the beginning of our amazing relationship with Precision Record Pressing – big thanks to Tristen!
What can we expect from Stratford Ct. later in 2020?
More vinyl! We have an album releasing April 10th from Fertita and another from Memorex Memories on May 1st. Both on colored wax. I have a couple other pressings in mind from some of our earlier catalog that never received the vinyl treatment. I am very excited for the rest of the year.
For more information about the label and releases visit stratfordct.bandcamp.com.