PropertyOfZack is honored to be announcing a brand new label called Cardinal White Records. The label was started by Jess Abbott (Now, Now, Tancred) and is being given a helping hand by Cacie Dalager (Now, Now). We did a brand new Label Talk feature with Jess to discuss why she started the label, the aesthetics behind it, how it will function, artists that are already set to release material on the label, and so much more. You can check out the website for Cardinal White here, and find contact information for Jess here and Cacie here. Read up and find out all the details!

Today we’re introducing Cardinal White Records to the world. Can you explain who is behind the creation of the brand new label?
The idea for the label came from myself. I wanted a way to release music for my own project, Tancred, that was cost efficient and didn’t require touring. From there sprang the idea that I could involve other bands who were in the same boat as me, or in a similar boat. I have created it as a label for bands who either aren’t touring for whatever reason but still want to release music, or bands who could add to the community I’m assembling. The label, Cardinal White, will function more as a collective. It’s still a label, but like anything, it’s starting out small and based on community. 

What will Cacie from Now, Now’s role be for the label, if any?
Well initially the label was intended only for my own music, but after I decided to expand it, I realized I’d need someone to help out with all the work. Cacie had been with me while I was creating a layout for the label, and she had extremely helpful input. She made a lot of really good suggestions that may not have existed without her ideas. In the end it just makes sense to have Cardinal White be a collaborative effort between the two of us. For now we’re both carrying the same kind of work load; handling everything as a whole. I’m sure as the label develops we will have more defined individual roles, but for now it’s just an equal collaboration. 

Is there a significance behind the name of the label?
The name is a compound of a play on the names of both sides of my family. 

Was Cardinal White started due to unhappiness with other labels? If not, where did the inspiration behind it come from?
No, not in any way! My own music was first released through No Sleep Records, and I have nothing but good things to say about that label. Chris has always been the nicest person, and extremely supportive of the music that Cacie and I have both released with him. The only reason I’m not releasing my solo music with him is because it’s more cost efficient for both parties if I release the music myself for the time being, since I can’t tour solo at this time. It’s really hard a for a full time label with a large roster (like No Sleep) to benefit from a project that literally never tours. And from that came the birth of my own label.

Would you say that the label has some sort of mission in terms of what it’s looking to do and whom it’s looking to work with?
We are fully expecting the ‘mission’ of the label to expand and develop as more time passes and more releases are out, but for the time being one could say the mission of the label is to release and promote bands not based on their individual releases, but on their image as a band and the direction of their music. We plan for Cardinal White to be very fluid in how it is portrayed to the public, and consistent in the quality of the music it supports. 

We’ve spoken about the label having a consistent aesthetic balance. Can you open up about that a little bit more?
Like the above answer, we are expecting everything to expand and develop. For now we are aligning our image with a very clean, simple design. In this way we can accent the bands involved and make them the prime focus.

You’ll be stressing a strong sense of community with the label. What early artists and bands will we be seeing in this community?We’re actually extremely happy with our current roster. As of now we will be working with Tancred, Age of Rockets, The Little Indians, Humaana, and Brad from Now, Now’s solo project called Sombear. These are all projects that come from all different areas and can benefit from that as a community under one label. None of these projects are able to tour right now, so Cardinal White is a great outlet for them to release music and have a focus built around the actual music itself. All of these projects also have an aesthetic that we feel compliments the label’s current image. 

Has most of the community been built off of bands that Now, Now has toured with at this point? How do you see it expanding in the future?
We’ve actually only toured with members of one of the bands, The Little Indians. Cacie and I toured with them this past winter during the Hellogoodbye tour. One of the members actually plays guitar with Hellogoodbye right now. As for the other projects, Cacie and I are friends with most of the people involved, so we understand what the artists are trying to achieve, as well as what they can contribute to Cardinal White’s sense of community. Maybe this will open a door to one day touring with them. Or in future tours we may meet more people who have a project that would fit well with Cardinal White. 

Is there a certain sort of genre you’re aiming to work with?
I wouldn’t say there is a specific genre as much as a general look and feel. Consistency in both music and image are things we look for in a project. I mean one could generalize and say we are working with “indie” bands, but that could include so many different branches. Currently the projects are working with are a blend of indie pop, indie rock, and electronic pop. 

The label is meant to be for both touring and non-touring artists however, right?
Yes, absolutely. A couple of projects we have in the works are currently touring bands, or soon to be touring. Although the label was created as place for non-touring artists to release music, we are still completely open to artists who tour. 

Will releases be strictly digital for now? Are you hoping to expand into physical releases as well in the future?
Yes, for now releases will be going through Bandcamp. Once the label begins expanding, more releases will be available digitally in a wider array of companies. Eventually we will reach a point where physical releases will make more sense for us to work with. 

You will obviously be taking the label seriously, but you also have commitments with Now, Now. How do you plan on promoting releases for the bands on Cardinal White?
Touring with Now, Now I think can only beneficial for the artists of Cardinal White. Touring will function as an always-open-door for the company, as we will constantly be meeting people and new artists. Also we have a lot of down time in the van during our long drives, so that time can be well spent on promoting Cardinal White bands. 

When can we start expecting to see releases from the label whether it be Tancred, The Little Indians, or someone else?
The first official release on the label will be the new Tancred EP on November 29th. The Little Indians are currently planning quite a few releases that will hopefully be announced shortly. Brad from Now, Now’s solo project Sombear will hopefully see its first release early next year. 

And pushing into 2012, should we be seeing semi-constant releases as well?
Absolutely. Early 2012 should see quite a few Cardinal White releases. 

What other plans do you have for the label within the next year or so?
I think the general plan is to just keep adapting artists that fit in the community and promote their music. Eventually we will expand to physical releases.