Hiya Jack from No Nothing Records, thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today. Grab a brew and take a seat.
Thanks for joining us today…
Tell us bit about where you are from and how you got into running a label?
I grew up in Somerset and moved to London over 10 years ago. Callum grew up in Oxford and moved to London around 4 years ago. Music has always been a huge part of my life, and before starting the label I spent years working around artist tours, live shows and the wider industry, including on some major UK tours internationally. That helped me build a strong network and understand how the industry works at different levels.
At the same time, loads of my mates were trying to make things happen in grassroots music and struggling to get proper support without losing who they were creatively. Other than music always being a huge passion of mine, No Nothing Records really came from wanting to use the experience and contacts I’d built in a positive way, to create something artist-focused, long term and genuinely supportive of new artists and culture.
Where did the name No Nothing Records come from?
It’s intentionally a bit open to interpretation. We liked the contradiction of it. There’s something quite punk about the phrase and the idea that you don’t have to fit neatly into an industry mould or pretend to have all the answers.
A lot of the artists we love are figuring things out in real time, experimenting, taking risks and growing publicly. The name reflects that energy. It’s memorable, slightly confrontational and rooted in the idea that creativity doesn’t come from perfection.
There’s also a positive meaning hidden in it for us. “No Nothing” is a double negative, the idea of taking something overlooked or underestimated and turning it into something meaningful.
What’s the live music scene like in London right now?
Honestly, it still feels like one of the best cities in the world for discovering new music. Things are tough financially for a lot of venues and artists, especially at grassroots level, but there’s still loads of exciting stuff happening every night of the week.
London still offers artists real opportunity. The whole apparatus of the industry is still living and breathing in these venues, studios and communities. It feels young, alive and incredibly international. We’re constantly meeting artists from all over the world here, including people making music entirely in their own language for audiences back home.
There’s also a flexibility to London creatively. It constantly shifts and evolves, but somehow always keeps moving forward. That’s what makes it exciting.
Tell us a bit about your roster, what’s coming up?
We’ve got a really varied roster but the common thread is artists with strong identity and ambition.
This summer there’ll be new releases, new artists, more live shows, more visuals and more collaborative projects. We’re trying to build a world around the artists rather than just dropping singles into the void.
What are your ambitions for the label?
Long term, we want NNR to become a label people genuinely trust creatively. Somewhere artists can build sustainable careers without losing themselves in the process.
We’d love to grow internationally, develop a really strong live/events side and continue building a recognisable identity around the label itself.
But equally, we never want to lose the grassroots feeling. That’s really important to us. Beyond the usual line of “we care about our artists”, we want anyone who works with us to come away thinking: “That was so fun and I’m really glad I did that.”
Why do you think indie labels are still important to artists?
Because they can act as an elevator for artists at that crucial early stage. Indie labels are usually much closer to the artist’s original vision because they’ve discovered them grassroots, before things become too commercialised or diluted.
The best indie labels genuinely care about culture and artist development. There’s often more flexibility, more communication and more belief in building something long term.
What does a day look like running an indie label?
Manic, honestly. Pubs. Pints. Office. Gigs. Laughing. Friends.
One minute you’re sorting contracts or release plans, the next you’re standing in a venue watching a support band you’ve never heard of completely blow your head off.
A lot of it is relationship building. Calls, meetings, planning campaigns, talking to artists, talking to press, solving problems constantly. No two days really look the same, which is part of why I love it.
We try to enjoy ourselves as much as possible as well. We try to really live our industry rather than just treat it like work, and on top of everything else we try to see as much live music as we can.
We heard you’ve just held a showcase at The Alt Escape as part of the Great Escape, what was that like?
Brilliant and slightly chaotic in the best way possible. The atmosphere around Brighton during Great Escape is always amazing because the whole city basically turns into one giant music conversation for a few days.
For us it was a really important moment because it felt like the first proper showcase of what No Nothing is about culturally, not just individual artists, but the wider community and energy around the label.
The response was amazing and all the artists absolutely delivered live.
Did you manage to catch anyone else at the festival?
Yeah loads, that’s one of the best parts of it. You end up discovering artists by accident just wandering between pubs and venues.
There were some incredible guitar bands this year, but also loads of leftfield electronic and experimental stuff that felt really exciting. It’s good to step outside your own world a bit and see what people are creating elsewhere.
Is there any more festival plans in the works?
Definitely. Live music is a huge part of the label identity so we want to keep building that side as much as possible.
We recently held a showcase at The Victoria Dalston with The Faith Estate headlining and Billy Barreau and The Visatrons supporting, which was a brilliant night for the label. There’ll definitely be more live events, collaborations and festival appearances coming up. We want people to experience the artists properly in a live setting because that’s where a lot of this music really comes alive.
What can artists do to stand out from the crowd?
Originality, firstly. Not necessarily reinventing music completely, but having a strong sense of identity and vision that people can understand quickly. Working with an indie label should feel like a genuine partnership, where everybody is building towards the same thing together.
Artists who stand out usually know who they are, what world they’re building and who their audience is. They can articulate where they want to go and how they want to grow.
What do you look for in an artist to sign?
Drive and organisation are huge for us. Obviously talent matters, but loads of talented people never really push themselves fully.
We look for artists who feel culturally exciting and creatively authentic, but who also genuinely want to build something. The artists who usually succeed are the ones already creating momentum before anybody steps in to help.
How important is branding to your label and what defines your label?
Massively important. We want No Nothing to feel like a recognisable creative world rather than just a logo attached to releases.
Everything from artwork to visuals to live shows to the way we communicate publicly matters to us. We want people to associate the label with passion for music and art first and foremost.
I think what defines the label is authenticity. We’re not trying to manufacture scenes or personalities, we’re trying to support artists who already have something real about them.
Lastly, can you sum up what we can expect this summer from you and your artists?
A lot of noise, basically.
More releases, more gigs, more visuals, more collaborations and hopefully a few surprises too. The artists are all building momentum at the same time right now which is exciting.
I hope this summer will really feel like the point where people start understanding what No Nothing Records actually is and what we’re trying to build.
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