All about Sotones...
Sotones (say: 'sew-tonez') is an independent record label.
Based in Southampton, we're also a musicians' collective, a co-operative and a not-for-profit Comunity Interest Clause company.
We exist because we think that artists' interests are best served by working together, because we all understand each other much better than any suits ever could. Sorry, suits...
That said, we aim to make the best music we can, and promote and distribute it as effectively as possible to reach the widest possible audience for our members' efforts. Our artists have had national radio airplay in the UK, and online and print coverage in publications like Kerrang!, Rock Sound, The Fly, Drowned In Sound, Kruger Magazine, Artrocker, Whispermag and Nightshift to name but a few.
We always have jobs that need doing, from the mundane to the magnificent. So if you feel you would like to get involved, please see the jobs page.
Sotones is a member of AIM, Co-Ops UK, PPL and PRS/MCPS.
Our music is distributed by Bleak Mouse / 7Digital / Direct mail order
A little History
Sotones started a few years ago as a promotions company formed to put on nights so that we didn't get stiffed for cash, could put our mates from round Southampton and further afield on, and get our housemates in for free.
After a while we realised that we were lucky enough to have a great bunch of mates in bands that all made amazing music, and decided it might be a good idea to try and work together to promote each other. Following a chaotic, sublime night of partying at Kitson (Sotones' locum London pad) and a chance meeting with some hotshot legal types, we realised setting up a record label might not be so hard after all.
We drew up a list of our mates' bands, and were chuffed to bits when nearly everyone agreed to give us tracks and help out. Over a frantic few months some people mastered CDs, others drew or laid out artwork, made posters, or assembled mountains of CDs by hand. Finally in August last year we put out our first full-length release, the 'Vol.11' sampler, with great reviews. We have also re-issued members' EPs and have several more in the pipeline this year.
