Electric Honey (label)

Electric Honey was founded in 1992 and is Glasgow Kelvin College's in-house record label run by Ken McCluskey (The Bluebells), Douglas MacIntyre (Creeping Bent)[1] and formerly Alan Rankine (The Associates) along with students from the HNC/D Music Business course. The label celebrated its 25th year in 2017 with many events including the release of the debut album "Any Joy" from Scottish six-piece indie rock band; "Pronto Mama."

Electric Honey
Parent companyGlasgow Kelvin College
Founded1992
FounderStow College
Distributor(s)Cargo
GenreAlternative
Country of originUnited Kingdom
LocationGlasgow, Scotland
Official websiteElectric Honey

The label was described by Uncut magazine as being "The most successful student-run label in the world",[2] thanks to the history of artists having releases with the imprint, including Belle & Sebastian, Snow Patrol and Biffy Clyro. The 2012 album 'Self Help' by Young Aviators became the biggest selling CD album in the labels history. [3]

Affiliate labels were also run under Electric Honey for a period of time. Gdansk, which released electronic-based artists and Root 8 which specialised in world music.

Early years

The label was founded by staff at Stow College with the idea of creating a platform for students in the HNC/D Music Business course, to gain the experience of working firsthand with record company operations, while also having a hand in the creation of a thriving music scene within Scotland by releasing local artists. The first release was in 1993 with Baby Chaos, later known as Deckard, and their Buzz EP.[4] Baby Chaos would then go on to receive considerable recognition from their releases with their 1996 album Love Your Self Abuse, being named one of Kerrang!'s 100 Greatest British Rock Albums Ever.[5] The 1995 release of The Moondials, featured Stevie Jackson on guitar, who would go on to join Belle & Sebastian alongside Stuart Murdoch later that year.

1996/2000

Belle and Sebastian

Electric Honey's first success came with the release of the label's first album release in 1996, Belle & Sebastian's Tigermilk, named after a track originally written for, but left out from, the album. Formed by Stuart Murdoch and Stuart David, later joined with Stevie Jackson, Belle & Sebastian formed in Glasgow in early 1996, recording their first demos in Stow College. Murdoch was involved early on with the University of Glasgow's Subcity Radio. Originally limited to 1000 copies on Electric Honey, the album was picked up by Jeepster Records who re-released it in 1999, and is now often cited as a classic influential album,[6] with "The State I Am In" being placed at number 17 on Pitchfork Media's top 200 tracks of the 1990s.[7] Belle and Sebastian recently played a special gig at Winfield House- the London residence of the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Snow Patrol

Originally called Polarbear, Snow Patrol are the most successful of Electric Honey's signings having sold ten million albums worldwide. The band formed in Glasgow while front-man Gary Lightbody worked in the Glasgow venue Nice 'n' Sleazys. Starfighter Pilot came five years before their big selling[8] album Final Straw, and featured Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch on piano and backing vocals.

Starfighter Pilot was later featured on the band's debut album Songs for Polarbears and re-released as a single through Jeepster Records.

Biffy Clyro

Biffy Clyro were signed to the label while they were students at Stow College. In 2000, they released their debut EP Thekidswhopoptodaywillrocktomorrow through Electric Honey, featuring the tracks "57" and "Justboy". Both tracks reappeared on the band's debut album release, Blackened Sky, through Beggars Banquet Records.

Label Timeline
Artist/BandYearRelease
Baby Chaos1993Buzz EP
Eight Miles High1993Go Single
The Moondials1995Can You See? Single
Belle and Sebastian1996Tigermilk Album
Polar Bear (Snow Patrol)1997Starfighter Pilot Single
Flow1998I Can Love You Single
Rob (Rayon) Alexandra1999Crystal Ball Single
Biffy Clyro2000Thekidswhopoptodaywillrocktomorrow EP
Pupkin2001Morning Light EP
Policechief2002Coup De Grace Single
Odeon Beatclub2003Behind My Eyes Single
Poor Old Ben2004Another Day EP
Clearfall2005Sculpt.Paint.Sketch Single
How to Swim2006The Little Orgasm EP
Various Artists2007Thank you for being you Album
Wake The President2007Sorrows for Clothes Single

Mail, Alice Single
Remember Fun Single
I'm Sorry Single
Miss Tierney Single
You Can't Change That Boy Single
You Can't Change That Boy Album
Elaine Single

State Broadcasters2008The Ship and the Iceberg Album

Let's Male T-shirts Single

Je Suis Animal2008Fortune Map Single
The Kingfishers2008Make Me Sad Single
Woodenbox with a Fistful of Fivers2010Home and the Wildhunt Album

Besides The point Single
Twisted Mile Single

White Heath20107.38 am Single

Take No Thought for Tomorrow
GG Single
When the Watchmen Leave their Station Single

French Wives2011Numbers Single

Dream of the Inbetween
Younger

Miniature Dinosaurs2011Fight or Flight Single
Young Aviators2012The Question Is? Single

Self Help

Alex Hynes2013Slow Your Breath EP
Harry and the Hendersons2013Give Me Proof Single
Schnarff Schnarff2014Schnarff Schnarff EP
Apache Sun2015Apache Sun EP
Finn Le Marinel2015Love is Waves EP
Yacouba Sissoko2015Ti Mangala Ki Album
Be Charlotte2016Discover Single
Sunshine Social2016Reduce to Dust Album
The Claramassa2016Being Alive EP
Pronto Mama2017Arabesque Single

Any Joy

Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5 2018 Peace, Love & Mustard EP
Toni Woods 2018 Better Man Single
The Nickajack Men 2018 Changed Ways Single
Flew The Arrow 2019 Come The Wind, Come The Rain Single
Nicol & Elliott 2019 Wish You'd Stayed Away Single

Sweet Downfall Single

Chris Greig & The Merchants 2019 Colours Single

Lipstick EP

Toni Woods 2019 I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend Single

Gdansk

Artists

Compilations
  • Lato 001 (2003)
  • Lato 002 (2004)
  • Lato 003
  • Lato 004
  • Lato 005 (2006)

Albums
  • Mellow Sub Machine – Los Machinos Mellos (2005)

Root 8

Artists
  • Koshka
  • Mungo's Hi-Fi
  • Lee Patterson
  • Red Road Global Music Collective
  • Zuba
  • Roddy Hart

Discography
  • Welcome (2005)

See also

References
  1. "The Creeping Bent Organisation". Creepingbent.org. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  2. "Belle And Sebastian Say Thank You". Uncut. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  3. "The Scotsman Sessions #355: Declan McKay". The Scotsman.
  4. Fulton, Rick (24 May 2013). "Student label Electric Honey celebrates 20th anniversary after launching some of the biggest bands in UK music". Dailyrecord.co.uk. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  5. "Kerrang! – 100 British albums by the readers". Muzieklijstjes.nl. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  6. "Tigermilk". Belle and Sebastian. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  7. "Staff Lists: The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 20-01 | Features". Pitchfork. 3 September 2010. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  8. "Final Straw | Get Snow Patrol". Getsnowpatrol.wordpress.com. 4 August 2003. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
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