Posted by: detourmag on November 12, 2007 at 9:00 am
As Kim Ware tells it, starting a record label is as easy as having known or been in a few bands, and having access to a laptop and some stamps. Wait, it kind of is that easy. Eskimo Kiss, the imprint Ware runs out of her Wilmington, N.C. home (and computer), is an indie in the great tradition of that word — tiny but determined, a happily regional aesthetic, relationships with artists that came out of friendships and a collective desire to put out great records. In other words, Eskimo Kiss isn’t upstreaming its artists to Irv Gotti over at The Inc./Universal. Then again, it would be kind of awesome to see the Glaciers touring with Ja Rule. Ware gives us the lowdown on Eskimo Kiss and her love of John Mayer in the latest edition of Meet & Greet. — Thomas Rooker White
Who runs the label?
I run the label. Currently it’s pretty much a one-woman operation, although occasionally my friends are kind enough to help me stuff envelopes, set up shows, etc.
Where is the label located? Describe your digs…
Atlanta, Ga. It started in Wilmington, N.C., but then I moved here a few years ago. Anything related to EKR operations happens in my house; CDs are stored in my basement and most of the day-to-day occurs via my trusty MacBook.
How did the label get its start? Its name?
I started it in Jan of 2000 as a vehicle to release my band, Pacer’s music. The story around starting it is pretty crazy actually; I went to Vegas and hit the jackpot on a quarter slot machine (no joke). So we used that money to release the Pacer CD, then shortly after a compilation of some of our favorite bands. Through years of playing shows around the southeast I came in contact with so many talented bands that it was just a matter of time before I started releasing some of my friends’ stuff too. The name was inspired by my mom, who taught me to “eskimo kiss” when I was younger. For whatever reason it just stuck with me; I found it very innocent and endearing. At the time I also had a wonderful dog Pepper, who used to eskimo kiss my cat Snowden. So it was a combination of the two that made me think of the name, and surprisingly it wasn’t already taken.
How many releases do you issue a year, on average?
Just 1-2. This is a really small label, and I’ve gotten to a point where I sort of feel like I need to keep it that way. I’m getting married (in a week!), plus enrolling in school in the spring…basically, I’m getting older, and my priorities are changing. I’m content with just keeping it as a hobby and doing what I can when I can.
True or false: Digital downloads are okay, but 7″’s are cooler…
Hmm…. that’s tough. I guess 7″’s definitely win on the cool factor, but I can’t help but appreciate the convenience of digital downloads. I fought it for a while, because I wanted that personal experience of reading the liner notes, etc., but damn I love my iPod. I did release my first 7″ earlier this year though, so I suppose I’m trying to keep a foot in the past and one in the future. From a label standpoint I find it exciting that for now anyway, you really can have the best of both worlds. The Preakness 7″ is also on all the download sites, so everyone’s a winner!
Favorite label besides your own…
At the moment it’s probably Hush Records out of Portland. I’m pretty obsessed with the west coast, largely because of the music that comes out of there. Hush has put out some amazing stuff recently, like Novi Split and Amy Annelle… I just really like their aesthetic and consistency. For some of the same reason Merge has always been a favorite too, and was a big inspiration when I was first starting the label.
Favorite record ever…
Probably Spoon’s Girls Can Tell. This was the record that turned me on to the band, and I venture to say they haven’t made one as consistently good since. For the first six or so months I had it, I just couldn’t stop listening to it.
Favorite movie ever…
Little Miss Sunshine. When I first saw it I just remember thinking it really was the perfect movie. It had everything. It moved along very quickly, made me laugh, made me cry, a ridiculously good ensemble cast…just fantastic.
Vegetarian or carnivore?
I turned vegetarian just about a year ago.
Your guiltiest pleasure. The thing no one would believe you watch, read,
or listen to…
Wow I’ve got a LOT of these. I am a sucker for bad reality television, or really just bad television in general. I have to think pretty hard all day for my day job, so when I come home at night the last thing I want to watch is something educational. So I really do enjoy shows like “The Hills”; that’s my latest TV guilty pleasure. Music-wise, I still love Hall & Oates, although it seems like they are kinda popular amongst indie rockers anyway. My guiltiest pleasure is probably John Mayer. I’ve seen him a few times and really do enjoy his music.
[tags]Eskimo Kiss Records, Preakness, Kim Ware[/tags]
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[...] eskimo kiss profile on Detour Mag.com + back to reality The online magazine “Detour” was kind enough to post a meet & greet with me — check it out here. [...]