Labels Part 2 (Amended) | May- Sean Patrick Rhorer of Blood & Ink Records

Written By: Jeremy Seick

Over the past several months we have brought you interviews on the state of our music scene from some of the biggest names in the business, from the President of AP Magazine to the Founder and Owner of Warped Tour. (Please visit the Interview Archive to check out the past discussions!) However, if you look into the shadow of these monuments there stands an array of smaller companies and labels that allow this scene to stay alive. Often times it is these small labels, like the one we speak with today, that are a stepping stone or a building block to the next bigger thing for hundreds of bands. And other times a band will spend their days on a small label, like this one, but that is the heart of our scene and why so many love it. It is hands-on and DIY. It is basement shows and handmade fliers. Here to talk with us about this scene and the ins and outs of a small label is Sean Patrick Rhorer, Label Manager of Blood & Ink Records (Venia, Jawbone).

How long has your label existed?

Sean Patrick Rhorer: Blood & Ink Records was started around 2002 by two fellows, Jamie Nester and David “Burrito” Villalpando, who had various motives for doing it… most of all a desire to put out quality Christian music.  Those who have read Mark Solomon’s book might recognize Burrito’s name as he was a key participant in the early punk/hardcore/metal Christian scene that developed in California during the ’80s.

Burrito and Jamie have both since left the label, Burrito only a few years in and Jamie more recently, to focus on their families and “day jobs” but saw a need for the label to keep going at each passing of the torch, thus it’s now owned by Daniel White, who runs it with a good bit of help by yours truly.  I came along around 2005, helping Jamie more and more with each passing year, until Daniel took over and I took a more active role in the decision making and day-to-day operations.

What needs did they see that made them decide to start a label?

SPR: I can’t directly speak to why the label started, but I can say my own involvement stems from a personal experience of faith-based music impacting my life… bands like Zao and Five Iron Frenzy went a long way in helping to warm my teenage heart to the beliefs of Christian faith and I hope to offer the same to others.  It’s easy to get lost in the business of it all (and we encounter just that a lot in the greater “Christian market” music industry), but ultimately we could make a lot more money and have a lot more fans if we weren’t adamantly devoted to being a faith-based label… but it’s the center of everything we do and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

As a smaller label what are some of the struggles you face?

SPR: First and foremost, money.  As I alluded to in my last response, it’s really disheartening to see how much money plays a role in getting good music into the hands of people who want (and arguably need) to hear it.  This is true across the board, but especially so in the world of exclusively Christian businesses, which seems counter-intuitive if you ask me.

It’s also hard to balance doing all we can for bands while not going out of business because we try to keep up with what they think a label can/should be doing for them.  We’ve been very fortunate that pretty much every band we’ve ever dealt with has understood this and been on the same page about realistic ambitions and expectations… but it’s always at least a small point of tension for everyone involved.

What incentive do bands have to sign to your label?

SPR: Most importantly, we try really hard to put 100% behind every release/band.  We might not be the biggest or most popular label, but I can almost guarantee we’ll be the most attentive.  We’ve heard it time and time again from bands on the label who encounter bands on other labels that can’t believe our bands can call us, email us, even text us and almost always get a prompt (if not immediate response).  Bottom line, we think communication is key (as in any human relationship) and we value the access we give our bands to us.

Beyond that, I think our vision as a faith-based label, while not entirely unique, makes us stand out amongst our peers.

It’s hard to quantify exactly what makes one label “better” than another and I honestly think it’s probably a case-by-case thing. “Labels have functioned for far too long, either intentionally or accidentally, as businesses that solely saw musicians and their releases as a means to an end…”

What are some of the benefits of signing to a smaller label?

SPR: I think exactly what I said about the ease with which bands can reach us and the level of attention each band gets on a day-to-day basis.  I think about, talk to, or do something for almost every band on the label multiple times a week.  I don’t think that’d be true at other bigger labels and maybe not even at similarly sized ones.

We want to see our bands succeed and they don’t get lost in the shuffle of us trying to put out as many releases as we can and we don’t give up on them after they don’t immediately achieve some level of popularity.

Why do you think so many bands are straying away from labels?

SPR: Labels have functioned for far too long, either intentionally or accidentally, as businesses that solely saw musicians and their releases as a means to an end… “if we put out this record by this band, we’ll make a lot of money!”  That mentality has destroyed the notion that labels can (and should) be more, not to mention giving bands a fear that all labels are only out to make money off them and not actually work with them towards a common goal.

Also, I think a lot of bands (incorrectly) get confident in their abilities to do the more business/professional aspects of being a nationally recognized band.  Some definitely can and with the advent of Internet sales this has become a lot more plausible, but at the end of the day I still think 90% of bands need people with experience and devotion to take their awesome music to a wider audience.

Where do you see Blood and Ink in the future?

SPR: As big as the Super Bowl!  Just kidding… Honestly, if we continue to grow in reach and exposure, keep releasing bands/releases we can proudly stand behind, and do so without compromising our faith and beliefs, I’ll be happy.

Thanks for caring about my thoughts on these things!