Sufficient Fest

In the ongoing search at JoP for interesting people and news, we sat down with 2 of the 3 founders of Sufficient Records. Read on to find out more about this start-up record company that is just good enough!

What or who is the driving force behind Sufficient records?
Joe: Me and Grey, w/ a little help from our friends. The bands make it "real".

Grey: Before we get started I want to announce that Tony Scumbag is retiring from the music business.

Describe an average Sufficient business day.
J: I usually gchat Grey about our future plans for the label which include uploading mp3 files to our myspace, sufficientrecords.bandcamp.com, and archive.org.

G: Tony made it clear that he is “exhausted” but stresses that every note was played “strictly for the fans.”

Do you actively go out and recruit talent from around the area?
J: We like to keep a strict separation between artistes and the TEAM by communicating solely through digital avenues. It's a lot less messy this way when we decide to drop an artist from our roster.

G: Yeah we do that occasionally, you’ll see us a lot at the Horseshoe Inn or the Wildhorse and while we do have a lot of fun at these events there is definitely a business aspect to it as well.

What are defining characteristics of Sufficient bands? How would I know when I hear a Sufficient band?
J: innovative, unique, bold, funny, fresh, WOW! (it hits you). We have a large variety of talent on our label: from lo-fi introspective indie rock, to polished electronic and even stand-up comedy!

G: We love harmonizing vocals, I don’t want to say it’s a must-have to join our team but it does go a long way when we are sifting through all the stuff we get. Our music usually has a crisp Phil Collins CD-ROM sound to it which is territory that really hasn’t been explored since “Sports”.

What bands that you have played in over the years have influenced you the most?

G: Sugar Ray/Kansas

What bands outside of Sufficient do you take the most inspiration from?

G: I can’t tell you how many times each day I look at Joe and say “That’s what we should do” (laughs). How many times does that happen man, like a thousand? I guess what I’m saying is everything inspires us, from a lightning strike to a great Lisa Loeb single to the click of a mouse.

In Seattle, what do you find is the best club to play music at?

G: Ace’s Horseshoe Inn, Crazy Horse Tavern, The Barnhouse, Horses Wild, The Wild Horsehead…you want me to pick one??

In this era of home recording and distributing local music, other start-ups like Sufficient have emerged (ie: Sufficient Records). How do you distinguish yourself from these other competitors?

G: I know what you’re fishing for here and I won’t play along. I have such a deep respect for those guys and the sound they’re going for and seriously, we only want the best for them and their bands.

What are the biggest accomplishments of Sufficient to date?

J: T-Shirts (thanks Jake), putting out 6 damn fine releases, including a compilation CD which includes artists from NC-WA-NY, one of our alums (Patrick Wimberly of Chairlift) getting signed to Universal Records, and last but not least, our Angelfire page.

G: Joe would disagree with me on this but I thought the Sufficient Records/Tostito’s Baja 500 “Race to the Place” rally event was a big success. Meeting Ivan “Ironman” Stewart was a childhood dream of mine.

What is the biggest time of year for Sufficient on the whole?

J: Summertime, when the livin' is easy; the gin and tonics start flowin' and the podcasts follow.

G: Autumn, that’s when the leaves are all different colors and falling off the trees. Our artists are into that stuff.

Many Sufficient band members cross over to help each other out on other ensemble or solo projects. What cross-overs would you like to see happen?

J: "Zach Wood and Tony Scumbag Take Manhattan".

G: I feel like you want me to talk about Professor Longhair’s Fanclub. It’s a shame that can’t continue (since Tony is retiring). Joe is a real professional and it’s no accident that he’s ended up where he is today.

On the subject of upcoming collaborations, Tripp’s Steakhouse has offered us a very generous sum to record a 30 second jingle for them. The only caveat is it must include the phrase “We’re gonna get our Tripp’s on tonight!” at some point, which is not ideal but we’ll take it. I see this as a great opportunity for SEAARCH to show us that we made the right choice in our long term commitment to him.

What do you feel has the most power in promoting shows?

J: We don't promote shows.

G: I wish I could tell you it was easy Susan, but it’s a real struggle. While web sites like Angelfire have opened a lot of doors, we are seeing our Compact Disc sales slip noticeably on almost a daily basis. Labels like Sufficient rely on “big box” stores like Tower Records and Circuit City to stay in business. You wouldn’t believe the number of good artists, really talented guys, that have come to us with a “dope product” but we’ve had to say “thanks but no thanks” because programs like LimeWire are killing our retailers and we can’t afford to take them on. It just really makes me sad to see our industry in the state that it is. You wouldn’t steal a car, would you? Then why would you steal music?

Does Sufficient have any concert festivals in its future (something like/similar to TrekkyFest)?

J: Sufficient Fest WILL happen!

G: Jake is always walking around saying “cross-promotion” (still waiting for a good explanation on that) so we tend to focus more on rally racing and balloon festivals.

What social causes and projects does Sufficient currently participate in?

G: We’ve never really been in that arena. Our main focus is to put out the best product we can, and giving to charity does nothing to help us achieve that goal. In fact, it would make it more difficult. But we are very charitable to those in our inner circle. Take me for example- I’m literally the happiest person I’ve ever met.

What websites do you visit on a daily basis?

G: I really like what’s happening here at JOP. Also, Joe’s blog Nice Guys Last Finish. Sometimes I even check Hi Fever. And Corey Bell is starting a blog next week that I’m really excited about.

What is your goal with Sufficient podcasts? How do you keep them "fresh"?
J: Seagram's Gin, lot's of sound effects, jokes, etc.

Of course numbers don't matter, but what do you consider to be a good show for your bands?
J: Depends - did the crowd leave feeling confused?

G: We need to get at least 100 people at 10 bucks a head, otherwise we lose money.

Thanks guys! It's been fun!

J: Check out our Myspace for FREE downloads of all of our records and look out for SUFFICIENT TV!

G: This was a lot of fun, thanks.