Fontaines DC drummer Tom Coll has announced the launch of Inis Records, a new independent record label and online store dedicated exclusively to Irish music.
Co-founded by Coll, Michael Roe (Adebisi Shank/Richter Collective) and Faction Records' Ken Allen, Inis Records will release "landmark Irish reissues, hidden gems and new music" by emerging and established Irish artists.
The label will launch with pre-orders for Against Nature by 80s art-rock band Fatima Mansions. Other releases planned for later this year include a traditional music compilation from Coll, a Showband compilation curated by Charles Hendy of The Mary Wallopers and re-issues of select Irish LPs.
Alongside the label, the Inis store will stock Irish music of all genres, while also providing distribution and backend services for selected independent record labels.
“Inis Records is about providing an independent label infrastructure in Ireland, giving Irish music a platform to grow and create unique physical music for Irish artists," said Coll. "We want to create truly special vinyl runs, reissue some older gems and support the next wave of Irish music. Ireland needs a stronger independent music infrastructure and our goal with Inis is to achieve that.”
The timing feels right to launch this label that will shine a light on forgotten gems and support the most exciting acts we have in Ireland today
Ken Allen, Inis Records/Faction Records
The store also offers to stock releases from independent and rising artists who do not have their own distribution, as well as aiming to provide wider services to small independent labels and releasing music on their own imprint.
“Ireland has such a rich history of amazing artists and labels,” said Roe. “Over the last 30 years though, we have relied heavily on infrastructure from outside the country. We hope Inis Records can help build a stronger independent music infrastructure here, giving a generation of new artists and labels the support they need to grow their businesses in Ireland, while reaching audiences internationally.”
In addition to new releases, Inis Records will champion "overlooked albums, thoughtfully selected, often out of print reissues, and artists that the founders believe deserve renewed attention from today’s listeners".
“I’ve worked in the Irish music industry for many years and each year there are so many brilliant new artists that emerge onto the scene,” added Allen, whose Faction Records is home to the likes of Sorcha Richardson, James Vincent McMorrow and Niamh Regan “The timing feels right to launch this label that will shine a light on forgotten gems and support the most exciting acts we have in Ireland today.”
