Partisan Records GM, international Jeff Bell has told Music Week that the label is planning to continue its golden era with new signings after winning the Independent Record Company category at the Music Week Awards.
The label has just announced the signing of New York-based songwriter Aerial East as it looks to follow the breakout successes of Idles and Fontaines DC.
Partisan has also enjoyed international success across two albums with Cigarettes After Sex, while the first product of its JV with Chrysalis Records, Laura Marling’s Song For Our Daughter, is up for the Mercury Prize this week.
“We have some new projects launching in the next few months that we’re very excited about,” said Bell. “And like everyone else, we’re hopeful that the live sector gets back on its feet before too long so we can continue to grow these artists’ audiences and experience these records as they were meant to be experienced.”
In a new interview for our new, Music Week Awards 2020 speical edition, Bell reflected on the strangeness this year has brought with it.
“For a lot of labels, especially in the independent sector, survival has been the main objective, so any recognition on top of that is a welcome bonus” he said. “At the same time, independent labels have always managed to use periods of significant disruption to quickly adapt and grow, and being nominated alongside so many that we love and respect is something we can feel proud of.”
Indie labels use periods of significant disruption to quickly adapt and grow
Jeff Bell, Partisan Records
Bell heads up the label’s London operation, working alongside creative director Theresa Adebiyi, international product managers Ellie Rumbold and Emma Snook and global coordinator Jake Crossland (all pictured above). He said Partisan’s roster is what really makes the label tick.
“To put it simply, it’s the artists we work with,” he said. “We also have an incredible team, and we’ve all been fortunate enough to grow together over the last few years alongside those artists. The fact that everyone has been operating from their respective living rooms and kitchen tables during recent months is a testament to all involved, and the communities we are a part of.”
Bell paid further tribute to team Partisan and highlighted the fact that staff had to act fast to change long-established release plans.
“We saw the entire team adapt quickly to what it means to release a record in 2020,” he said. “Whether that’s bringing a release forward five months (Laura Marling) or going back to the drawing board on entire campaigns (Fontaines DC and Idles), and still seeing positive results. The past year has also given us a chance to reflect on how we operate as a company and where we can continue to do better, and that’s never a bad thing.”
Revisit our 2019 cover story with Partisan Records here. Read the full interview in the new edition of Music Week, out now.
PHOTO: Chantal Azari
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