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FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH - SEPTEMBER 2005
Zunior.com - the little label (www.zunior.com)
By sin_baldy
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!e - Zunior's online ordering system is convenient & user friendly - is the format of the label modeled after any other online labels? Are there any other online labels that have influenced the evolution of Zunior?? What are your thoughts on the current state & future of online music labels & distributors? Are we just seeing the tip of the iceberg?
Mike O'NeillDU - Tip of the iceberg...definitely. You'll see many many more cool things like Zunior coming along. I'm a technology guy in my day job, so that is what really tipped me to the possibilities. We use open source software to make our system cheap, easy, and simple...and we pass every bit of savings on to the fans and the bands. You can't find another label in the world where the music is cheaper AND the band makes more money per sale. I dare someone to find something out there. The main Zunior influences are labels with integrity like Dischord. They are a true original and live independence. I
also really like Bad Man Recordings out of San Fran. The online labels that influence Zunior are mostly electronica labels. They are the one that really have people that make music digitally, sell digitally, and listen digitally. Indie rock is getting there slowly.
!e - What are your impressions of the state DIY/independent music in Canada today? Do online labels like Zunior serve as a catalyst for creativity to flourish and make it ways on to the airwaves of local & campus/community radio stations? What can online labels achieve that traditional labels cannot?
The Scribbled Out ManDU - Online labels have much lower costs, far greater reach, and less restriction. That is a petri dish for creativity if I've ever seen one. You'll see some really cool stuff coming from labels like Zunior. Campus radio has always influence me and will continue to. True independence and open minds.
!e - What was the biggest initial obstacle that the label had to overcome in order to get up and running? What has been the label's biggest achievement to date?
DU - The biggest obstacle was stabilizing the technology. We still have work to do, but it really works quite well on its own these days. This is very new stuff, and computers are hard to figure out, even for people that use them every day. Too many things can go wrong usually, but familiarity is growing. I hope more and more people are up for giving it a shot. Some people also don't trust credit cards online, but we're honest really!
Jill BarberThe biggest achievement has probably getting Mike's record out around the world. It almost never happened and I'm really glad he did it because people have been so into it. Other that that, we've proven that a digital label can be done. No matter what happens, we really pulled it off.
Zunior radio has been pretty popular, as have our videos. I love that we were really the first digital label that I know of to include album art.
!e - What lies in store for the immediate future of Zunior? New releases? Exciting new projects?
Rheostatics-Double LiveDU - I'm excited about my Egger project. This me writing the songs and singing, playing guitar and keyboards with a band comprised of the members of the Scribbled Out Man. This will be out in the fall. I'm really happy with it. New records coming soon from Mike O, Al Tuck and hopefully The Wooden Stars. I'd love to hook up with some international labels too.
!e - What lies in store for the long-term future of the label?
DU - New technologies. I want to make sure we are at the forefront of new technologies like streaming, higher density music files, video, and art. We're always brewing up something new, and a bunch of cool ideas are in the works. I believe technology is the new punk rock.
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