Brassland is an

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

founded in 2001 by Alec Hanley Bemis,

Aaron Dessner Aaron Brooking Dessner (born April 23, 1976) is an American musician. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band The National (band), the National, with whom he has recorded nine studio albums; a co-founder of the indie rock duo Big ...

, and

Bryce Dessner Bryce David Dessner (born April 23, 1976) is an American composer and guitarist based in Paris, and a member of the rock band the National. Dessner's twin brother, Aaron is also a member of the group. Together, they write the music in collabo ...

History

In Brassland's early years, Bemis worked as a freelance journalist for ''

LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. The paper covers music, arts, film, theater, culture, and other local news in the Los Angeles area. ''LA Weekly'' was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin (among others), ...

'' and ''The New York Times''. The Dessners are twin brothers who are also musicians. Aaron is a producer and songwriter, while Bryce is a guitarist, composer, and curator. Both are songwriters for The National, while Bryce is equally known for his collaborations with

Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens ( ; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released ten solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nomina ...

and

Bang on a Can All Stars The Bang on a Can All-Stars is an amplified ensemble that was formed in 1992 by parent organization Bang on a Can. Called "a flexible and expert sextet" by ''The New York Times'',

. Brassland is based in Brooklyn, New York. The label has close ties to Ohio, where the Dessner brothers were raised. All five members of The National are from Cincinnati, Ohio. The label's first two releases were debut albums by The National and

Clogs Clogs are a type of footwear that has a thick, rigid sole typically made of wood, although in American English, shoes with rigid soles made of other materials are also called clogs. Traditional clogs remain in use as protective footwear in a ...

. Brassland has also released albums by Thomas Bartlett aka

Doveman Thomas Bartlett (born October 13, 1981), also known as Doveman, is an American pianist, producer, and singer. He has released four solo albums as Doveman, four albums as a member of The Gloaming, duo albums with the composer Nico Muhly and the ...

, Jherek Bischoff,

Buke and Gase Buke and Gase (formerly spelled Buke and Gass) ( and ) is a New York based musical duo named after the musical instruments invented and built by founders Arone Dyer and Aron Sanchez; the ''buke'' is a six-string former-baritone ukulele and the ...

This Is The Kit This Is The Kit is the alias of British musician Kate Stables, as well as the band she fronts. Critical attention This Is The Kit were a long-time favourite among various BBC Radio 6 Music DJs, which is where the musician and presenter Guy Garv ...

, and Baby Dayliner — and licensed music by

Nico Muhly Nico Asher Muhly (; born August 26, 1981) is an American contemporary classical music composer and arranger who has worked and recorded with both classical and pop musicians. A prolific composer, he has composed for many notable symphony orchestra ...

and

The Gloaming The Gloaming is a contemporary Irish/American music supergroup. Its members are fiddle player Martin Hayes, sean-nós singer Iarla Ó Lionáird, hardanger fiddle player Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, and pianist Thomas Bartlett. Guitarist Denni ...

. The label considers itself an intentional community, making collective A&R decisions based on the tastes of both its founders and the interests of the artists involved in the label, actively encouraging collaboration and a sense of community among its roster. "Art is a way of life," Dessner has been quoted as saying. "We don't think in isolation, we exist in a community with each other." In a 2015 profile in the ''

Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...

'', Bemis said, "We give bands and musicians a level of infrastructure, but without putting on the pressure that if they don't sell 20,000 records they're going to be out of luck. That said, it's probably more of a corporate experience than they had before we found them. But Brassland is not trying to become a major label. It's as much about interaction between the different musicians as it is about whatever audience will be for them." For example, founding Clogs member Padma Newsome contributed regularly to The National's music after the band signed to

Beggars Banquet ''Beggars Banquet'' is the seventh studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 6 December 1968 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom and London Records in the United States. It was the first Rolling Stones album pro ...

; onetime label artist

Erik Friedlander Erik Friedlander is an American cellist and composer based in New York City. A veteran of New York City's experimental downtown scene, Friedlander has worked in many contexts, but is perhaps best known for his frequent collaborations with sax ...

performed on Clogs' "Stick Music" while Pela included a guitarist, Nate Martinez, who frequently acted as a substitute guitarist during The National's earliest years. Thomas Bartlett has worked as a player and producer with Muhly, Sufjan Stevens, and The National. On its 10th anniversary, ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' called Brassland "the centre of New York's other music scene." ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' called it a "venerable art-pop boutique label."

Current artists

* Baby Dayliner *

Bartees Strange Bartees Leon Cox Jr. (born 1989), known professionally as Bartees Strange, is an English-born American musician. Strange was born in Ipswich, England, raised in Mustang, Oklahoma, and is based in Baltimore, Maryland. Early life Strange was bo ...

* Briars of North America *

* DN RES * Fusilier *

Hannah Georgas Hannah Georgas (born 30 August 1983) is a Canadian pop/rock singer-songwriter, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She was nominated in the categories of "Best New Artist of the Year" and "Songwriter of the Year" at the 2011 Juno Awards, and ...

* isomonstrosity (group featuring Johan Lenox,

Ellen_Reid_(composer) Ellen Reid (born 1983) is an American composer originally from Oak Ridge, Tennessee and living and working in New York City and Los Angeles. Reid is a multi-genre composer whose breadth of work spans classical, opera, sound installations, film s ...

, and Yuga Cohler) * LANZ (aka Benjamin Lanz) * Las Palabras *

So Percussion Sō Percussion is a Grammy winning American percussion quartet formed in 1999 and based in New York City. Composed of Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski, Jason Treuting, and Eric Cha-Beach, the group is well known for recording and touring internationa ...

Inactive artists

* Devastations *

* Pela *

People Get Ready "People Get Ready" is a 1965 single by the Impressions, and the title track from the '' People Get Ready'' album. The single is the group's best-known hit, reaching number three on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart and number 14 on the ''Billboard'' ...

* The Perennials

Artists previously on the label

* Jherek Bischoff *

* The National *

References

External links (label)