Drugstore - Isabel Monteiro blog

day 469- * Drugstore signs recording contract *

here I am baby, signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours

(wooofuckinhooo)

I'm delighted to announce Drugstore have just signed a recording contract with cool indie label Rocketgirl, who will help and ensure this store will once again thread all over the spinning decks.

When I started this process, about a year or so ago, I genuinely had no idea what surprises were lined ahead, and was just pleased to have rediscovered my own voice, and a great community of fans, still willing to listen to our bundled up homemade stories and songs.

A lot of fans got in touch and suggested we set up a 'fan-fund', and raise cash to get the band back into the studio. It's a neat and interesting idea; But, from experience, I know that it's always better to have a few people around you, doing all those things that artists are not terribly good at: working out distribution, manufacturing, putting a team together, schedules etc.

But I also realised that given the current climate, the changes in the music industry, our band's own history and the point we're at in our career: having disappeared for over 7 years, that it was gonna take nothing short of a mini-miracle to get a label to commit to the project.

Well, a great mini-miracle has just happened, and as often with some of the best things in life, there's a pretty silver thread binding this story together.

This is the story of Drugstore and Rocketgirl:

Back in 94, as we played our very 1st gigs in the Camden circuit, two people approached us straight away, hoping to get a release.

The first, was the lovely indiekid guru, Neil Boyd, of superhip indie zine, 'Big Muff'; we gave him a flexi-disc of our single 'Alive'.

The next person was Vinita, who then worked at Che records. But before we could say 'yes' to Vinita, we were scooped by GoDiscs, as the generous chequebook of its flamboyant boss, Andy MacDonald, was just too tempting.

The years went by, and Vinita remained a faithful fan, turning up at gigs with homemade gifts - (remember that fluffy ciggie-lighter holder?) and always enthusiastic about our work.

Eventually, in 97, she set-up her own label, RocketGirl, but also gained bags of industry know-how by working both at Rough Trade and Bella Union.

By 2001, Drugstore were once again fishing for a label to release 'Songs for the Jetset'. I did not know this, and only found out about it recently, that Vinita once again tried to sign the band, but was outbid, this time by label GlobalWarming.

And that brings us back to the present - to the recent ICA gig last May - and guess who turns up, and as friendly as ever: the original rocketgirl, Miss Vinita.

A few weeks later she was at the cave, sitting on my sofa, bright smile brimming and as determined as ever:

'I want your next release, album, single, whatever - we gonna take the band to a studio, you're gonna do it and we're gonna release it.'

And so it is, that after all those beautiful years, the paths of Drugstore and Rocketgirl, that were always a mere 7inch apart, have finally come together.

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I also want to mention Paul Bonham, who has been instrumental in helping bring the deal together, and the best possible source of good advice, good will and genuine enthusiasm.

A very special thanks goes out to our own El Pedro for sticking together like glue, and to all the fans, who have been supporting us, even when the lights were out:

we're in this together!

(and for the 1st time this week, this sentence rings lovely and true).

x

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further good news: Drugstore have been invited to become Patrons of that great charity that champions the rights of music lovers and musicians w/ disability: 'Attitude is Everything'.

It's an honour and I hope we can be of help.

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live snippet of new song CantstopmeNow - ICA - 2010

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