The debut release from Front Porch Records highlights some of Fredericton’s finest.
By Matt Carter
Cedric Noel and Brendan MaGee live their lives immersed in music as both active performers and live music supporters. This week they officially announced their new collective project, Front Porch Records, an initiative they hope will help local musicians reach a broader audience by pooling their collective talent and skills.
“I feel when I tell people we’re starting a label they immediately think we’re going to start printing vinyl and distributing records or that we might even have a budget,” said Noel. “We’re not in a position to do any of that yet, but hopefully someday. Right now we’re going to focus on artist management responsibilities. We need to begin by helping artists get their name out there.”
“We’re called Front Porch Records but I think it lends itself more to the idea of a working collective,” said MaGee. “We’ve all got skills to contribute to a project like this.”
With a strong initial roster in place that includes David in the Dark, Brookside Mall, Union Suit and many others, Front Porch Records hope to shape a new interpretation of what a record label is or could be. It’s no longer just about selling albums. By building a support network and sharing skills in grant writing, booking shows and artist promotion, Noel and MaGee hope to provide valuable support to emerging and established musicians from the Fredericton area.
The collective’s first release is a ten song digital sampler, featuring brand new material from many of Fredericton’s most active artists.
“I’m excited,” said MaGee. “I think bands can sometimes find a challenge in just finding an occasion to release something. Releasing a single doesn’t seem like a tangible thing a lot of the time but it’s kind of fun to bundle a bunch of new music together and that’s what we’ve done here.
“This also helps put everybody on an equal playing field,” he said. “This grew from the idea that practically all these bands have really good support here in Fredericton but we’d like to help them grow outside of the city. A sampler a great way of exporting the music.”
Front Porch Records will celebrate the release of FP001 with a series of performances set for December 12. An afternoon show with Trophy Wife, Dillon Anthony, Union Suit and Will Pacey will take place upstairs at 384 Queen Street. And in the evening Brookside Mall, David in the Dark, Sentimentals and Cellarghost will take to The Capital stage. View the event here.
Listen to the Front Porch Records sampler below:
