Born in 2016, but ‘still going strong’, Breakfast Records are an independent record label cooking up a storm. Setting up headquarters in Bristol, the label specialises in releasing punk, indie and folk records and is home to the likes of Twisted Ankle, Green Hands, Half Stack, RADIATORS, Kate Stapley and more. Through the power of electronic mail, Josh and Dan serve for us an all-day Breakfast (records) feast.

How and why did the label begin? Can you talk us through the early days?

Dan: Late 2015 I was working for Universal Music marketing Vietnamese EDM and had the now obvious realisation that this wasn’t a fulfilling career choice. So I hit up old pal and now-Breakfast-artist Jamie Cruickshank and asked if he wanted to start a label before we all grew too old to be mildly cool and things started rolling from there.

Josh: We are now definitely too old to be mildly cool.

Where did the name come from?

Josh: It actually wasn’t until the 15th century that "breakfast" came into use in written English. It was used to describe a morning meal, to literally ‘break’ the ‘fast’. In Old English the term was morgenmete - meaning "morning meal." Morgenmete Records doesn’t have quite the same ring to it though.

What is an average day like at Breakfast?

Dan: It usually begins with me waking up to half our vinyl stock slowly collapsing onto my bed. I then stare at the wall for half an hour pretending I’m practising zazen meditation before eating three bagels and crunching on with the day job. Somewhere in between all that I do the email thing and tell Josh to ‘action’ various business items.

Josh: I’m the action man.

What do you think makes the label different from other labels?

Josh: Unlike a lot of record labels, Dan and I conduct all label work from the toasty comfort of our wood-fired sauna.

How did ‘Breakfast Sessions’ start, and do you have any favourite performances?

Josh: I was actually really late to joining the team, and the sessions were the only idea I brought to the table. Dan and a couple of our friends, Jamie and Freddie, came up with the idea of starting a label, and I got wind of it and decided to worm my way in. I didn’t know much about anything, but I did have a film degree gathering dust, so I pitched to the guys that my involvement could be the ‘Breakfast Sessions’. It’s obviously hard to pick a favourite, but the first one, featuring The Gnarwhals, has a special place in my heart. It was such a shambles.

How do you guys go about scouting new talent? What do you look for in an artist?

Josh: We try to keep our ear to the ground of what’s going on, but it can be tricky with so much good stuff out there. We try our damnedest to listen to all the music we get sent, but an insane amount comes through, and with just 4 ears and 48 hours a day between us, it’s a bit of a challenge. See we both have day jobs which greedily demand 8 hours a day. When we started out we had such an optimistic idea of how it would shape up. ‘Yeah, we’ll listen to everything we get sent and reply individually to every single one.’ Now we’re tired and jaded. If you’re an artist reading this and you’ve sent us music and haven’t heard back from us, don’t take it personally.. You’re probably great. We’re just really busy. The main quality we like to see is hutzpah. Also, though, the less chords an artist uses, the better.

How has Bristol shaped the label?

Dan: I grew up in the provincial nightmare that is Bath so throughout my childhood I always had a very starry-eyed view of Bristol. Once the label had begun and I moved to the city I was pleased to realise at least 75% of my childhood wonder was not misguided. It’s easy to throw around terms like community when talking about the music scene here when at heart there’s really just a lot of chill, hard-working people who are willing to put in the extra mile to keep culture alive in Bristol. It’s mostly nice just to be around peers who share the same broad aims as you do.

Josh: I grew up just down the road from where I live now. I suppose Bristol has shaped the label in that it shaped me and made me a middle-class hippy and so I made a middle-class hippy label.

Have you got any new signings lined up?

Dan: Next year is a bit up in the air to be honest. I think it’s hard to envision releasing music without gigs and touring but naturally we’re still scouting around. Currently, though we have brilliant albums from Half Stack, Green Hands and Twisted Ankle all on the horizon so there’s plenty to keep us busy. We’re also considering releasing an experimental skiffle record under our new band name The Breakfast Bunch.

Josh: Special shout out to Half Stack keeping it real out there in California.

How do you all work collectively?

Dan: Well, there’s a giant messenger thread that’s probably now a million messages deep. Occasionally, other people have tried to work with us but haven’t quite got on board with us pinging ideas at each other at one in the morning.

Josh: Dan loves his one A.M. pingers.

Who’s got the worst office habits?

Josh: Well we both work from our respective homes, so we don’t actually share an office. Hypothetically speaking though, it’s probably Dan.

Dan: Yeah, it’s me. I can no longer tell if I’m just burning the toast all the time or having a constant set of mini-strokes.

Watch Kate Stapley’s ‘Breakast Session’ here:

This interview was first featured in Yuck Magazine Volume Three, available to buy here.

A Day @ The Label: Breakfast Records