The Copper Mine.

We received this monster stash today from the Strange Famous HQ: all of the things that have been printed for Sage’s tour (halfway through, UK leg commencing October) and copies of the long-awaited album itself. It came in three boxes over three days and each one was scalpelled open with a child-like grin of excitement.

I’m particularly impressed by the sensitivity with which the delicate lines of the illustrations have reproduced on the tiny CD version, and the impact of the SAGE FRANCIS writ large over the t shirts. Careful printing has meant that even on the meaty hoodies, the detail of the little house and things like the riveted album title haven’t suffered - these things mean a lot when you’ve grafted on the minutiae of a thing.

Turn your eyeballs too to the copper and verdigris-coloured vinyl, which changes with each side (no two will be the same). The blue cassette tape is a triumph (one’s gone in our tape-only automobile) and the sparkling, presumably accidental show-through of a little silver on the CD itself makes for real glittery impact. And who DOESN’T wish for a pile of golden round stickers? All brought together in the experienced hands of Irena Mihalinec, Strange Famous’ in-house designer, who brought coherence and consistency to a wide range of difficult-to-design-for objects!

Sage is, to coin an oft-abused phrase, at the 'top of his game’ - lazy shorthand really for someone who’s spent long enough in a business to know how to give value and earn the love - and this is an artillery of connected, considered pieces which demonstrate that: the core product itself, with the extravagant coloured vinyl that ALL buyers deserve, the supporting items for tour sales, the give-aways and the add-ons. All must work together coherently, and the fewest amount of compromises should be made on quality when people are spending their hard-earned, whether after the gig or making a solitary album investment. Watch, and learn!

I’m looking forward to the UK tour, when I get to see all the audio jump to life on stage. Gulp.

VIVA LA VINYL!

While I was creating the artwork for Sage’s Copper Gone artwork, I was working on our own release behind the scenes.

Me and Leigh have had an occasional record label for a number of years, and this was to be its next release. As soon as we heard ‘Viva La Vinyl’,  a track on the Sick to D(eat)h album by Sage Francis, we knew we had to do something with it. As record buyers for four decades ourselves, manufacturers of 45rpm adapters and with Record Store Day approaching in the next couple of months, it was immediately destined to be a release - and on 7”, of course!

As a total contrast we decided to make it a double A side with the track ‘You Can’t Win’ by the Epic Beard Men - Sage and B.Dolan, a massively upbeat fist-bumpin’ rap-athon with crisp disses and crisper beats by Buddy Peace.

With the decision made we had to spring into action, fast. First we had to licence the track from Strange Famous, then set about getting the actual record made (we used Well Tempered with excellent mastering by Finyl Tweek) for which labels had to be designed first, since they’re smushed into the vinyl as it’s flattened on the press. And of course, it had to have a Big Hole in the centre for an adapter! Here I am drawing the labels:

https://vimeo.com/88156570

With the records in production, and with distribution organised (ST Holdings), we had to get the sleeve designed. As with a lot of our projects, we didn’t have a complete vision at the start, we just knew that it had to be a 12” sleeve to have presence and provide a nice big vehicle for the artwork. After a lot of fat-chewing and discussion around scraps of paper and a sketchbook, the idea evolved fairly organically and centred around a gatefold sleeve with lots of artwork.

A large hand-inked proclamation on the front would say all it needed to, and a bespoke knife-cut hole in the centre would reveal the label and adapter. Inside, the sleeve would open up to reveal two pieces of artwork on each side of pin-perforated detachable board, a nice recycled Kraft-based one with a real chunky quality.

Printer Steve, who's taken care of all Inkymole’s print needs for the last fifteen years, came to a meeting with his board samples and our scrappy paper mockups, added a couple of fine constructional ideas, and after that, the drawing could begin. Watch the process of drawing out each piece of artwork, from pencil to ink - I lost count of the time but we’re looking at three days straight, with more hours on top for layout, design and prepping for print (the terrifying bit!)

The set-up for the Viva La Vinyl illustration was my desk with our old much-stickered speakers, assorted records and vinyl-related props. The little boy is based on no-one in particular, except that he had to look really bloody excited! And freckly.

https://vimeo.com/90750043

https://vimeo.com/90750044

In the end the records arrived a week early and we set about popping 500 adapters into 500 holes and sticking 7” records onto sleeves, then folding and boxing. They were driven to the distributor (a 400 mile round trip) 48 hours before we left for a few days’ break in Portugal…during which time, we sold out of our own stock thanks to many supportive tweets and posts, including this great review by Factoryroad/Inkymole gang member Strictly Kev, coming back to a day of immediate packing and posting! It is however well understood in this house that there is, as the legend says, no rest for the wicked.

The record was released on April 14th and is available in the following stores in the UK, along with assorted bricks-and-mortar shops:

Redeye: http://www.redeyerecords.co.uk/vinyl/51895-BFT003-sage-francis-7-inc--print--download-code-and-45-adaptor

Juno: http://www.juno.co.uk/products/sage-francis-viva-la-vinyl/529576-01/

Banquet: http://www.banquetrecords.com/BFT003

(Boomkat, Norman Records and Beatdown are sold out right now, unless the stock up soon, soz!)

If you’re reading this in the US, you’ll be able to buy it from the Strange Famous Shop soon. Watch our News page for an announcement!

A childhood dream come true, having a record we helped create being featured in my favourite local record shop (now the only local record shop). Nervous Records, Hinckley.

Records packaged up and ready to be shipped off to Strange Famous!

I love hearing vinyl static on timeless classics
I sit back and kick my feet up until my mind relaxes
Time passes slow like it was pitched down
The globe spins on its axis but the needle never skips town
Cause I clean it
I take proper care of my LPs
But every single spin brings the groove closer to its knees
It's normal everyday wear and tear
Takes an especially professional ear to hear it
But from year to year
You notice subtle differences from multiple listens
It's upsetting cause you wanted to have something to hand down to the children
Sure, you could convert it all to mp3
And it probably already exists digitally - that's not your history
In fact, it lacks the full experience
We built bulldozers and smashed the magic out of the pyramids
Kids don't understand, they're laughing when you're serious
You just shrug your shoulders, and admit how silly it is
Somewhere in a grandma's attic, there's a little brat
Who stumbles upon a phonograph, perfectly intact
He uses a sheet of paper to make a makeshift slipmat
Now a collection of well-preserved 45s are getting scratched…

Lyrics © Sage Francis