In The Red Records’ Larry Hardy – Interview – January 2010
By: Steve Rose
Aficion means passion. An aficionado is one who is passionate about something; whatever it is that they choose to invest their passion in. Be that: shoes, shopping, conscious expanding plant food, blown out garage rock, or pristine bubblegum pop. Unlike the infamous princesses of pop, Simon Cowell and Pete Waterman, who brought us such delights as Robson and Jerome, Larry Hardy – creator, or curator if you will, of Los Angeles’ In The Red Records – is an aficionado of the eccentric rock’n’roll variety.
The In The Red Records roster is the epitome, and the benchmark of contemporary garage rock. If I was to have taken part in the meaningless literary exercise of choosing ‘best mp3 download of the decade’, or ‘favourite ironic seven inch single of my futile existence’, which I didn’t, it would probably have been an amalgamation of In The Red’s recent back catalogue. The Strange Boys earnest and shambolic southern drawl, The Hunches noisy, experimental pacific north-western garage or the flirtatious party rock of the eccentric King Khan and BBQ, all of these are worthy of a very, very great list. And a very, very, very great record label. Thus, this interview with head aficionado Larry Hardy.
Rockfeedback: Hi Larry, can you introduce yourself?
Larry Hardy: I'm Larry Hardy and I was born in Orange County, California. I grew up in Anaheim, California (home of Disneyland). In the 90's I moved to Los Angeles, which is where I'd wanted to be since I was a teenager. I eventually settled in the North Eastern tip of Los Angeles in a neighbourhood called Eagle Rock.
RFB: I have met a great deal of people that loathe Los Angeles, you live there so you obviously don't. What is your opinion of California's state capital?
LH: I love Los Angeles. I totally understand people's disdain for it, but that's not my position. This city has everything - all that is great and all that is atrocious. That's what I like about it. There are things about this city that I've embraced and excite me (the cinema history, to name but one) that might not impress everyone. I live near where Creeping Terror was filmed!!
RFB: Have you always been into slightly weird garage and leftfield rock'n'roll?
LH: Yes, pretty much from the get-go. I got into rock n' roll and buying records at a very early age. It was the influence of baby-sitters, I suppose. I started buying records before most people I was going to school with who were my age seemed to care about music. As I got more into finding out about music I was definitely drawn to fairly eccentric artists. The first concert I ever went to was Iggy Pop. I had just turned 14 the week before. Iggy might be mainstream now but he wasn't in 1977.
RFB: When did you start In The Red?
LH: I believe it started in 1991, though I may not have actually gotten a record until early 1992. It's a bit blurry now. Old age.
RFB: When did it change from being a hobby/part-time label to something full time?
LH: Only in the last seven or eight years did the label become something that resembled an actual business that was a full-time concern.
RFB: What did you do before you started In The Red Records?
LH: I went to Cal state Fullerton to work on a fine arts degree. I dropped out after three semesters - I figured out that I'd end up an art teacher, which wasn't what I wanted to do. I worked for my step-father, who was an interior decorator, for a while. He taught me how to hang draperies. After that I took a job in a grocery store. It was during my time at the grocery store that I started the record label.
RFB: Did you name it after your bank balance?
LH: No, it was not a reference to finances. It was a term I hear applied to certain recordings (which I loved) that were blown-out, distorted or recorded too loud for the equipment that was capturing the performance to tape. My friend Tim Warren, founder of Crypt Records, was staying at my house and used the term several times in reference to records we were listening to. He's say things like, "Listen to that Sax! It's totally in the red". Also, around the same time, Pussy Galore (my favorite band at the time and still an all-time favorite) had a song called Adolescent Wet Dream that had a line that said, "Tun it up, baby, in the red". That sealed it, for me.
RFB: What made you want to start a label and what was your first release?
LH: I was collecting records and a fanatic for rock n' roll music for so long that I felt I needed to participate. I had no desire or talent for being in a band so starting a label seemed like a perfect fit. It's like being the curator at a gallery.
The first band I got in touch with, who were supposed to be my first release, were The Gories. They had just released their debut record on Wanghead records. It took a while before they delivered the record so I released a couple of singles before they gave me theirs. I wish I'd waited.
RFB: What other labels do you respect and admire?
LH: Crypt was definitely a big influence/inspiration to me. I have much admiration and respect for that label. I based my work on Tim Warren's teachings, for sure. Apart from that, I also love Sympathy, Siltbreeze, Norton, Hozac, Sacred Bones, Sun, Sweet Rot, SS, Chiswick, Staxx, Estrus, Florida's Dying, Shattered, Dangerhouse....uh, I could go on all night.
RFB: I know a mother probably wouldn't be able to pick a favourite of her children but if theoretically possible - what has been your favourite release so far?
LH: I can't possibly pick one. I'm proud of them all. The Cheater Slicks "Don't Like You" is a very proud moment, I will say that.
RFB: What number release are you up to now?
LH: 189! I'm closing in on 200.
RFB: Are you surprised at the popularity and 'hipness' of In The Red these days?
LH: I don't know that it's all that "hip". I am surprised that my records are still selling well at a time when I'm told the music/record industry is dead. That's a bit of a relief.
RFB: How would/do you describe to your parents the type of music that you put out on your record label?
LH: My father passed away last year. If he'd ever heard The Hunches or The Hospitals I'm certain he'd have left this Earth much sooner. I never tried to describe the music to him except to say, "you wouldn't like it all". My mother and I are much closer and she has a far more open mind than my father did in regards to music, art and life. She actually likes a few things I've put out. She likes some Dirtbombs songs and she thinks Mick Collins is a fantastic singer.
RFB: Every band/label/artist/person goes through roller coasters of good and bad times. Don’t they? What has been the hardest decision/time for you running a label, so far?
LH: There haven't been too many hard decisions I've had to make. I've made some regrettable decisions but none were too hard to make.
RFB: What in your eyes has been your greatest achievement of your 'little' label so far?
LH: Staying in business and growing has been the achievement I'm proudest of. I can't believe it's lasted this long and is still going well. While I wouldn't consider it my greatest achievement, it was pretty mind-blowing for me to work with Sparks. They've been a favourite band of mine since I was 12 years old. That was pretty cool.
RFB: What is currently receiving a lot of airplay on your stereo?
LH: As far as new stuff that isn't on my label, I really like Tyvek, The Mantles, Wizzard Sleeve and UV Race. Lately I've been mostly listening to old UK punk rock. I grew up on that stuff and I've gone back to it in a big way lately. I also am nutty for the Messthetics compilations put out by Chuck Warner. If you aren't familiar with those, they are comps of late 70's - early 80's UK DIY records. I didn't hear this stuff when it came out, unfortunately. There is some incredible music on these things.
RFB: Obviously In The Red takes up a vast quantity of your time, what do you occupy yourself with outside of this? Someone told me you have a canine companion...
LH: like to cook. I'm having my kitchen re-done as I type this and once it's done I plan to cook even more. I do have a small dog. She's a 14 year old Chihuahua named Penny. She can't really walk anymore but she's still awesome.
I mainly stay in and listen to records and watch old horror movies with my girlfriend. I just inherited a portion of Lux Interior's DVD collection so I've stayed in a lot lately just watching those.
RFB: Everyone says that the music industry is f**ko'd. Do you agree? Should we all start looking around for other jobs?
LH: I hope not but we'll have to see. It's definitely in a transitional phase and we'll have to adapt. People are going to always want new music but the way they'll be getting it, obviously, is going to be very different.
RFB: With the increasing popularity of In The Red, you obviously have a slew of incredible releases coming up. What are these and what are you most excited about?
LH: I've got a lot of records coming up that I'm excited about. The debut album from a Los Angeles band called Wounded Lion is fantastic. The new album by Haunted George is sick! I've got new ones coming from the Strange Boys, Cheap Time, The Fresh & Onlys, Thee Oh Sees and more I'm sure I'm forgetting.
Be brave and visit Larry’s poorly designed and infrequently updated website www.intheredrecords.com, or his blown out distorted ‘social networking webpage’ www.myspace.com/intheredrecords where you can find the latest ‘bangers’ from The Strange Boys, King Khan & BBQ, Wounded Lion and Christmas Island. Words related to when new records from Thee O Sees (Warm Slime), Haunted George (American Crow) and San Francisco’s The Fresh and Onlys, who will tear our faces off, are also a regular/irregular feature.