It’s a unique mission statement, or maybe a gimmick, at Drunk Dial Records.
Per their Bandcamp page:
Get artists into the studio. Get them drunk. Have them write and record an original song and then cover a classic. We release the results on 7".
What does that really mean, and why? We’ve all seen some bands who maybe spent too much time at the bar instead of soundcheck.
Scene Point Blank has reviewed a few releases, finding them closer in spirit to a live record than a downward spiral. So we reached out to label owner Jordan Stamm to talk about the concept, how it goes down, and to inquire if anybody is there with an iron fist, making sure the bands comply with their directive.
The label just released their latest 7" on Sept. 30, from Texas band Drakulas.
Scene Point Blank: I've read the short description about the label's concept many times, but it always raises a few questions for me. So let's just dive a bit deeper.
Did the label start with a drunk dial of your own? What inspired the idea behind Drunk Dial?
Drunk Dial Records: Short answer, no. It didn’t involve a phone call, but the idea for the label was definitely conceived while I was good and drunk at my neighborhood bar.
I’d helped release music for bands when I was a teenager, and I had the itch to start a new project. Something fun and low stakes where I might actually be able to work with established bands I was already a fan of. I had probably jokingly pitched five or six label concepts at the bar that night to my drinking buddies, but for some reason the name and concept of Drunk Dial stuck. Right there at the bar I created an Instagram page and made the first post. The real miracle came the next day when I actually remembered and still liked the idea.
It would have been very easy to quit in March 2020, but seeing musicians, unable to sit still at home, coming up with novel ways to keep creating, recording, and performing music was really inspiring. That kind of ad-hoc “whatever happens, happens” attitude is exactly what Drunk Dial is about.
Scene Point Blank: What is your main goal with these? To capture a live or spontaneous moment? To get a glimpse at the inner-workings or writing process of a band?
Drunk Dial Records: Exactly. It’s all about inspiring and capturing spontaneity. By getting bands together and challenging them to write and record an original while inebriated, people get to hear first takes and little ideas that would have otherwise died in a notebook or been perfected in practice. Plus the cover song on the B-side is a great chance to hear a band rip a studio version of a song they love.
Scene Point Blank: How spontaneous are most of the new songs and covers?
Drunk Dial Records: Every recording session has been different depending on the recording situation and size of the band. The central “rule” of a Drunk Dial session is that the original song not be prepared at all beforehand. The bands can practice their cover songs and plan how they want to manage the recording sessions, but the original song can only be created once the bottles are open and the session begins.
Scene Point Blank: Do bands join you and record in the same studio each time, or do they "take care of business" on their own and send it in? How involved are you, personally?
Drunk Dial Records: I am fortunate to have been able to make records with bands from all over the world. I don’t have a studio of my own, and it wouldn’t be feasible to travel for most releases.
Once a deal has been worked out with a band, we find a solid studio nearby, communicate the rules and expectations of a typical Drunk Dial session, and then let the band, as you said, “take care of business” on their own.
I make myself available if anything comes up, but my involvement with the actual recording process is limited to eagerly awaiting rough mixes. I’ve been present for the recording of a few records in my life. It’s a really magical experience as an observer. In the end though, I think bands probably create better without a label goon gawking in the corner.
Scene Point Blank: Do you know the bands in advance, or have some been strangers you just met through the label?
Drunk Dial Records: I think the first year of the label’s existence was trying to find a band with the guts to be the first to try it. The first two bands, Ghost Ring and Billy August, are friends of mine.
After those records were made and the concept was refined, I was able to start approaching musicians I was a fan of, like The Hound of Love (Andrew of Mean Jeans) and Careful (Dave Williams of Crusades, Steve Adamyk Band).
Scene Point Blank: You've put out close to a dozen records at this point. I imagine you've encountered a few imperfections along the way? Any stories about people having trouble with this method of recording?
Drunk Dial Records: Oh, in retrospect I can find about a dozen imperfections on every single Drunk Dial, but I might be the only person that notices them. That’s probably the curse of any decent label operator though. The recording sessions themselves have all, amazingly, been a success. Every single band has managed to navigate the challenges, and we have ended up with at least two songs we’re all happy with every time. Somehow no studios have been trashed, and there has yet to be an on-mic puking. If there are any stories about someone blowing it in studio, nobody has told me.
Scene Point Blank: How did covid shutdowns affect the label?
Drunk Dial Records: Well, it ruined a lot of plans we had. Some bands we were working with broke up, some projects never got recorded. I was certain COVID shutdowns in 2020 were going to devastate whatever momentum the label had built up. It would have been very easy to quit in March 2020, but seeing musicians, unable to sit still at home, coming up with novel ways to keep creating, recording, and performing music was really inspiring. That kind of ad-hoc “whatever happens, happens” attitude is exactly what Drunk Dial is about. By the end of that year we had released three “quarantine-era” records including our Stay Home compilation, a full length ESCARE tape, and a Drunk Dial from Careful (Dave Williams of Crusades).
COVID isn’t over, and the vinyl delays mean that we’re still releasing “COVID Projects,” so it’s still difficult to sum things up. I’ll just say that I’m really proud of every second of music I’ve helped facilitate since everything turned upside down.
Scene Point Blank: You did one LP compilation, the rest are 7"s. How important is vinyl to you?
Drunk Dial Records: We’re actually working on our 3rd full-length compilation, which will be released on tape!
But yes, our main project is 7” vinyl. I’ve got a sizable vinyl collection, but I’m no diehard. I also have a bunch of CDs for my car and a Tidal subscription. I’m a really big Jay Reatard fan and became a rabid collector of his 7” records as they were coming out before and after his death. Those records of his became priceless magical treasures to me. They were scarce, imperfect, and seemed to be imbued with the elbow grease it took to make them in a way that other formats (even 12” vinyl) just aren’t. The label has always aimed to create records that were “artifacts” or “time capsules;” there was never a debate. When it comes to my “vision” for Drunk Dial, it has to be vinyl. It has to be 7”.
Scene Point Blank: Obviously not everybody drinks alcohol. Some people have other interests, but is that a dealbreaker for collaboration? Is there a straight edge alternative for Drunk Dial artists?
Drunk Dial Records: In the beginning, a straight edger in the band would have definitely been a dealbreaker. It was very important that the first few releases follow a small set of standards so that a “Drunk Dial format” could be established. Every member of the band needed to be either drunk or on some sort of mind expanding (or shrinking) drug. Nowadays, the rules have been significantly relaxed. We’ll accept a band with a sober bassist, or one that traded in the PBR for MDMA. Our compilation projects especially don’t have any strict requirements. We just ask that the bands respect the concept. Nobody wins if we release some sober preplanned bullshit.
Scene Point Blank: What release surprised you the most so far?
Drunk Dial Records: That has to be our first COVID quarantine project, Stay Home, which was a Ramones Leave Home cover album recorded by bands locked down in their homes with just the equipment and instruments they had on hand. This was the first time I’d broken format and put together a full-length album. It allowed me to work with bands that I’d become friends with over the years, as well as some heavy hitters like Drakulas and Dark Thoughts, who were way out of my league at the time. It all came together so perfectly; the album sounds so good. I could have quit the label after that release and felt totally content and proud. Instead, the successes of that compilation and the friends made while putting it together are still paying dividends. Not literally, though -- nobody makes money putting out punk records.
Scene Point Blank: Do bands really only record two songs, or do you release a "best of" take?
Drunk Dial Records: With Drunk Dial recording sessions, the bands have 1 or 2 days (depending on band size) to come up with two complete songs. They can record as many songs with as many tracks and takes as they want within that time period. So far, I think most bands have been in a rush to get two songs sounding decent before they black out. That said, for our third volume, the anxiety-punk duo ESCARE shattered all expectations by taking a bunch of mushrooms and then banging out a total of 14 songs in one sitting. We selected two of their more developed songs from that marathon session including a fitting cover of “Mushroom” by Krautrock legends CAN.
