Lens Records
2020 N California Ave Ste 7-119 - Chicago, IL 60647-3923
Interview with Rob Hyman, owner of Lens Records.
By: Dennis M. Kelly
Local label, Lens Records’ owner Rob Hyman has envisioned his label for over a decade, but it did not actually come into existence until 1999. What was the catalyst in formalizing the label?
RH: I had the idea in my head for a while. There is just something about being a label guy that interests me. I’ve been a musician since I was 9 and in bands for 10 or so years and I studied the music business and recording in college – so I had exposure to all the different aspects of the business. And there was just something that made sense to me about running my own label. Ed (from Reptilica) was a friend and he had recorded his own CD and was going to press copies. I told him he should let me put my label name on it and I will help him promote it. And that is how the label got started.
What were the defining principles in your vision that you wanted to see accomplished by making this label?
RH: I’ve always loved the idea of finding new bands that I liked – whether it is on the radio, from a friend or at a show. And Lens is just an extension of that idea. I like being involved in getting great music exposed to a wider audience. I have goals and ambitions with the label but just through the nature of it being in existence I consider it a success. Everyone has their own definition but I just love to do it and so I do. I just wanted to do things my way and be proud of that. Find a home for artists that I enjoy and to just do what I can to get the music heard.
What were some of the steps/hurdles you’ve had to overcome to make your label?
RH: The biggest hurdle I struggle with all the time is keeping the label in perspective. Again, everyone has different goals and mine isn’t to make Lens a bill payer. I mean, I worked for a Chicago independent label for a few years and it was really, really hard. I worked 12-14 hour days 6 days a week and I remember at one point seriously looking at a calendar and realizing that I had not had a day off in more than 6 months – working 7 days a week. It was killing me and I promised myself never to do that again. For some that may work, but for me that didn’t work. I was willing to go above and beyond a normal job but there had to be a better balance to it all. So now I do Lens around the rest of my life. I have a great day job, a mortgage, a wife and kids – so I have responsibilities to that and so I try to only spend as much money on the label as I can afford to lose – like gambling. I do make money back to offset costs but for the most part it is a losing proposition at this time.
Did you have bands in mind to be on your label right away?
Only Reptilica. This was the late 90’s and the internet was starting to happen for music. MP3.com was around and was pretty much the pre-cursor to Myspace. So I was networking with bands on there and found Encomiast (out of Colorado). I like what Ross was doing so we worked on a release in 2001 – Winter’s End. I just had the two artists at first.
Are there any genre limitations to artists you’ll sign onto Lens Records?
Not technically but yeah there is definitely stuff I’m not interested in working with. Since the label is a money pit, you basically end up working on stuff you like and so that satisfaction is why you do it, and if record sales come with it then great. So I have to like the music first. And the band/artist second. Again – I’m not going to spend time working with someone I don’t like. There is no point to that. So it’s sort of an extended family for me. You get to know these folks to some extent and they are part of your life. So they become family. I think a lot of people who start indie labels do it because they really love death metal, or ska, or whatever they like. And so they tend to only feature one kind of music. And so they develop a brand which is the music they release. And bands get identified with that – like the grunge thing got associated with Sub Pop, and the ‘Touch And Go’ sound, etc. I haven’t set out to genre pigeon-hole Lens but that also makes it harder to develop the label and my ‘brand’ because one release will be electronic, the next rock, the next ambient, the next dark ambient, then modern classical, etc. It gets hard for anyone to associate a sound with Lens.
How do you handle submissions to Lens Records right now?
RH: I get demos and emails all the time. I prefer to get a physical CD because #1 – it’s a physical item and you have to deal with it because it’s sitting on your desk! And #2 because I can put it in the CD player and play it. People email my links to mp3’s and to their myspace and it’s just too easy for that to get buried in my inbox and get forgotten. It’s not intentional but it happens. I also go looking for things at times. Myspace has been key in that these days. Sometimes the best reference is a friend or whatever. I’ve gotten hooked up with several artists because I was working with someone else they know – and he referred me over to them. But what I’m looking for in an artist changes all the time. I started the label with a lot of unknown bands and I’m not doing that as much now because it’s a lot of work and there isn’t as much return on investment with those artists. I still work with unknowns but bringing more known artists into the fold helps to bring attention to the label which in turn bounces back onto the bands on the label. But the key thing is you have to go out there and make yourself known in whatever genre and scene you work in. If you can’t find anyone to release your music – then do it yourself. But just keep doing it and working at it. It’s a building process. It doesn’t happen over night. And the more you do it the wiser you can be about your decisions in the future. You gain knowledge that way. I’ve been doing Lens for almost 10 years now and I’ll bet 99% of anyone reading this has never heard of the label!
How many people are on staff at Lens Records at this time?
RH: Just me – but I outsource graphic work, recording and mastering, and promotions. I’d love to have some really smart, dedicated intern slaves though! One or two would be a big help – especially if you are a street level networker with graphics skills!!
How often do you listen to new music for consideration?
RH: I don’t listen to demos and such as much as I should. I tend to listen to stuff I want to listen to – either current/future releases or just other things to get my mind off of the label stuff. I listen to stuff while I work on label stuff but it’s not demos very often.
I personally hate competition, but it is a fact that cannot be denied. How do you feel Lens Records stacks up against any competition in your market?
RH: That’s actually one of the things that I love about music is that it isn’t a competition. I grew up playing sports but I think I much prefer music and the open endedness of it. There are no rules and you can just do what you want to do. What works for you. There are other labels out there that work in the same genres as Lens for sure, even some of the artists I work with release music on other labels. But that’s all fine and good with me. Each project is unique and I just take it for what it is. I’ll release an album with an artist even if it ends up being the only release we work on together. Just all depends on what I’m getting out of it. But the competition – to an extent – is an important factor to music as well. Just in the sense that in some cases the cream rises to the top you know. It’s very fashionable to hate major labels but without a major there would be no independents – it’s a yin and yang thing. But you can look through my collection and I have a ton of major label releases – we all do – although a lot of people like don’t like to admit that. But I don’t look at it as competition. I’m experienced enough in what I do to be realistic about my releases and what I can expect to sell. CD’s and music just aren’t selling the way they used to – probably because there are just so many more bands and labels out there and it’s harder to get the piece of pie you want. And let’s face it – piracy impacts that. A lot of people will take it for free if they can.
What can you offer potential clients for signing with Lens Records?
RH: I can offer my knowledge and experience about the industry as it is right now for Lens and help them to reach a wider audience through my website, advertising and doing publicity and radio campaigns. And I can assist with touring activities as well. I can solicit their releases to the distribution and retail outlets that I have relationships with and just do my best to help them broaden their impact and help get their name out there. Also, for what it is worth, I care a lot about what I do and so I do a professional job with all aspects of the label. The label and its releases present well from the website, to the packaging and recording, to the promo materials. It all looks good and sounds good and I firmly believe that is very important when getting your releases out to the public. They have to feel good about plopping down their money for what you are selling. If they are disappointed then you’ve probably lost them for good.
What have been some milestones in Lens Records’ nine years?
RH: We’re still here! I’m working with Mark Spybey who I’ve been a big fan for years – I did the Beehatch CD a few months back and the second CD should be out later this year. I finally have my first Lens release with Robert Scott Thompson, who has been a mentor, inspiration and friend for close to 20 years now and I’m happy to be working closely with him. I really enjoy doing the label. It’s a labor of love but I won’t stop doing it. I’m just glad I can continue to raise my game, release great music and develop relationships with my extended family of artists. That means the most to me. It’s the journey you know.
What do you hope to accomplish in the years to come?
RH: More of the same – to keep releasing stuff, to hopefully become more of a known center for great music that people continue to pay attention to. To just build and grow and put more great music out there for people to listen to.
How has the distribution of your artists been working for you?
RH: It’s mixed really. I have yet to establish an ongoing relationship with a physical distributor. I’ve worked with a few but those relationships can come and go. A lot of my releases are still too small to really warrant good attention and focus from a distributor – unfortunately. It’s a Catch 22 though – if I got more units out into the marketplace I’d sell more. But you have to create demand. If there is no demand then you’re just wasting their time. Physical distro is the hardest part of the business. It’s something I continue to work on all the time but it’s elusive.
How does physical distribution differ in sales compared to digital sales?
RH: I still sell more in physical format but the digital is growing. More and more people are buying digital and in a lot of ways it’s a lot easier. I imagine they find a lot of the music online so why not buy it online while you are there, download it and in a few minutes have the music at your fingertips that you purchased. Personally, I’m not a download person and probably never will be. I’ve spent maybe $20 on downloads and that has been for things that were only available in that format. I like the physical product so I will buy a CD before anything else. But the digital helps and I see my sales reports on digital every month – and I see that someone bought one track in Canada or Japan – so they are trying it out that way. And that’s great. I’m totally into allowing people to purchase in whatever works best for them. But I will probably always do CD’s with Lens.
Do you see consumers moving to an all digital format one day?
RH: No. Again, some people only purchase in digital, some only in physical and some don’t purchase at all. I don’t thing the industry will ever go all digital – no. It’s just about options. The more options you have the better. And digital is great for the indies because there is little cost in creating that product and it’s free to distribute – distributors just take a cut from sales. A lot less money and resources go into getting digital product in front of people. And there are no returns! So once the download is sold, you get paid and you are done. Digital sales will continue to grow and physical will continue to decline but I feel the ultimate question is ‘How to get people to buy?’ I don’t think the format matters as much – but the desire to purchase is what you have to create. If people like the music – they’ll purchase it in any format you have available (for the most part). I know there are labels moving to all digital or doing vinyl and digital. All sorts of different combinations. There are just more options for people. I guess if you release a lot of vinyl and your fan base are vinyl buyers then do vinyl and forget CD’s. Each label has to ask those questions for themselves and figure out what works for them. Maybe I’m old school but I still prefer a CD.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers today?
RH: Oh man, I could ramble on forever unfortunately! I think the biggest thing people need to keep in mind is that they need to support the music they enjoy if they want it to exist. Just because you can get it for free doesn’t make it right. We’ve all made copies of stuff and burned CD’s, etc. It’s been around ever since there was audio tape and probably even before that in bootleg vinyl. We’ve all swapped mix tapes around. That’s part of getting exposed to new stuff and getting turned onto it. But at some point you need to go out and by a CD, or a download or go see the band play. The system is there for a reason and it’s worked for many years for a reason. It takes a lot of time and money to expose an artist to the public and if you appreciate that and what they do, then support them with your money. Because they can’t keep dumping money into it if they don’t get any in return!
Thank you very much for your time and I look forward to watching your continued growth!
RH: Thank you Dennis for this opportunity!
For more information on Lens Records, please visit their official site at: http://www.lensrecords.com