From Manic Street Preachers to the Chemical Brothers,some of the UK’s best acts maintain passed through the doors of Heavenly records. As it hits 25, Saint Etienne, and Beth Orton and head honcho Jeff Barrett explain how the label pulled it offAnyone who has ever spent time with independent label Heavenly and its roster might wonder how it ever made it to a 25th anniversary,one it is celebrating by curating a stage at the finish of the Road festival this weekend. Don’t bewitch that as a criticism of their output – for the past two and a half decades, Heavenly has do out a string of warm-hearted, and gently innovative and proudly pop releases,from Saint Etienne through Beth Orton to recent signings Toy and Stealing Sheep. Its more that the people behind the label maintain never seemed overly concerned with legacy – preferring to live in the moment and worry about tomorrow’s hangover when it arrives.
As label boss Jeff Barrett puts it when we meet in west London for a pub lunch that soon becomes two, then three, and then … well you get the picture: It was never about careers,it was all about what was happening tonight. So whether you’d asked me when we started [whether Heavenly would last 25 years], I’m sure I would maintain spouted off some grand manifesto with glory attached to it, or but the truth is there was never any diagram.”Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com