HEY BRYON! HOW ARE YOU DOING? 

- Hey Christer, I am doing great.  I am just trying to get back in the swing of everything after the holidays.  It is a new year and I'm trying to figure out what I am doing with the label this year. Trying to figure out how to make it better this year. 

I'M REALLY INTO LOOKING UP SMALL INDEPENDENT LABELS AND YOURS IS ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? WHAT MAKES KISS OF DEATH SO SPECIAL?

- Thanks, I am flattered, but it is the bands and records that make the label what it is.  I am not sure what makes KOD so special but I like to think I have pretty good taste in music and people.  I kind of put a few guidelines in place when I first started it up so I would keep the integrity of the label in place.  I think these ideas are what guaranteed that we have worked with great people in amazing bands so far. Here is the basic outline of how we operate: 

We have 3 simple guidelines that determine if we want to put out a record:
1) We need to like the music.
2) We need to meet and like the people in the band (Punk Rock is about people and ideas more than just a sound).
3) We need to see the band play live. (Again, Punk is about the people and the moment not the just a recording). 

For Kiss Of Death, that is what putting out punk records is about. If we can get behind it, then it is worth our energy to release the record.  Obviously, we hope people will like and buy the releases but the basis for working with a band is the knowledge that we want to put out a band's record regardless of the amount of records that sell or how marketable it is!  We can only work as hard for a band as they are willing to work for themselves. A record label does not make a break any band! 

THE LABEL HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE NOW. EXACTLY WHEN DID YOU START THINGS UP?

- The idea of this label was talked about in the early 2000's. I did not actually get the label started until late 2005 but our first release did not really come out until early 2006.  So we are only about three years old and we have put out almost 30 releases so far, it is kind of crazy.  

YEAH, THAT IS CRAZY, IT'S LIKE 10 RECORDS A YEAR. ALMOST A NEW RELEASE EVERY MONTH.

- Yeah it was only four releases the first year so it has been really crazy.  I actually aim to get twelve done a year because I  thought it would be a  comfortable pace  to come out once a month but they seem to clump together and I will have eight of them come out in three months.  It causes a terrible train-wreck for a minute but we manage to keep it going.

DO YOU HAVE TO TURN DOWN A LOT OF BANDS WHO WANTS TO WORK WITH YOU? I MEAN, YOU MUST HAVE A SHITLOAD OF DEMOS COMING YOUR WAY, RIGHT?

- We have been getting a ton of demos and I try and check them all out, I intend to write people back and let them know what I think but I end up filling them away and don’t respond.  I have never worked with a band just because of the demo, I might pay more attention to them after I get a demo but it takes more than a demo to work with a band.  I also think it is crazy that people email/myspace me and ask me to sign their band.  Obviously they have no clue what the label is about.  We have never done a contract or anything like that.  Bands should do whatever they need to do, I don’t want to own them.  I want to meet people before I work with them.  I want to check them out at a show. I want to feel like I did at my first show years ago. 

WHAT MADE YOU START KISS OF DEATH IN THE FIRST PLACE? ARE YOU PLAYING MUSIC YOURSELF?

- I do play in New Bruises and that was kind of the catalyst to get this all started.  We recorded “Transmit! Transmit!” and we were looking for a record label to work with us on putting out the record.  We had a few good offers but I really wanted to try and pick up where I had left off with my last band.  So I was talking to Tony (No Idea and The Fest) about our situation and he suggested that I start up a label and put out our own records.  It was the right time so I ran with the idea and It grew kind of fast. 

WHO ELSE IS INVOLVED IN THE LABEL?

- I am lucky to get a lot of help from other people that are awesome enough to donate their time.  I do most of the work with the bands and getting the preproduction stuff done for the record like making sure the layouts, mastering and so on is done for the release.  I have people such as Jasmine, Kelly, and Vic who have or still come in and help out with the mail-order.  I have other friends such as Eric the red, Glenn, Tanya, Evette, and my wife Emily that help assemble the records.  So I would be even more swamped If I wasn’t getting as much help as I do. 
 
IS KISS OF DEATH A FULL-TIME THING FOR YOU OR DO YOU HAVE TO WORK A LOT TO MAKE ENDS MEET?

- That would be rad if it was my only job but sadly enough it is not. The label is not at the point that it supports anyone yet.  All the money that has brought in goes right back into the label.  I actually hope 2009 is the year I can hire someone to help and pay them decently because it has become a fulltime job on top of my other jobs.  I actually have a subcontracting business that does Audio/Visual Installation in commercial buildings and I am co-owner in silk-screening shop called Vertical Merchandise (verticalmerch.com) that does shirts, stickers and stuff mostly for bands and record labels. 

YOU CERTAINLY SEEM LIKE ONE BUSY DUDE. DO YOU EVER GET ANY TIME OFF AT ALL?

- Yeah actually, sometimes we tour which is time off from work.  I also went to Australia last summer for three weeks with my family.  I guess because I work so much I try to have awesome vacations.  But I try and make sure to keep up with everything while I am gone.

BY NOW YOU'VE GOT QUITE AN IMPRESSIVE BACK-CATALOUGE. DID YOU THINK YOU'D BE AROUND THIS LONG WHEN YOU FIRST GOT STARTED? MOST INDEPENDENT LABELS ONLY LAST A FEW 7-INCHES.

- Thanks; I am not sure I approached Kiss Of Death with a great strategy.  So I was not sure I would make it the first year.  It is definitely a labor of love.  It is hard to remain DIY and pay the bills.  There are a ton of upfront bills to pay and then besides direct sales you wait months to get paid by distributors to pay if you sell anything.  It is not for the weak hearted! 

I guess I just did what I could afford and have been lucky that most of the releases have sold well enough to keep this going.   I also put a few of them on credit cards, in hindsight it was dumb but it worked.  I think one of the distributors at one point gave me shitty advice but they were kind of right.  I asked them what typical terms were to get paid on records that I had on consignment.  Their responses was simple; If you want to get paid put out more records and make sure people want them.  Basically implying when a distributor wants more or new records they tend to pay you so you will send them more, kind of like a fucked up version of supply and demand for the DIY labels.

SOME OF YOUR RELEASES ARE CO-RELEASED WITH OTHER LABELS LIKE TEAM SCIENCE OR ADD RECORDS. IN WHAT WAY DO YOU THINK CO-RELEASING A RECORD IS A GOOD IDEA BESIDES THE OBVIOUS ECONOMICAL AND DISTRIBUTIONAL ASPECTS?

- For the record, I have worked with other labels just because I am stoked on the label and the people who run them.  Sometimes the bands have brought the other label to the table and it felt right.  I tend to only work in my comfort zone, so I try and listen to my gut when making those decisions.  It actually can get kind of weird with the distribution because you have two labels hitting up the same distributors and you only save money because usually you are only fronting half of it.  I have noticed with most of the time one label spearheads the release so it can get done effectively, the whole too many cooks in the kitchen theory. So ultimately I do because it is fun and cool to work with other people not really for any benefit of it at this point. 

YOU'RE BASED IN TAMPA, FLORIDA. YOUR STATE HAS, IN MY OPINION, ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING ALTERNATIVE SCENES. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

- I guess it is a dual edged sword.  Not all touring bands come all the way down into Florida.  It can be viewed as a waste of time because you drive down in and back out.  Most other places are on route to another city so it is not a big deal to play Texas because it is on the way to, or from, each coast.  So maybe the isolation forced Floridians to work harder to create their own scene and bands.  It also had a less outside influence which may have helped create more of its own identity.  I am not actually a Florida native so my perspective may be a little skewed.  I moved down here from Pennsylvania like nine years ago and have fallen in love with Tampa. 

SO FAR, YOU'VE PUT OUT RECORDS WITH BANDS LIKE VIRGINS, MONIKERS, SHAKING HANDS, NMDS AND THE MEASURE (SA) TO NAME ONLY A FEW. WHICH RELEASE ARE YOU THE MOST PROUD OF AND WHY?

- I am stoked on everything we have done so far.  I am not sure if I have a favorite but I am proud of a bunch.  I think the New Bruises “Transmit! Transmit!” is special to me partially because it was my band and the other part because it was the first record we released.  It was a long drawn-out learning experience and labor of love, but it was rewarding.  It felt like the record would never come out, no one was interested in picking it up for distro, but I made it work and it is one of the best selling records on the label still.  It worked out enough that we put out more records.  The Witches With Dicks record felt like a new peak.  Many people have proclaimed that it is the best record Kiss Of Death has ever put out.  I think the response of that record and the Monikers EP made me push hard to make the label better than what it was. 
 
MOST KOD RELEASES ARE ON VINYL WHICH IS PART OF WHY I LIKE THE LABEL SO MUCH. WITH THE TECHNOLOGY OF TODAY (MYSPACE, MP3'S) THE CD HAS LOST ALL OF ITS VALUE. HOW HAS THIS EFFECTED INDEPENDENT LABELS YOU THINK? HAS VINYL-SALES GONE UP OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS?

- I feel like people are more interested in having the vinyl. Iam sure it has gone up. It is hard to tell but Vinyl is a greatmedium.  It is analog and sounds the way our ears can hear it.  Plus it is large tangible piece of wax that connects you to the band.  Plus it is a commitment to listening. It takes work to put a record on and sit down and listen to it.  They have to be taken care of and loved.  That is a lot in the generation of iTunes and iPods.  Sadly enough though, I am guilty of mostly listening to music on my computer and in my truck.  I am kind of busy all the time and make every intention of relaxing and listening to vinyl but almost never do.  I have a huge pile of records to listen to when I do though.

I'VE SEEN THE KISS OF DEATH LOGO ON THE POSTERS OF BOTH THE FEST AND THE HARVEST OF HOPE FESTIVAL. IN WHAT WAY IS YOUR LABEL HELPING OUT AT THESE EVENTS AND CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT HARVEST OF HOPE IS ALL ABOUT?

- I help sponsor some of the events.  We don’t do much more than a monetary contribution or something valued as the equivalent.  It helps get the label noticed a little but mostly just saying that we are stoked on what things are going on.  Obviously, The FEST is a blast and I love being involved on any level of that.
  The Harvest of Hope Foundation's Mission is to provide emergency and educational aid to migrant farmworkers and their families is extremely limited and often not available.  Thus, it is the goal of the Harvest of Hope Foundation to fill in the gaps in service to this most hard-working yet needy group of seasonal migrant workers and families by distributing funds to pay for gas, tires, car repairs, rent, utilities, medical services, food, clothing, funeral expenses and educational scholarships. The Harvest of Hope Fest is to help raise money for this cause. 

OK, SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF YOUR RECORDS. RECENTLY YOU PUT OUT A REALLY COOL 4-WAY SPLIT CALLED "INCESTIVAL". TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT ONE.

- Yeah that seven inch is rad. I wanted them to call it “Nine Dudes, Four Bands” which kind of explains the release.  Sam from New Mexican Disaster Squad decide to start and new band called Virgins with Eric from Polluted Youth and Phil.  Shortly after, two other members from NMDS (Alex and Richard) got together with Nick from Polluted Youth and Quilty to start Gatorface.  This record features the last (and maybe the best) NMDS song ever recorded and artwork from HORSEBITES.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE KOD RELEASES IS LAST YEARS' MONIKERS ALBUM "WAKE UP". YOU'VE DONE NUMEROUS RELEASES WITH THAT BAND. WHAT IS IT ABOUT MONIKERS THAT YOU LIKE SO MUCH?

- Monikers are the best dudes and the oldest members of the KOD family. I knew Ryan from back in the Discount days, so we reconnected at there first show.  The second show I saw them at, I asked if they would do an EP with me.  They have remained loyal to the label and helped it grow. I have tried to help them as much as I can.  I will do any release they ask me to put out. I am always stoked on what they are doing! 

I LOVE THE COVER ARTWORK OF THAT MONIKERS RECORD WHICH WAS DONE BY DESIGNER SKULL WITH HAIR. HOW IMPORTANT IS THE DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF A RECORD? HOW MUCH INPUT DO YOU AS A LABEL-REPRESENTATIVE HAVE ON THE ARTWORK. ARE YOU PICKY OR DO THE BANDS GET TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT?

- I think the layout and design is really important to the record.  It can make a statement and represent the band.  I am more interested in things that appeal to me so I wanted to make sure that all the releases have a good look to them.  There is no right or wrong designer or way to do it.  I just want them to look good, I do occasionally veto some artwork or send it back to get reworked but I am pretty open to working with the band and their concept of what they want the record to look like.  I push them to find artists and have them do the design work.  I put my final approval on the layout so I can one hundred percent get behind the record.  That is the most important thing. you have to back what you are doing.  I don’t make money doing the label so it is all based on my gut.  I put out the records for bands I can get behind.  I love being stoked on new records and the artwork plays a role in all or it… 

SO, WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP FOR KISS OF DEATH? YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT YOU GOT A LOT OF NEW STUFF COMING OUR WAY THIS YEAR.

- Yeah I am trying to work harder for the bands and I am trying to keep working with the bands and people that want to stay on my roster.  I already have 13 releases lined up for this year and I am sure that something will change and there will be some releases that get added so it will get pretty crazy. Here is the sample of 2009 for KOD:

Guiltmaker "Dilemmas" CD & LP
O Pioneers "Neon Creeps" LP
Banner Pilot "Resignation Day" LP
Whiskey Trench “Television” Full Length
North Lincoln 7"
Chillerton 7"
Jonesin / Fellow Project "Split" 7"
Pretty Boy Thorson / Rest Of Us "Split" 7"
The Knockdown / How Dare You "Split" 7"
The Measure (SA) "Split" 7" (Other Band TBA)
Rad Horses – 7” or Split 7”
New Bruises – Full Length or 7”
Monikers – Full Length or  7” 

WELL THAT'S QUITE A LIST TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR! IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE? A BAND YOU'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND? MAYBE SOME TIPS FOR SOMEONE WHO'S LOOKING TO START THEIR OWN LABEL?

- Check out Rad Horses it is a side project I started with friends that is fast punk stuff and we intend to have a blast with it. On an honest point, if anyone wants to start a label make sure you are one hundred percent behind the band because you like it and are down with people in the band.  Even if it does not sell well you can still be stoked you put it out and you will always back it regardless.  If you try and figure out what sells or an angle to sell the release it is like the kiss of death, you are doomed to fail.  Make your release legitimate.

  I stumbled across this interview I did a few years ago and I think it is still pretty much how I feel: 

“It was kind of a hard pill to swallow when we realized that ‘the scene’ we participated in – Eric, Murray and I spent most of our lives going to shows and being punk rock. At least a good fifteen years now and I would have never guessed that it would be so marketable. ‘Punk’ (for lack of better terms) has become easy and pop culture. You can find it in the malls and parents think it is a safe alternative. Football players warm up to ‘punk’ songs to get psyched up before a game and every teen movie have a ‘punk’ band in the soundtrack. This is not what I grew up with. I believe there is still an underground subculture, but this can't be it. You cannot have a subculture unless you have a culture to begin with and it seems like ‘punk’ is the culture. I guess I feel kind of strongly about keeping punk underground, but not as a secret society.”

OK BRYON. IT WAS REAL FUN TO TALK TO YOU! THANKS FOR DOING THE INTERVIEW AND GOOD LUCK WITH WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO TAKE ON.

- Thanks and Get Stoked! 

KISS OF DEATH RECORDS | LINKS:
Official Kiss Of Death Website
MySpace Profile

DIRECT LINK TO THIS INTERVIEW:
http://www.mutinyzine.com/interview81.html

ALL PHOTOS/ IMAGES USED WITH PERMISSION.