Inside Scuffed Recordings

Starting an independent record label can be an amazing opportunity to promote the music you love and build up artists working in your scene. I started Scuffed Recordings in 2017 along with Ian DPM and since then we’ve been nominated for awards by BBC Radio 1 and DJ Mag, promoted events up and down the UK, and released music from a global roster of artists. 

The barriers to making and promoting music have never been lower, which is a great thing in some ways, but for artists and labels that means it’s harder than it’s ever been to grab listeners’ attention with what you’re doing. We created Scuffed to support emerging artists, provide a platform for underground sounds, and cultivate a community around UK-influenced club music. 

Scuffed began as - and in most ways has always been - a passion project, driven by a shared love for discovering and showcasing fresh talent. Back in 2016, I had a radio show and I was constantly finding music by brand-new artists that weren’t getting played much elsewhere. Ian was running his YouTube channel, Definite Party Material, where he was uploading and premiering a lot of music I loved. A flurry of DMs later, we decided to start a label, and in 2017 we released the first Scuffed EP. 

If you’re on your way to starting a label, it’s important to have a purpose in mind. Our driving force has always been uplifting new artists and bringing fresh sounds to the forefront, and I’m super proud of the fact that we’ve played our part in the careers of some of the most exciting new names in electronic music. At the same time, there’s a lot to be said for not knowing exactly what you’re doing and muddling through a bit. Here are a few tips I’ve learned during seven years of muddling through.

Scuffed has always been about releasing club-focussed music, so when it came to naming the label, the names we were throwing around were all based around the idea of wearing yourself out dancing. At one point we were talking about blisters - I’m glad we ended up toning it down and landing on Scuffed, referring to messing your shoes up on the dancefloor.

We’ve never thought of the label as being a “brand” as such but our “Scuffed Guy” logo, designed by the incredible Morgan Hislop, has become such an important part of our identity as a label. It’s appeared on all our release artwork and merch since day one, and meant that we’ve always had a memorable and recognisable visual style, even when we were doing everything on a shoestring budget. Shout out to all the other designers we’ve worked with over the years - Tessa, Todd, Finlay, and Branca Studio - for taking that style and running with it in their own way.

Running a label can be expensive, and the costs can quickly rack up - think artwork, mastering, promo mailouts, PR, marketing budget, and that’s even before you get on to the can of worms that is vinyl or physical releases.

Ian and I decided early on to do as much as we could ourselves, or with the help of friends, when it came to running the label. One example of this is our DJ promo mailouts - we’ve built up our list of contacts ourselves over the years by getting in touch with our favourite DJs directly to get their contact info. Compared to paying a promo company to do our mailouts, we might miss out on getting our releases to some of the top tier DJs that are more protective with their details, but we have a more personal connection with those DJs we are in touch with, and the difference in cost is huge.

We apply that DIY approach to as many aspects of the label that we’re able to, which has meant that we’re always learning new things and keeping as much of the label under our own control as we can. For things we aren’t able to do in-house - artwork or mastering, for example - we’ve always put the call out to people we know for their recommendations. Not only will it be a more personal experience to work with a friend (or a friend of a friend), but if they’re into what you’re doing, they’ll likely want to build an ongoing relationship and might give you a better rate.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of running Scuffed has been building a community around the label, and building the label into the music community. I know ‘community’ is pretty much a buzzword in dance music at this point, but my advice in a nutshell is to meet cool people through music, and then do cool stuff with them. That’s pretty much the ethos!

For me, radio has always been an important part of what I do musically. Ian and I currently have a label show on Rinse FM, and before that I was on Reprezent Radio, which is where I met so many friends and people that I’ve collaborated with on various projects, like No Edits, the monthly event we put on in London and Bristol. For others, that circle of friends might come from running parties, setting up a YouTube channel or Discord, or just being a familiar face that people see out at clubs. To give you another example, some of the best artists we’ve worked with have been the ones that other artists or people in our scene have introduced us to.

However you do it, having that personal element will mean that the work your label is doing will be way more meaningful and you’ll be much more invested in the ecosystem of your scene.

In the early days of the label, we kept things really simple and kept our budgets tight. Our corner of electronic music is relatively small so making profits has never been the priority for us, but it’s also important to keep things sustainable financially, be realistic and to be able to pay your artists wherever you can.

The label now sustains itself financially, and any extra revenue mostly gets reinvested into other projects or causes - whether that’s future releases, merch, or donating to causes we believe in. We’re not living off the label by any means, but we give ourselves a little bonus once a year and treat ourselves to a nice dinner every so often. If you’re just starting out, it’s really important to be realistic about your financial situation, while allowing yourself the freedom to make creative decisions you believe in.

As the label has grown, so have our tastes; if you listen to the label back catalogue, you’re pretty much following mine and Ian’s taste over time.

When we started out, we were a lot more rigid in what we defined as ‘the sound of the label’, but over time we’ve become much more open-minded about the sounds we release. Ironically enough, it was when clubs were shut during the pandemic that we threw caution to the wind and decided that we shouldn’t limit ourselves as much by genre or BPM, and that period saw some of our best releases.

Being open-minded also means being open to taking a chance on new artists that aren’t well-established yet. Of course you’re going to want to know more about an artist when they send you their demos, but it’s important not to base your creative decisions off an artist’s streaming numbers or their follower count. We’ve signed some of our best releases and made some of our longest-lasting relationships with artists with no profile who had emailed us out of the blue.

Staying open to new sounds and new artists is essential when you’re running a label - it means you can keep evolving and keep things fresh. In the same breath, it’s equally important to stay true to your mission and not change things up in order to follow trends

Here are some principles that have guided us since we started Scuffed that you might find useful too:

• Know Why You’re Starting: Have a clear purpose, whether it’s releasing music by your friends, representing your city’s sound, or promoting a sound that isn’t getting a spotlight anywhere else.

• Do as Much as You Can In-House: Managing as many aspects of the label yourself or with friends will help you build invaluable skills, support your circle, and save money in the long run.

• Build Your Community: For me, running a label is about creativity and meeting like-minded people first and foremost. It’s an amazing opportunity to meet and build friendships with others, whether that’s through radio, clubs, or online.

• Listen with an Open Mind: Avoid judging demos based on an artist’s following or social stats. Prioritise the music and the relationship you have with the artist.

• Put Artists First: Transparent communication is essential, especially regarding payments and release performance. Build relationships that artists value and want to continue.

Running a label is time-consuming, but the rewards are immense. From seeing our artists succeed to being part of a thriving scene, the journey with Scuffed has been creatively fulfilling, and ultimately a lot of fun.