Originally founded in 1994 by three NME writers to release the tragically forgotten ‘Shagging in the Streets’ EP in tribute to the tragically still remembered NME-coined New Wave of the New Wave, fierce panda has gone on to become one of the UK’s most venerated and respected indie institutions. Despite such inauspicious beginnings the label has overseen early releases from some of music’s brightest lights including Death Cab for Cutie, The Maccabees Ash and Coldplay and built a significant reputation for their high quality compilation albums. The latest such collection, in honour of their twentieth anniversary is the celebratory yet often melancholy ‘endangered: fierce panda 2004-2014’ whose vibe is self-described as “taken from a deserted old man’s pub in the middle of a long, lost afternoon”. Head (and fiercest) panda Simon Williams joined Elliott Homer for a chat about the high and low points of running a label the last two decades, the exciting new stuff they have coming soon and why their new compilation is so damn sad.
Congratulations on reaching twenty years as a label, it’s an incredible achievement. What’s the secret of fierce panda’s longevity?
Thank you very much. I think the secret is a hi-octane combination of stubbornness and complete stupidity. Also, it’s a bit topsy-turvy but I reckon one key to our long career is our lack of success: in 20 years we’ve never had a hit record and I’ve seen some of our nearest and dearest labels killed by having one – either they have a massive number one album and then waste their time and money trying to replicate that success and become totally disillusioned, or they try to create a hit single out of nothing and it costs them so much money they go bust. Steady Eddies, that’s us.
Did you think when you were putting together the ‘Decade…’ collection ten years ago you’d still be around in another ten years?
We didn’t think we’d be around for another ten minutes, to be honest with you.
Fair enough. What have been your highlights of the last two decades as a label?
The last 20 years has been such a blur of good times and fabulous musical achievements it’s hard to pick a highlight but the other day I did come across an old panda paper newsletter from 2003 which flagged up imminent new releases by Keane, Six By Seven, The Polyphonic Spree and Death Cab For Cutie, so it sounds like that must have definitely been a good time.
How about the hard times, there must have been moments when you thought about packing it in. Do you have any regrets or things you would have done differently?
The last 20 years has been smothered by such a grey fug of failed releases and shattered dreams it’s hard to pick a particular low point. We are working in the music business after all, so barely a day goes by without getting the massive urge to jack it all in and go sell ice cream on Felixstowe promenade – there’s a clear reason why our birthday album is called ‘endangered:..’
fierce panda began at the very height of Britpop and it shows in your roster in those fledgling years with releases by acts like Ash, Supergrass and The Bluetones. Yet, unlike so many indie labels of that era, you’re still going. Have you lasted so long by sticking to a core philosophy or have you had to change with the times?
Well the core music philosophy is simply to put out stuff I like, whether that be Coldplay or The Computers or The Crookes. Sometimes those choices have dovetailed with the public at large, and more often than not the large public has looked at us like we’re mentalists. We’ve definitely adapted though, like everyone else has had to – we put out a lot fewer coloured vinyl 7″ singles now, for a start. Those old Royal Mailed A4 newsletters are now emailed out to the indie hordes. And some of our recent releases by the likes of The Hosts and Tom Hickox are mature affairs which are at the other end of the musical scale to those buzzy Britpop bands.
Let’s talk about the ‘endangered:…’ compilation; there’s something joyously perverse in releasing a compilation that is bound to bring everyone to tears. Does that give some insight into the working of the minds behind fierce panda?
Definitely. We’re weird, slightly twisted panda people who’ll always be found killing time in the kitchen at parties anyway. Besides that, you do get to a certain dignified point where the pace of life becomes more sedate, and the ‘endangered:…’ album pretty much captures this moment in time, made up as it is of some of the mightiest, saddest songs we’ve released over the past ten years. We are working in an environment where if you are an independent indie label it’s an incredible struggle to keep going nowadays. ‘Decade’ documented those early days of Ash and The Bluetones and Coldplay and Death Cab and it was knockabout fun, capturing the spirit of 2004 when real record sales were still real record sales. Now it’s a billion times tougher out there for 99 per cent of the industry, so the “celebrations” are understandably a touch more muted.
Some of the songs included like The Walkmen’s ‘In the New Year’ are simply heartbreaking. What makes a truly great sad song?
It’s all about emotional resonance isn’t it? Trying to strike a chord by playing the saddest chord in the world – D minor, I think. That, and bringing in a bloody weepy string section. We wanted to take people on a journey with ‘endangered:…’ and a lot of miserable thought went in to it, but ultimately the greatest saddest songs should be uplifting rather than mopey.
It’s beside the point but what, in your opinion, is the greatest sad song?
‘Open Up Your Door’ by Richard Hawley has a really bloody uplifting weepy string section. And ‘Bloodrush’ by Bark Psychosis is seven minutes of post-rock emotional terror.
We ask all our featured interview subjects to select three songs for the playlist of the Gigslutz monthly radio show. Would you like to name three of your favourites from the fierce panda catalogue?
Ummmm…‘No Joy In Mudville’ by Death Cab For Cutie, which is a sad song. ‘Porchlight’ by Seafood, which is a bit less sad. And, from the ‘endangered:…’ album itself, ‘Sovereign’ by Ultrasound, which is really, really sad. There’s a theme developing here…
What does the future hold for fierce panda? What upcoming releases can we look forward to?
We’re actually going to perk things up a bit after all this maudlin introspection and have ourselves some summer fun. The Crookes’ fervent third album is upon us, then comes a farewell of sorts from Zulu Winter, and then we’re putting put out the third album by an American band I’m not at liberty to reveal just yet but it sounds like Prefab Sprout gone shoegazing.
And finally, how much more do you have in the tank? Another twenty years?
To paraphrase one of our own feeble jokes if we last another 20 minutes we’ll be doing pretty darned well…
We hope for a little longer than that! Thanks for talking to Gigslutz, Simon!
The ‘endangered: fierce panda 2004-2014’ collection is out now and comes free with any purchase made at the fierce panda online store at http://www.fiercepanda.co.uk/shop.php.
This month, fierce panda come under Amazon’s Label Spotlight where they are offering a free 8 track download titled ‘survival? a fierce panda sampler’ as well as discounts on classic fierce panda releases for the whole of April. Follow the link here
‘Soapbox’ by The Crookes is released next Monday (14th April) on fierce panda.
Latest posts by Elliott Homer (see all)
- ALBUM: Desperate Journalist ‘Desperate Journalist’ - January 19, 2015
- ALL TALK: What’s the Worst Cover Version ever? - December 18, 2014
- FOR THE RECORD: Lupen Crook – ACCIDENTS OCCUR WHILST SLEEPING (2006) - December 7, 2014
