Simon Raymonde is an English musician, record-producer and managing director of popular record label Bella Union. Simon is also well known for his contribution, as bass guitarist and keyboard player with the Cocteau Twins from 1983 to 1997.

What is your job, and what does it entail?

It’s not really a job is it?! I spend all day listening to music, meeting bands, going to gigs all over the world, then helping some of those bands make good choices and better music. Thats the gist of it, to explain it in a sentence! I have a staff of five and we work with a marketing and international distribution network of around 50 more who help us do what we do all over the world and that requires a lot of management and a lot

of headspace. I also co-manage an artist with my wife, which is super fun and requires doing even more work than running a label does! I love work so I say that in a positive sense!

 

I moved out of London in 2013 for the first time since birth, down to Brighton, so I spend more time in my studio down here, teaching myself the drums, writing music, and then as the studio doubles up as my office,

I spend a lot of time dealing with the label stuff, or management stuff then head up to london or wherever in mid-afternoon for a show, and then catch the last train home to be in bed by about 3am. Then up again at 9am to start over.

 

Grew up around London. My Dad was a famous songwriter/arranger but my own obsessions with music didn¹t crystallize ’til punk in 1976. After I left school in 1980 I got a job in Beggars Banquet Record shop in Kensington and this was very simply my gateway into what I am now doing. I started a band that got signed by Situation 2, who along with 4AD and Beggars were based upstairs from the shop. Cocteau Twins at that point were a duo and as my own band wasn’t exactly starting any riots, when Elizabeth (Fraser) and Robin (Guthrie) asked if I¹d like to join theirs, I was happy to oblige!

 

Massively. While books and magazines tell a story of antagonism with 4AD, it¹s important to note that during the 10 years the band was signed to the independent, not all of it was as it has been painted. Ivo Watts-Russell was a wonderful influence on all of us, we were barely in our twenties when we met him. His love and patronage of Cocteau Twins in those early years was of course very flattering and we lapped it up. Yes, things fell apart, sadly over stuff like money and business things, and yes, that is all well-documented, but if I hadn’t learnt not just from the bad but from the good, then I am sure my progress with my own label would have been slower. The major label experience 1992-1997 was ultra painful and the easiest thing to learn from that was never work with majors if you have any artistic notions. Art is not what majors excel at. We worked that out eventually, but sadly too late.

 

Actually, Midlake was not just via demo but through seeing them after a tip off from Andy Young from Lift to Experience (a short-lived band on Bella Union, who were fronted by Josh T. Pearson). Nowadays I only sign a band if I like them as people and if they seem to like me! Life is really too short to be working with artists who don¹t see eye to eye with you on the important stuff. I have a good instinct on people and mostly get it right, but I am sure that¹s also in huge part down to luck. Sometimes a band might be a way off fulfilling their potential but if you hear the spark, feel that energy, then take a punt on it. Nothing more rewarding than watching that potential come to fruition.

 

Probably I would yes. If you have a passion for anything, that has to be a good thing and if you can have some fun with it, and not have too high an expectation on it financially then that¹s the best way to start. The limitations are mostly in your mind.

 

Without new plants it will be difficult and new plants look unlikely in short term. I feel the bubble will burst eventually as the thirst for more and more limited, colour vinyl’s is becoming almost unquenchable. But a recording business world without any vinyl has very little appeal to me, so I hope something gives soon!

 

They’re all the best of people. Duncan (Jordan) who does our press is clearly one of the main reasons our bands do so well. He is a legend and works sooooo hard for all the artists and cares about it as much as I do.  He¹s been there since around 2001and I cannot imagine him not being there for ever more! Mark, Luke, Anika and Danielle (our most recent addition) are not just workmates, they¹re adorable friends and I can¹t speak highly enough of them. They¹re young, hard working and always trying to improve things for us and the bands. I try and give them more and more responsibility than I ever would have imagined I would a few years ago and it’s rewarding to watch that paying off.

 

I live in Hove and adore it. Wish I¹d moved 10 years ago.

 

Yes most nights I go to see a band. JAMBINAI from Korea, were unbelievable. BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE with HOLLY MACVE at St Georges Church was astounding. ALL recent MERCURY REV shows ( I saw 6) were staggering. I think they just keep getting better and better.

 

The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place, by EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY

 

PROMISE AND THE MONSTER, LOWLY.

 

NO.

 

I started a new band called LOST HORIZONS (more on that in 2016)!