Singles Club: The 21st century record club

Brooklyn-based record label launches 7″ singles series with digital journal.

It’s not altogether surprising to see that the old-fashioned record club is beginning to make a comeback. That vinyl has a new found popularity has been well documented and the thrill of getting an unknown 7″ in the post every three months is just an extension of this trend. What the concept of the record club does so well however, is incorporate a level of trust and recommendation which is also reflected in those flocking back into record shops for personalised tips. The internet may have opened up the world of music to use, but as first iPod shuffle and now Beats streaming have taught us, we’re basically desperate for someone to take control and just play us what we want to hear.

Step up Singles Club, a modern twist on a classic idea. Launched by Jeffrey Silverstein and his mate Chris, Singles Club is a record label that sources new talent and presses up 4 limited edition 7″ singles a year which are distributed to subscribers with a digital journal detailing the artist and story behind each release.

While Singles Club are keen to present a desirable product for their subscribers (note the 7″ box each release is presented in), the project is more about bolstering the relationship between artist and fan. As Jeff explains:

As musicians who have been performing in different projects for nearly a decade, we have come to learn the importance of having someone in your corner. Someone who encourages you, argues for you, believes in you, and allows you the artistic freedom to create exactly what you envision.

Earlier this year we began toying with the idea of placing ourselves on the other side of the line, becoming that source of support. We sought to release the music of artists we respect and believe in wholeheartedly. However, we were not sold on merely becoming another record label. We knew we could find a way to do something special for artists and bring them closer to their fans. Singles Club is what we came up with.

Having raised over $10,000 from a crowd-funding campaign, Singles Club are finally in a position to send their first issue out into the world, featuring young singer/songwriter Daniel Bachman, whose American primitive-style playing has seen him placed alongside the likes of Jack Rose and John Fahey.

Limited to just 250 copies each, you can listen to a sampler from the first volume of releases above and visit the Single Club website for more details.