Paper Bag Records

Paper Bag Records
Founded	2002 (2002)
Distributor(s)	Outside Music (Can) The Orchard (US) Republic of Music (UK/EU)
Genre	Indie
Country of origin	Canada
Location	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Official website	www.paperbagrecords.com

Paper Bag Records is a Canadian independent record label, artist-management company and music publisher, founded in 2002 and based in Toronto, Ontario.

History

The label was created with the intention of focusing specifically on the Toronto-area indie rock music scene. Initial signings were Broken Social Scene and Stars with their breakthrough albums You Forgot It in People and Heart, respectively. The label helped launched the careers of controller.controller, Tokyo Police Club and Austra, amongst many others.

For two years in a row, Paper Bag Records had been given the title of 'Best Label' from Toronto's Now Magazine in each of NOW's 2008^[1] and 2009^[2] issues. Another highlight, in the August 2007 issue of US publication XLR8R, Paper Bag Records was voted #14 "Best Indie Label".^[3]

In 2011, four releases were long-listed^[4] for the Polaris Music Prize; Austra's Feel It Break', PS I Love You's Meet Me at the Muster Station, The Rural Alberta Advantage's Departing and Young Galaxy's Shapeshifting, with Feel It Break grabbing a nomination for the shortlist.^[5]

Paper Bag Records launched their "Paper Bag Digital" online store in June 2008, which features their entire catalog for purchase and download in mp3 and FLAC formats.^[6]

The Paper Bag Records series of vinyl releases are produced in very limited quantities, with each run between 300-500 copies. To make the vinyl even more of a collector's item, they are released on coloured 180-gram vinyl with silk-screened artwork.^[7]

Since the switch in management in 2009, Trevor Larocque, the only original founder still part of the company, made significant changes to the label's identity and improved its image. The Toronto Star in 2011 is quoted with a mention that the label is "having one of the best years of its existence"^[8] and in early 2012, Toronto's weekly paper The Grid recognized the label as a "cornerstone of Canadian music"^[9] and in September 2012, CBC Radio said the Paper Bag Records "could be the most influential label in Canada". Under this management, new bands joined the label; Elliott BROOD, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Born Ruffians, Young Galaxy, Cuff the Duke, PS I Love You, and are all enjoying success on an international level. In the summer of 2012, the label announced the addition of Montreal artists Tim Hecker, Moonface (Spencer Krug), Yamantaka // Sonic Titan and The Luyas to its roster.

In an effort to have the independent labels of Toronto come together on a project, Paper Bag Records played host to the first Independent Label Market event in Canada during NXNE 2013.

Label Roster (past and present)

Paper Bag Artist Management

• Cuff The Duke
• PS I Love You
• Young Galaxy
• Mozart's Sister
• The Luyas
• Grey Lands
• Frog Eyes

Awards and nominations

Juno Award ^[10]

Polaris Music Prize ^[11]

MuchMusic Video Award ^[12]

Plug Awards ^[13][14]

Western Canadian Music Awards ^[15]

Discography

See also

• List of record labels

References

External links

• Official site
• Paper Bag Digital (online store)
• Interview with founder Trevor Larocque (via Talk Rock To Me) August 10, 2012