Thick Records
An interview with Zak Einstein
by Jenn Zweig
Thick Records is a little over a year old and has already “sold out.” According to Zak, the label’s 24-year-old owner, Coca-Cola features Calliope on the soundtrack to one of their Olympic Games commercials. The ad has been running since January and will continue to air until July.
Warning: If you are ready to boycott this label, don’t. Zak isn’t a Michael Goldstein (Epic Records) and doesn’t send nude pictures of himself to young, cash-able bands. In fact, he’s quite against major labels, not only because two such labels stole some of his best employees, but because “major labels are all about chart position.” Zak claims, “For major labels, it’s all a numbers game.”
Zak remains loyal to his indie ideals, as many of the bands on Thick come unsolicited. Most bands are found through shows, the “shitload” of demo tapes Thick receives, or at random parties. When it comes to the actual selection of who will make it, Zak says, “I only release music that I like, the stuff that knocks me out.” So, what kind of music does he like? Well, let’s just say that most of the Thick bands tend to have a garage sound. Don’t worry, though, Thick doesn’t have just one sound. Look at SpeedDuster, a cross between country and hoe-down havoc, or The Laurels, a psychedelic punk noise band. Hey, does anyone wanna rave?
One exceptional feature about Thick are the actual records. Not only are they thick, but they’re pieces of art. You could hang these records on your wall and redecorate your apartment. Sides of the Back of Dave 7″ have renditions of Michelangelo paintings, and SpeedDuster have a devilish-looking Uncle Sam on their B-Side. Although Zak admits the process is a little expensive, he says, “It looks nice and does make us semi-unique among the millions of record labels out there. Plus, a lot of people think it’s cool, so we’ll keep doing it.”
Thick remains headquartered in Chicago where Zak describes the music community as very supportive. “There’s no backstabbing and everyone helps each other out. And as far as fun and entertainment go,” he laughs, “this is the 24-hour city. You gotta pace yourself.”
Look for new full lengths from Judge Nothing (pop-punk), The Laurels (slow psychedelic ‘core), Calliope (quirky space rock), and an Edsel picture disc (an indie pop/noise band from Washington D.C.).
