Five Minutes With: Richmond Street Records

Students studying their Diploma of Music Business at Perth's Central Institute of Technology have been putting their music business learning to the test in a real-world music industry scenario. Tonight, they'll be launching this year's Richmond Street Records Compilation (that they curated themselves) with a live gig (that they've also organised themselves), at The Bird. 

The label was originally founded in 2010, as a means to develop the skills of the emerging music artists and music industry students studying at the Central Institute. Every year, the label puts out a compilation CD (read about previous years' releases HERE) presenting the best talent of that year, and then organises a showcase of the compilation's acts at a local venue. Running your own record label with your uni classmates sounds like a pretty fun way to get to know how to run a record label, manage bands, learn about music marketing, and put on gigs!

Pilerats had a chat to Kelly Miglori, the marketing manager for the label, who takes us behind the scenes of the label. Get along tonight to catch The Shallows, WABISABI, 404, Soapy Cactus, Bad Habit and Occasional Symmetry heating up the Bird stage - details on the poster at the end of the interview and HERE.

How did Richmond Street Records begin?

Richmond Street Records started in 2010 as a way to showcase the talent of Central Institute of Technology’s Music Performance and Production students. Whilst teaching the Music Business students the ins and outs of running an independent record label. This year we have a committee of 8, Diploma of Music Business students who are assisted by the lectures. The committee is in charge of running the label and the label’s activities.  The remainder of the class (13 students) assist the committee in carrying out tasks and decisions.

What’s the main focus of Richmond Street Records?

The main focus of Richmond Street Records is to release a compilation CD, Blender, showcasing the best talent and song-writing that Central Institute of Technology has to offer. This years is due for release in November.

Have any previous Richmond Street artists kicked off and become successful in WA, or even Australia?

Richmond Street Records played a hand the begings of Black Stone From The Sun and Kat Wilson amongst others.

Does the label get enough support from the industry network and other organisations?

As RSR is run by the students at central institute of technology the Tafe and the staff of the music department are very supportive and committed to the success of the label. In regards to industry, the course its self recognized by organisations such as WAM so all initiatives run by the students of CIT is shown support. Whether it is through industry attending RSR’s events or promotion. The label also seeks sponsorship from the wider community for its events, this year we have been lucky enough to have Minuteman Press Perth, IGA Mount Hawthorn, Gage Roads Brewery, Luna Cinemas Leederville, Flipside Burgers, Northbridge, Noise Pollution Records, Get Lucky Fremantle…to name a few

What’s the future of the label, do you have any grand plans to take it further?

The future of Richmond Street Records is for it to be an accessible platform for both music performance and business students to launch them into the industry, and for it to continue into the fore sable future.  We would like to see the label to run for 12 months of the year than just the final 6 months, and to CIT bands to release more material into the industry.

Local band Soapy Cactus, who will be playing the launch and are featured on the compilation:

Follow Richmond Street Records: FACEBOOK