The Polyvinyl Podcast
Podcast Summary
Over the course of the last 25 years, Polyvinyl Record Co. has grown from an idea in the heads of two excitable music fans into one of the more versatile and artistically driven record labels of its kind, working with a roster of well over 100 artists and consistently pushing independent music in new directions. In commemoration of this landmark birthday, we’ve put together The Polyvinyl Podcast to chronologically tell the story of how Polyvinyl has evolved over the last quarter of a century.
With our host Fred Thomas, along with Polyvinyl staffers Natalie Dávila, Andy De Santis, and Seth Hubbard, we sat down and talked to just some of the folks who have been part of Polyvinyl’s enduring legacy, conducting dozens of interviews with artists such as American Football, Alvvays, Japandroids, Jeff Rosenstock, Julia Jacklin, Kero Kero Bonito, of Montreal, Laura Jane Grace, STRFKR, Xiu Xiu and many more.
With each episode, we’ll get deep into every era, moving from DIY beginnings to where the label is at today, and reflect on how Polyvinyl and their family of artists have navigated the ever-changing landscape of the music industry while holding on to core beliefs of positivity, kindness, and good music for all you good people.
Yumi Zouma - Truth or Consequences Album Planning & Release
Yumi Zouma’s third studio album, Truth or Consequences, was released on March 13, 2020. Planning for the album’s release started in the fall of 2019 and required extensive project management and communication, as each member of the band lived in different countries throughout the process (US, UK, NZ). Lots and lots of weekly Zoom calls!
In addition to collaborating closely with the band on assets such as the album’s bio, music videos, and press photos, I was responsible for coming up with a social media timeline / announcement strategy with the goal of keeping existing fans excited and engaged while converting new fans along the way. I was also responsible for managing the album’s advertising budget as well as making sure our AUS/NZ & Japanese label partners had approved content and promotional assets throughout the campaign.
I also designed the band’s official website (https://www.yumizouma.com), making sure to stick to existing branding guidelines.
Polyvinyl Records 4-Track Singles Series
Over the years, Polyvinyl has released 3 volumes of the “4-Track Singles Series,” a limited edition 7” subscription series available only through our online store. Each series featured 2 exclusive songs from 12 artists (1 per month). What made the series unique was that each artist recorded on the same Tascam 4-track tape machine.
For example, once artist A was done recording their 2 songs, they sent us the tapes and shipped the machine to artist B, and the process would continue until all 12 artists had finished recording their tracks.
Vol. 2 (pictured above & below) featured artwork from influential illustrator, Jesse LeDoux. Each cover was strategically designed to be viewed as one piece of art once all 12 singles were completed.
In addition to helping with general planning and execution throughout the series, I was responsible for all the product photography, as well as managing the publicity campaign. The series was featured in publications such as Pitchfork, Stereogum, Rolling Stone, and others.
Alvvays / Apple Music Billboard @ Coachella 2018
In 2018, I collaborated with Polyvinyl’s Graphic Designer and the team at Apple Music to help facilitate the creation of a billboard to promote Alvvays’ latest album, Antisocialites, as well as the band’s performance at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival that year. I was responsible for pushing the project to the finish line while making sure the band was happy with the final design.
