| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 6
A Publication of Local Umbrella Media
A Pacific Records Summer! / New Releases & More
JUNE 2022 BY BART MENDOZA © MUSICSCENESD // MUSICSCENESD.COM
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San Diego has a number of noted record labels, but few have made an impact as significant as Pacific Records. Since its founding in 2003, the label has released music by national artists such as O-Town and Chris Declercq featuring Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, as well as a slew of San Diego based performers ranging from Sprung Monkey to Rebecca Jade. The label has hit the ground running in 2022 with numerous releases due before year’s end. Most recently Pacific Records artists Slack Key Ohana, featuring label CEO and entertainment attorney Brian Witkin, took home the award for “Best World Music Album” for their self-titled debut, while Skyler Lutes also received a “Best Local Recording” trophy for his album, Rewind. “We’ve never been busier,” said Witkin. He notes audiences have been enthusiastically returning concerts. “I feel really good about the future of music. There’s been so much pent-up demand, for live music in particular, that shows and attendance have both really bounced back because both the performers and audience are so happy to be there.” Having just released the latest by The Josh Rosenblum Band (Just Right) and Kubata (The Zen EP), Pacific Records has a full slate of new music ahead, including albums from Sandollar (Under the Water), The Skyler Lutes Band, The Moonjacks, Falling Doves (Skylark 69) and Jonny Tarr, as well as several music videos, including clips from Ryan Hiller. Expectations are also high for the upcoming album from The Spice Pistols, Spice Train, with their first single, a cover of the Spice Girls classic “Wannabe,” out now. A pair of notable forthcoming releases include a solo project from the president of Pacific Records, Patricio Pickslay, and a new album, Coming Home, from title tba , with their latest single, “Ulupalakua,” just released. Also sure to generate interest is a single from the Music’s Future Band, an all-star project put together by Sppike Mike Muellenberg (The Spice Pistols). How important is a physical vs digital release? “I think both are important,” Witkin said. “Of course, it depends on the individual artist, their audience, and what they’re going for. In general, the starting point is a digital because that’s how most music is heard these days and there’s an easy point of entry (i.e., it costs close to nothing to distribute an album or single digitally). On the other hand, the cost required to manufacture physical products is prohibitive; Vinyl has regained much of its popularity, but vinyl is very expensive and takes a long time to manufacture. The relatively cheaper option, CDs, are on their way out.” He notes the importance of physical releases. “As a creator and music lover myself, I like to hold an album cover in my hands and view an album as a work of art both musically and artistically. Physical releases provide recording artists an avenue to reach listeners in a way digital releases can’t because there’s just
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no way to replicate a physical product digitally. Artists can make more money with physical products too because the payout structures to artists for digital distribution via DSPs (like Spotify etc.) are minimal in comparison to the margins artists can make with physical products. So, sometimes it’s a matter of scope and scale, but I’m of the opinion physical releases are of great importance for any artist in the long run. And of course, an artist can’t autograph a download,” he said good naturedly. What does Pacific Records look for in a band signing? “We work with both emerging and established artists, so our criteria can vary quite a bit depending on where the artist is in their career. However, as a starting point, the artists must be extremely talented and have a great live show. At Pacific, we do something most labels don’t do any-
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more, which is artist development from within our studio with emerging artists. So, we tend to look past the number of Instagram followers, monthly Spotify listeners, etc. so long as the underlying talent is there. But those analytics still help too.” For his part Witkin is happy with the successes of Pacific Records to date but considers the best to be ahead. “I’m certainly proud of what we’ve accomplished but we have a long way to go,” he mused. “Most of all, I’m thankful I get to spend most of my time with creators and creating myself. So long as that continues, I’ll be happy.” https://pacificrecords.com
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