Why was the label started?

I loved the aesthetic of a music "label". Growing up, I followed a handful of underground labels and bought up whatever I could find. Smaller labels gave me a chance to explore music outside of commercial radio and Friday Night Videos. I was obsessed with mail order records and looked high and low for anything that was different or abrasive. When I finally made Minneapolis my home, I figured out that I was surrounded by great music. I wanted to create a little label that people could trust and follow, maybe even buy an album they had never heard.

Could you give a short history of the label?

Short history... started the label in 2000 with the first Minnesota Attacks, Vaz/Sicbay split seven-inch. Found Climber in St. Louis; they were poppy and liked to tour. Learning Curve did a CD and a seven-inch. Put out a Snails seven-inch in 2001 (they later became We Invented Tornadoes). In 2002 put out the second Minnesota Attacks, Exercise/Dames split seven-inch. I asked Paddy if he wanted to help out with the label, he said sure. We released an Exercise CD EP and later a full-length album. Did a Kruddler record. In 2003 released the We Invented Tornadoes CD. Learning Curve recently released a Fuck Yeahs seven-inch and the Soviettes LPII on vinyl. Soon we'll release the Hold Steady LP on vinyl with Women Records.