IN THE RED RECORDS, Larry Hardy Interview

In the Red owner, Larry Hardy, closing the deal with Sparks


By: Rich Tupica
June 9th, 2006
richtupica@hotmail.com



Los Angeles' own In the Red has delivered some of thee best rock-n-roll albums of the past decade. With releases from The Reigning Sound, The Black Lips, The Ponys, The Dirtbombs and way too many others to mention, there dosen't seem to be any end in sight for the most known un-know indie label out there today.
Larry Hardy is the founder and master mind behind In The Red, he was nice enough to fill me in on what we can be expecting from his label.




So Larry,What is your favorite album In the Red has ever released and why?
"I can't really name a favorite, there's too many that I'm really crazy about. With that said, I have a real fondness for the Cheater Slicks "Don't Like You" album. I love that album and it was done at a kind of special time in my life."



How old are you now & when did you start In the red Records?
"I started the label 15 years-ago, though initially it was more or less a hobby rather than a full time thing. I'm 42 years-old now. Damn, I'm old!"



Is there a band you haven't worked with, that you'd like to?
"I've been really lucky that most contemporary bands I like are willing to do a single or something, so I can work with them in some small capacity. Right now, the band I haven't worked with that I'd most like to is The A-Frames. I've been talking to them and it looks like I'll get to do a single at some point."



Do you feel that any of "your" bands have the potential to become a pop-radio band, living it up on MTV Cribs?
"Usually I don't like popular radio or MTV bands, music on that level is usually fairly generic and tame. So, no, I don't think any of the bands I work with have the potential to become bland. That said, I've always thought The Ponys could perhaps cross over into the mainstream. They're pretty poppy, though still probably too good to be on the radio. In a perfect world a band like The Black Lips would be on MTV and the radio, but, obviously, this isn't a perfect world."



What do you think of the new Demons Claws album that is going to be realeased soon?
"They're actually here in town working on it right now. From what I've heard so far this album is going to be amazing. Definitely the best stuff they've done so far."



Beyond the Demons Claws, what is in In the Red's near future?
"Besides Demons Claws, I'm also now working on new albums with the King Khan & BBQ Show and The Tyrades. Those are the new bands on the roster. Apart from that, I've got a lot of stuff going with bands I've been working with already.
The Reigning Sound, The Hunches, Miss Alex White and The Lamps are all getting ready to record new albums. We're also putting together a compilation of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion stuff that's going to be really great."



Do you feel the new Sparks album fits in with the rest of your roster?
"I actually do think they fit, though they don't sound like anything else on the label. Hell, they don't sound like anything else, period. I've always, more than anything, seen In the Red as a label that does eccentric rock- n-roll music. Sparks are certainly eccentric and original."



How is it working with so many cool bands on a daily basis?
"Mostly all the bands I work with are made up of really cool people that I end up being friends with. Every band has it's own dynamics and they're all different. I've been fortunate to have never worked with any assholes."



Some Links for that azz...

to LISTEN to the latest IN THE RED bands visit:
http://www.myspace.com/intheredrecords
http://www.intheredrecords.com/
http://www.myspace.com/reigningsoundfans
http://www.myspace.com/cheaterslicks
http://www.allsparks.com/

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