Folktale Fest: Handcrafted with L-O-V-E

If you’ve paid any attention to the Los Angeles music scene over the past five years, then you’ve probably heard of Whitman. Chris Payne, the driving force behind the Whitman moniker, is one of the most prolific singer/songwriters to come out of the region in recent memory. If you get a chance to browse the discography over at his website, barbaric-yawp.com, you’ll notice the impressive output Chris has produced since 2002.  The catalog is full of releases in nearly every format on which recorded music can be released (save 8-tracks and reel-to-reel tape).

Taking all of that into consideration, it is even more impressive when you look at the list of releases Payne has pressed on his label, Folktale Records. Folktale has released a wide array of artists such as Gowns, French Quarter, Alak, and No Babies to name a few. Every recording issued on the label is a unique piece of artwork. No two items—even of the same pressing—are the same due to the intensive, DIY by-hand work that goes into each cassette, CD, and record.

Chris and company will be celebrating and unleashing the three new Folktale Record releases at the upcoming Folktale Fest on October 18 at Pehrspace.

I recently spoke to Chris about the Folktale Fest, the love he puts into Folktale Records, and the future of Whitman.

I understand you’re going to have three new releases coming out at the Folktale Fest. Can you tell me about those?
Yeah three of the artists performing will have a release coming out that night. One is a 7″ by Clark 8, who is an alt rock pop punk band that sounds like they are stuck in the ’90s. Really catchy stuff. There is a LP release by No Paws (No Lions) called Don’t Be Afraid of Where You Live.  It was originally released in small editions on both Cassette and CD-R on other labels but has been out of print for some time.

No Paws are from the Inland Empire, but in my opinion they are one of the most solid outfits in the LA underground. This record is essentially a pop record but is blown out to a level that it has a pretty punk vibe to it. The band consists of drums and keyboard—at least on this record—and the songs are very well-written and full of texture.

Lastly, I have a new EP called I’ll Be Waiting that will be released on CD. It’s a collection of eleven songs I wrote over this recent summer during some really tough times and they all have a central theme. The material on it is pretty dark but at the same time it’s probably some of my catchiest work. There is a cassette version of it coming out as well on this label called Unread—which is one of my favorite labels ever—but I don’t know if I will have copies in time for the show.

Is there anything else we can look forward to at the show?
I’ve put together a limited-release CD-R that includes an unreleased song by every artist performing at the festival. It comes in special packaging with a two-color screen print. This release will be given to the first 25 people who come and pay admission to the show. That is the only way to get a copy of it.

What’s the story behind Folktale Records?
I started Folktale when I was in high school. I was mainly inspired by this now-defunct label called Nightpass Handmade Records that was run by John Thill, who is now one of my best friends. That label was really my introduction to the whole concept of a DIY label, as well as to a lot of more experimental and off-the-grid music. I wanted to start a label to help release and distribute music I like that other people might not get a chance to hear otherwise.

Is there a lot of by-hand work and specialized care that goes into your releases? Do you have your own screen printing set up or anything like that?
I try to make each release I do have as much character as possible. Everything is hand-packaged in one form or another, and many releases have qualities about them that make each copy sorta one-of-a-kind. I release things on CDs, Vinyl, and Cassette, based on what feels fitting for the audio.

I have a self-constructed screen printing table that is basically a folding table that has hinges screwed into it. It’s pretty simple. I still have to make a lot of adjustments by hand to get things to register properly, but it helps. Things never look “perfect,” but I’m fine with that. I mean, if I wanted something to look perfect I wouldn’t be screen printing it by hand.

Has it been hard financially to keep the label going? I imagine that funding things like lathe-cut vinyl gets costly. Have you had to pay out of your own pocket for some of these releases?
I’ve been doing this for a while and it’s gotten a little easier, but there is almost always an out of pocket expense when I do a release. Sometimes it takes me years before I’ll even break even on a release. But this is something I love doing, and if I really believe in the music and want to get it out there then I’ll find a way to make that happen.

What are your feelings about the current state of music in LA?
I have a real love/hate relationship with Los Angeles. It can be a really encouraging place to make music, but can be very discouraging at times, as well. There are also a lot of really great performers in Los Angeles, though in my opinion most of the ones that I find really incredible tend to go unrecognized for what they’re doing, and a lot of the artists that get pushed into the spotlight and make up what LA music is to the rest of the world are a really poor example of the music scene here, and [are] people you will likely never see at a small art gallery or venue showing support.

Are there any new local bands around that you’ve gotten into lately?
Well despite the fact that I help release his work, I think that the music that Jon Barba makes as Nicole Kidman is especially incredible. His songwriting is brilliant and everything he does is so raw and honest. I also really like what Freddy Ruppert is doing right now with his band Former Ghosts. Freddy is a talented performer that really feels what he’s doing, and I think that’s important. Too much music lacks honesty these days.

What does the future hold for Whitman & Folktale Records?
I recorded a new album over this summer that will be called Dog-Rose-Gall.  It was recorded/produced by Ezra Buchla at various locations in and around Los Angeles. We are in the process of mixing the record now. The album is eleven songs and I think is probably the darkest thing I’ve ever made. The songs on it are collected from over the past few years and some of the material is really heavy. I’ve worked with a lot of really incredible people on this record who were able to take my songs to entirely new levels, and I am really excited for this to get finished.

On the Folktale end, things will be pretty slow for a while due to all the money I just spent on all these new releases. There is a split 5″ record I have with No Babies that comes out in November and that will likely conclude the releases for 2010. Next year I will be releasing a 7″ for Nicole Kidman, some new material by John Thill, and plenty of other things that aren’t solidified yet.

Any last words?
I’d just really like to thank everyone who has supported me over the years, both with the label and with my own music. There is no way I would have been able to keep it up this long otherwise, and it really means a lot to me.

One last thing… Have you considered calling a record Walt?
No, but if you look closely you will find excerpts from Leaves of Grass etched into some of my records.

Don’t miss Folktale Fest this Monday…

Folktale Records & Sean Carnage present…

No Paws (No Lions) 11:30-12:00
Whitman 11:00-11:30
Nicole Kidman 10:30-11:00
Clark 8 (7″ release) 10:00-10:30
Stellaluna 9:30-10:00
Ezra Buchla (ex-Gowns) 9:00-9:30

Starts 9:30pm / $5 / all-ages

Pehrspace—325 Glendale Blvd., in Historic Filipinotown

RSVP for Folktale Fest

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Image: Christopher Payne