THIS week I have decided to take a slightly different spin on things, and write about a new and up and coming record label with a difference from South Wales.
The business, who go by the name of ‘Pierpoint Records’ are no ordinary music company but they have effectively and selflessly created a charity out of their musical ambitions.
After contacting the label, it is really humbling to discover their motivation for such a creation, as it seems now a days that people can often become swept up in the dramas of their everyday lives, forgetting the greater, more significant issues that dominate our world.
Pierpoint Records is, in the words of co–founder Joe Lewis, ‘a non profit record label set up with the aim of releasing records that we love in order to raise money for cancer based charities’.
Discussing and dealing with illness is never easy, yet it seems that Pierpoint are somehow adding a positive spin on the situation as they encourage people to buy music, which will fund the charity.
On December 12, via the normal online musical outlets e.g. iTunes and Amazon, Pierpoint Records will present to you, the ever so alliterative, ‘The Christmas Chronicles Compilation, Vol 1’.
The compilation will be released in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust fund with all profits going straight to the charity.
As Christmas draws close, there is always that dreaded rush in the shops, only this week I was at Manchester’s Christmas Market on a Saturday (very, very bad decision) and there was barely room to move, let alone explore the little shops. So why put yourself to all that hassle? Everyone loves a good CD, so why not splash out £4.99 and buy a friend or family member the very first Pierpoint CD.
The album includes the larger more ‘mainstream rock’ bands like ‘Four Years Strong’ (for lovers of pop rock) and the ‘The Xcerts’ (featured not too long ago under the ‘A-Z of Welsh bands, despite being Scottish), yet what really caught my attention, is the good array of Welsh bands that dominate the soundtrack.
Bands like ‘Save Your Breath’ (a band with an abundance of energy), ‘Tiger Please’ (who are just outrageously emotionally profound) and Cuba Cuba’ (soon to be featured in my music column) are just a handful of the Welsh bands that are featured.
In the words of Joe ‘the album features 21 tracks that are Christmas originals and covers as well as unreleased material and album tracks’.
Odd as it may seem, I’m more attracted to the niche musical market at times, so having an alternative Christmas song playing, as opposed to the monotonous Slade ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ will be a relief.
21 songs for £4.99 is a steal, which really gives no excuse as to why this CD cannot be purchased by, or for, everyone who is a lover of good music.
The record label began when the sister and friend of the founders, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at a young age in June 2010. The news brought Joe Lewis, Melanie Meek and Lee Thomas together, as they combined their love of music to raise money for cancer charities.
If you would like to help the charity, and I please urge you to, you can head over to www.pierpointrecords.co.uk to see the full extent of the bands that are on the CD. I know Christmas time can be a very money conscious time of year, yet for £4.99, you can’t really go wrong. I honestly feel like there are hundreds of teenagers and adults across Powys and Wales who would love this complication CD, me being one (Mum if you’re reading this, you know what’s on top of my Christmas list!)
If you would like to learn more, or simply see a picture of skateboarding Santa, head over to their website.