Label Feature #18: Dirt Cult Records

Chris Mason, founder of Dirt Cult Records, is keeping the flame of DIY culture lit. Travelling across the USA, he’s handpicked bands that embody and expand the DIY ethos, each adding their own unique flair to the movement.

Scroll down to dive into the fascinating story behind the rise of Dirt Cult Records and what the future holds for the label.

Can you share the story behind the founding of Dirt Cult Records? What motivated you to start the label, and what was your initial vision for it?

I don’t know what it is about my personality, but I’ve often gravitated towards roles that are more “behind the scenes.” When I first really got into music, I told my parents I wanted to learn the drums so I could be in a band. I didn’t necessarily want to be front and center. They bought me a guitar instead, saying the drums were too loud. As a result, I’ve often found myself thrust into the role of “front person” in most of the bands I’ve played in. But even after so many years, I’ve never quite felt comfortable there.

In my teens, I would order records from the pages of Maximum Rock 'n' Roll and was just enamoured with the idea that somewhere out there was an anonymous (to me, anyway) person I could send an envelope full of “well-concealed cash” to, who would send me records in return. Though I never released a record in the pre-internet era, I still love the idea of mail order outside the structures of monoliths like Amazon.

My band at the time (I think this was 2005 or 2006. I’m bad with dates), Shang-A-Lang recorded some songs on a 4-track Tascam and since we didn’t know anyone who wanted to put it out, I decided to put it out myself.

I was living in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and there was a zine from the area that my friends curated called Dirt Culture. They also ran a record store in town called The Dirt, which was a real catalyst for a scene to blossom in that town, and they had dipped their toes into releasing records with a split 7” between my old band, The Answer Lies and our friends 10 Seconds to Liftoff.  To pay homage, I stole their name (with permission) and shortened it for the release.

I was booking a ton of shows for touring bands at the time and making a lot of friends throughout the country and around the world. After my experiment with releasing my own band’s record was (semi) successful, I decided to start asking my friends if I could release their records. Things snowballed from there.

How would you describe the “Dirt Cult sound”?

It’s tough to describe. I love a lot of different kinds of music, from Melodic Punk, Shoegaze, Hardcore, Garage Rock, Post-Punk, College Rock, and pretty much everything in between. Oh, and I’m about to release my first rap record! Still waiting for that Ska record, but I’m sure it will come.

I sometimes envy labels that have a particular “sound,” but I also think that would be kind of boring to me. I release what I like and have accepted that my taste is all over the map. I’ve run into people who share my taste and say they like most of the things I release regardless of subgenre, and I’ve talked with others who maybe only like a small portion of the catalog and are confused by the rest. I tend to take either as a compliment. I will say that regardless of genre, all the bands Dirt Cult Releases tend to have a DIY ethos and a worldview that generally aligns with mine.

What bands or other record labels have influenced Dirt Cult Records?

Since my taste is all over the map, I feel like bands and labels’ ethics have informed Dirt Cult more than a particular sound. The first thought I had about starting a label came while reading an interview in Maximum Rock 'n' Roll with Ken from Prank Records. Dischord set the standard for releasing records in a respectful and ethical way. Tons of friend labels continue to inspire me, like Recess Records, Dead Broke Records, Drunk Dial Records, and Dirtnap Records.

Did Dirt Cult Records always start with releasing physical media?

100%. I was honestly pretty resistant to anything digital for way longer than I should have been. I wouldn’t even put digital downloads in records until people started complaining. At this point, I’m ambivalent about digital media at best.

It seems like punk has always preferred records to other formats. I’m pretty sure the genre carried the dinosaur vinyl plants like United and Rainbo through the CD era. As stated earlier, our first release was a 7” record from my band. Dirt Cult has always been vinyl-centric, though most Dirt Cult releases are also available digitally. The only way the vinyl resurgence has impacted my day-to-day is that I need to be more planful about timelines because of pressing waits. Gone are the days of a band approaching me and saying, “We’re going on tour in a little under a month. Want to release our record?”

Having operated in New Mexico, Oregon, and Texas, have you noticed distinct musical styles or subgenres tied to these states? Have any of these influenced your label’s signings?

Yeah, my choices in what to release have absolutely been informed by my surroundings, but I don’t think that was necessarily a conscious decision. I don’t go out and do “scouting” or anything. In fact, it’s pretty rare that I directly approach a band about a release these days. I usually release records from bands I have a direct connection with or who I have some sort of loose affiliation with (i.e. friends of friends) and the process is pretty organic. It’s a conversation much more than some sort of business transaction.

Can you highlight three past projects from Dirt Cult Records that you’re particularly proud of?

I’m a fan of everything that Dirt Cult has released, obviously. But the recent X (Australia) releases were a bit of a “pinch me” moment. X (not to be confused with the LA band from the same period) is an underrated but extremely influential Australian punk band, and the whole thing came about as a result of a jokey post on my personal Instagram feed. I had taken a picture of their LP Aspirations on the turntable with a caption something like “My favorite X.” A few years later, my friend Marty from Green Noise Records hit me up and said he’d been talking to Steve from the band about re-releasing the record and wondered if I wanted to help. Next thing I know, I’m on a Zoom call with the only remaining member, Steve Lucas, talking about the record and some rare recordings of the band as a four-piece (that we also released as the “Hate City” 7”).

 

Another record that really means a lot to me is The Stops, Nameless Faces LP. They were my favorite band from Portland and I truly believe that’s a modern punk classic. I’d always hoped they’d make another, but lead singer Lizzy sadly passed away last year. Rest In Peace.

 

Rumspringer, Stay Afloat is a record I really love from my time in New Mexico. These were some good friends from Phoenix who were releasing some of the best melodic punk at the time, and I have a lot of fond memories from that time period.

What do you enjoy most about running a record label?

At the end of the day, I am grateful for the connections that the label has allowed me to forge over almost 20 years of releasing records. I also find packing records weirdly satisfying. I think it’s because I have a day job in the mental health field, where the work is never really done. So, there’s something nice about dropping off a pile of records at the post office and being like “my work here is done.”

For more from Dirt Cult Records, please visit dirtcultrecords.com