The independent venture from a member of Fontaines D.C. and Faction Records will release reissues, hidden gems and new Irish music, alongside a store stocking Irish releases exclusively.
July 24th marks the launch of Inis Records, a new independent record label and store dedicated exclusively to Irish music.
The label is founded by Tom Coll (Fontaines D.C.), Michael Roe (Adebisi Shank, Richter Collective, Faction) and Ken Allen (Faction Records). Inis Records will release landmark Irish reissues, hidden gems and new music by emerging and established Irish artists.
Alongside the label, the Inis store will stock Irish music exclusively, spanning every era and genre, and the company will also provide distribution and backend services for selected independent record labels.
Inis Records grew out of the founders’ shared love of Irish music and a deep appreciation for the country’s independent artists and labels from the 1960s to the 2000s. Ireland has a storied history of celebrated and influential artists, and continues to produce some of the world’s most exciting acts, Tom Coll’s own chart-topping, multi award winning band Fontaines D.C. among them.
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Alongside celebrating that legacy, the store will stock releases from independent and rising artists who don’t yet have distribution of their own, with a wider aim of supporting small independent labels and releasing music on its own imprint.
Speaking on the label, Tom Coll says:
“Inis Records is about providing an independent label infrastructure in Ireland, giving Irish music a platform to grow and create unique physical music for Irish artists. We want to create truly special vinyl runs, reissue some older gems and support the next wave of Irish music. Ireland needs a stronger independent music infrastructure and our goal with Inis is to achieve that.”
Human curation lies at the heart of the project. Alongside new releases, Inis Records will champion overlooked albums and out of print reissues, thoughtfully selected by the founders, along with artists they believe deserve renewed attention from today’s listeners. That curatorial instinct is what drives the label’s creative vision.
Inis Records launches with pre-orders for the currently out-of-print Against Nature by cult 80s art-rock band Fatima Mansions. The label has an ambitious release schedule planned for later this year, including:
- A traditional music compilation from Tom Coll
- A Showband compilation curated by Charles Hendy of The Mary Wallopers
- Reissues of important Irish albums
Inis is already stocking records from Faction like Sorcha Richardson, James Vincent McMorrow, Niamh Regan alongside Ash, Fontaines D.C, CMAT, Andy Irvine and Paul Brady, Gilla Band, Horslips, Junior Brother, Kneecap, Lankum, Just Mustard, Skinner, Martin Hayes, Mary Coughlan, The Pogues, Ye Vagabonds and A Woman’s Heart.
For more information, visit inisrecords.com.
“Ireland has such a rich history of amazing artists and labels,” says Michael Roe of Faction. “Over the last 30 years though, we have relied heavily on infrastructure from outside the country. We hope Inis Records can help build a stronger independent music infrastructure here, giving a generation of new artists and labels the support they need to grow their businesses in Ireland, while reaching audiences internationally.”
“I’ve worked in the Irish music industry for many years and each year there are so many brilliant new artists that emerge onto the scene,” adds Ken Allen. “The timing feels right to launch this label that will shine a light on forgotten gems and support the most exciting acts we have in Ireland today.”
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
