Exciting news on the independent label front as No Such Thing Records launches in the UK - with the slogan “Northern. Independent. Forward Thinking.” and a big commitment to inclusivity and diversity. The first release is an absolute banger from Szou called Rose Tinted, and we talked to the label founders Dirty Freud and Ruby Tingle about their vision.
No Such Thing Records founders Dirty Freud and Ruby Tingle are on a mission - to give a voice to marginalised artists in the north of England.
They say they have created the UK’s newest independent record label, launching on 26th February, and it has a commitment to championing diversity through its roster, and fusing music with the visual arts.
The duo are setting out to challenge the status quo in a time of great industry and societal flux, and between them have over 20 years in the industry.
Dirty Freud - photo by Danny Allison
“What sets No Such Thing apart is our commitment to giving a voice to artists from under-
represented groups - whether that’s ethnicity, sexuality or disability,” explains co-founder and
honorary northerner, Dirty Freud, an electronic musician and music producer.
“We’re passionate about levelling the playing field in the music industry. That’s why we’ve set
the ambitious target of 70% releases to come from LGBTQ+ and Black and minority ethnic
artists.
As a Black artist myself, I know that doors don’t always open that easily if you don’t fit
the mould. Or if they do, you’re expected to fit into a stereotyped box. We’re here to challenge
that, to empower our artists and give them back creative control.”
Ruby Tingle, a Sheffield-born, Manchester-based musician and visual artist, adds, “There’s so
much creativity in the north, which we’re here to harness. This is a really exciting time to be
doing something different in the music industry.”
Ruby Tingle
We asked Dirty Freud to tell us more about what kind of artists they are looking for.
“We are not genre specific, that’s a key thing, we want to make sure we never sign the same genre twice so artists aren’t competing against each other for the same space.
But there will be a common thread, each of our artists who create music are story tellers.
I am constantly hunting for new music, it won’t be just us listening, it will be us listening then we will travel wherever you are in the north and come watch you gig when that’s allowed. It’s one of the big things that made us sign with Rough Trade, someone came up, got a beer, had a chat. That sort of ethos has always stuck wth me.
Our first release is 12th March with Szou and is called Rose Tinted. She’s an incredible storyteller.”
Szou
Rose Tinted is an absolute banger from Manchester-based Szou who’s had recent success on BBC Introducing in Manchester and on Spotify editorial playlist ‘Soultronic’.
Influenced by electro-pop acts such as Christine and the Queens, Sigrid and Disclosure, Szou has been busy during the pandemic making music that reflects these challenging times. Following the success of her singles ‘Dystopia’ and ‘Utopia’, Szou releases ‘Rose-Tinted’: a love letter to nostalgia, friendship and freedom before the lockdown. Energetic dance beats meet delicate guitar melodies as Szou soulfully sings “I would give anything to do what we once did”.
Rose Tinted is available on pre-save now, and the label will be releasing music from five more of the region’s most exciting new artists - Leftwinter, Iora, Kaspa., Off Noise and Jaayns.
Rose Tinted artwork