Mark Bowen: "At Wichita, we still have only one rule: no wankers"

We cover his early career with Creation, his advice on starting a new label as well as what the future holds for his good ship Wichita.

What were your key ideas and focus behind starting Wichita?

No grand plan really. We just wanted to do something simple and small and work strictly with artists that we completely believed in. We had and still have only one rule “no wankers”.

What were your days at Creation records like? Can you see any similarities between them and yourselves or did you set out to avoid being a carbon copy and make the same mistakes?
Amazing times. It had always been my favourite label and to work there was a dream come true. The fact that my time there coincided with Alan signing the biggest band in the world just made it all the better/more surreal. If the label’s share anything then its a desire to work with artists that can have long careers who get better and better over time.

What’s your favourite and worst Wichita release to date?
Hmmmmmm. Can’t really answer that one. Every release is special for its own reason and has its own emotional attachments. I guess that as we have complete control over who we get to work with we haven’t ended up with a worst release. I’ll defend all of them!

Are there any records that you wish you could have released?
Tons and tons and tons. We never got to work with Death From Above 1979 sadly and that will be a permanent regret.

As a label boss. How do you feel about internet piracy? Do you lose much sleep over it or see it as something that simply just happens.
Don’t know about losing sleep but obviously its been one of many issues that have meant that its harder and harder to sell records and it was never easy to begin with. Against that. We could never have been this label if the internet hadn’t existed so……

Are you part of the MP3 generation or do you still buy CD’s or vinyl?
I have swung right back to vinyl I’m afraid. Sad but true. Have no issue with digital though and treasure my ipod.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking of starting a label?
I would always say dont unless you have simply too much money to care if you lose it all. If you’re insistent though then make sure you only work with things you believe in 1000 percent because every day will be a struggle.

What do you look for when signing an artist? With the current Myspace craze you must get swamped daily with band submissions. Do you find the bands, or do the bands find you?
Bit of both I guess. The world is pretty small these days and if you treat people well and fairly then word tends to get out. Finding new music (even if its old) is still my main thing though and I love to look for stuff. The crunch is if me and Dick hear/see something and think that it could have a long career.

In all your years in the music industry. Which artist that you’ve worked with has made the biggest impression on you?
Martin Carr (Boo Radleys/Bravecaptain) my best friend and a musical genius.

What does the next 7 years hold of Wichita? Where do you see the future of the label? In the short term, are there any interesting new signings we should look out for?
I would gladly settle for same again please. I’d like to think that in seven years people will still value music enough to pay for it in whatever form it takes. We have two records coming next year and coincidentally they are both going to be pop classics. Honest. Debut albums from Los Campesinos! and Those Dancing Days. Both going to be instant classics even though the bands have a combined age of about 50! Kids today………..