“It can be way more layered, with much more interesting things going on production-wise. “I don’t think a singer/songwriter record necessarily just has to be a guy sitting there with a guitar,” Herrington said. “I want it be more of a modern-folk, singer/songwriter type of label.”īut as anybody who has listened to the Cartouche albums from Brooks Strause, Devin Frank, Kalispell, or Sunde will understand, within the singer/songwriter genre is an emphasis on unusual texture. “There is somewhat of a vision for the label.” Herrington said. Cartouche is a unique record label in this day and age, definitely.” Finally, there’s a label for people like us. Sunde to the wide-ranging rock (and occasional cacophonies) of Marshalltown, Iowa’s Land of Blood & Sunshine.Ĭluney described Cartouche as a home for “these shadowy singer/songwriters. You’ve got to do your thing, and not let any friends sway your vision.”Ĭartouche’s thing appears to be letting artists do their thing – from the quavering folk of Wisconsin’s J.E. There are more bands and more record labels now than ever, and to stand out I really think you just have to be unique and authentic. “In this day and age, it’s so hard to find. You didn’t even have to hear the new release, and you knew it was for you. You knew what you were going to get, like you could trust the label. these record labels were very cool – like secret clubs. “There are a few, but in the ’90s and the ’80s. “Labels aren’t like they used to be,” he said. Every album has a distinctive, clear, and committed voice, and – more importantly – there’s not anything remotely resembling a bad or misguided effort in the bunch.Ĭartouche launched with the Quad Cities’ Bedroom Shrine two years ago, and that band’s Johnnie Cluney said Herrington’s label is a throwback. There’s an even split between quirky indie rock and idiosyncratic singer/songwriters. Eight releases from eight different artists – three from the Quad Cities, three from farther west in Iowa, and two from Wisconsin. The genesis and development of the label have been organic, but the catalog at this point has a shape that looks intentional. After putting out two albums in 2014 and one in 2015, Cartouche has released five records in 2016.
“If I can do it, and put out a few releases a year, and not lose a ton of money, I’m going to continue to do it.”Īs understated and matter-of-fact as Herrington is about his businesses, Cartouche has – from an outside perspective, at least – been transformed this year. “It’s not a money-making venture at this point,” Herrington said of Cartouche. Prominent in the store is a display showcasing eight LPs – all bearing the name of Cartouche Records, which Herrington also runs.Īnd the words meant for Ragged Records could easily apply to the two-year-old label.
Ragged Records, of course, specializes in new and used vinyl just off the Government Bridge in downtown Davenport, in a shared space with Trash Can Annie. When I asked Bob Herrington how business was at his Ragged Records store, his answer was a shrug.