Seahouse Media CIC

The third year of Seahouse Records as part of Seahouse Media CIC has seen the organisation continue to grow slowly and steadily as predicted, but with more focus. The number of artists has increased to 20 in that time, and we have released 4 albums, 16 singles and 3 EPs in the last year. Although this is something of a decrease from the previous year, the quality and variety of the released music continues to improve, with songwriting, production and performances achieving professional levels: many of the releases would not sound out of place on national radio alongside other indie label releases. Building on last year, Seahouse is getting a stronger identity, and the focus more recently has continued in line with our funding opportunities, namely growth in the local community rather than on a national basis. We hosted our second stage at the Another Fine Fest in Ulverston. This time our artists filled the Piel Castle venue for two days, and with a hired PA and sound engineer we pulled off a much more professional event than the year before. Again, all artists were paid, from the fee we received from the festival. We were busy in project mode this year: our two biggest projects were made possible by successful funding bids. Firstly, the Songs From Round Town album and live event, which featured ten of our artists recording songs to capture some local history, with help from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Secondly was our Next Wave project, by far the biggest project so far for our organisation. A grant from Westmorland and Furness Council allowed us to run a 3-month long drop-in and workshop course, from which three new artists were selected to join the label, to record and release their first single, and to perform at an end-of-project concert. This project continued our relationship with Women’s Community Matters, using their Community Room for our sessions and event, and being able to purchase equipment to help start a more permanent event space. The Seahouse Podcast series continued, publishing monthly episodes ranging from album reviews to artist interviews and festival previews. There was a major change in directorship, with four of the directors leaving, on good terms, to focus on other aspects of their music and careers. The remaining four directors decided to reign in the scope and ambition of the organisation, but have found the democratic and logistic processes easier with fewer people, and the focus on funding has seen us deliver our most ambitious projects to date. We are fortunate to be joined by a website and social media volunteer, who has made our lives a lot easier, and has improved the Seahouse online presence hugely. In summary, the third year sees a focused growth for the label in our local community and an optimistic outlook for funding bids to develop our own venue.