Simple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers-
ToomeyJenny Toomey is an American indie rock musician and arts activist from Chevy Chase, Maryland, and later, Washington, D.C. She was a member of the bands Geek, Tsunami, Liquorice, Grenadine, So Low and Choke, among others, and has also recorded under her own name...
, Thomson,
Pat GrahamPat Graham is an American photographer specializing in indie-punk bands, with whom he often tours.Graham began shooting in high school in Milwaukee, WI, but soon relocated to Washington DC where he worked extensively in and around the local and national music scenes for over 10 years.His photos...
and Mickey Menard. The label was formed to 'find creative ways to avoid the established and boring music business'.
Biography
The label came into existence in 1990 with the release of "Machines Compilation 7" Series". Simple Machines promoted cooperation with other indie labels all over the United States, and the "sell it at a fair price" ethic. The label also released a compilation of bands covering their "favourite
Beat HappeningBeat Happening is an American indie rock band formed in Olympia, Washington in 1982. Calvin Johnson, Heather Lewis and Bret Lunsford have been the band's continual members...
covers". The profits were donated to a youth at risk home in Washington D.C.
The most famous release of the label is
PocketwatchPocketwatch is a cassette album by Dave Grohl, under the pseudonym Late!, released in 1992 on the now defunct indie label, Simple Machines, as part of their Tool Cassette Series.-Background:...
, an album recorded by
Dave GrohlDavid Eric Grohl is an American rock musician, singer and songwriter. Grohl began his music career in the 1980s as the drummer for several Washington, D.C., area bands, including the hardcore punk band Scream. In 1990 he became the drummer for grunge group Nirvana...
, the
Foo FightersFoo Fighters is an American rock band formed by singer/guitarist/drummer Dave Grohl in 1995. Grohl formed the group as a one-man project after the dissolution of his previous band, Nirvana, in 1994. Prior to the release of Foo Fighters in 1995, Grohl drafted Nate Mendel , William Goldsmith , and...
frontman, then the drummer for Seattle based
grungeGrunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
band
NirvanaNirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
. Unwilling to use his own name on the record, Grohl used the moniker "Late!", and was listed in liner notes as "Dave G". The album was released in 1992 and featured songs that were later re-released by the Foo Fighters, namely "
Color Pictures of a Marigold"Marigold" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It is a B-side to the band's 1993 single, "Heart-Shaped Box", from their third studio album In Utero....
" (shorted to Marigold, and released both by Nirvana and Foo Fighters),
Friend of a FriendFriend of a friend is a phrase used to refer to someone that one does not know well — literally, a friend of a friend.In some social sciences, the phrase is used as a half-joking shorthand for the fact that much of the information on which people act comes from distant sources and cannot be...
, and "Winnebago" (the latter becoming the b-side to the Foo Fighters first single
This Is A Call"This Is a Call" is the first major single released by Foo Fighters from their self-titled debut album. It was released in 1995. No video was made for the song.Dave Grohl said about the song: "The chorus says 'This is a call to all my past resignation'...
). The album can be heard on its
MySpaceMySpace is a social networking website. Its headquarters are in Beverly Hills, California, USA, where it shares an office building with its immediate owner, Fox Interactive Media, which is owned by News Corporation. MySpace became the most popular social networking site in the United...
page . Grohl himself played all the instruments on the album, while
Barrett JonesBarrett Jones is an audio engineer who has worked with many big names within the past twenty years. He owns a studio in Seattle, Washington called the Laundry Room....
produced it and sang backing vocals on "Petrol CB".
After
PocketwatchPocketwatch is a cassette album by Dave Grohl, under the pseudonym Late!, released in 1992 on the now defunct indie label, Simple Machines, as part of their Tool Cassette Series.-Background:...
was released in 1992, Grohl remained tight lipped about the project, preferring not to talk about it, and remain the
NirvanaNirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
drummer. But with the creation of the
Foo FightersFoo Fighters is an American rock band formed by singer/guitarist/drummer Dave Grohl in 1995. Grohl formed the group as a one-man project after the dissolution of his previous band, Nirvana, in 1994. Prior to the release of Foo Fighters in 1995, Grohl drafted Nate Mendel , William Goldsmith , and...
in 1995, the strain of people wanting the
PocketwatchPocketwatch is a cassette album by Dave Grohl, under the pseudonym Late!, released in 1992 on the now defunct indie label, Simple Machines, as part of their Tool Cassette Series.-Background:...
album almost destroyed the label.
In 1993, the label spent a large part of the year promoting and releasing a 7" collection called "Working Holiday", which was a monthly release featuring two bands on every record. Each single featured songs pertaining to a holiday that occurred in the month the single was released. Some of the artists featured in this series included
My Dad Is DeadMy Dad Is Dead is a recording project of musician Mark Edwards. The project began in Cleveland, Ohio in 1985. My Dad Is Dead has released eleven full-length albums on labels such as St. Valentine's, Scat Records, Homestead Records and Emperor Jones....
,
LoisLois Maffeo is an American musician and writer who lives in Olympia, Washington. Although never achieving mainstream success, she has been closely involved with and influenced many Seattle-based musicians.-Early life:...
and Rastro!. Subscribers to these records also received a calendar featuring interesting facts about every day of the year, a box holder for the singles and a special gift on their birthday. The label pressed and shipped 36,000 7" inch records and, in January 1994, they hosted a weekend music festival to celebrate the feat.
Scott is a raging homo!
The Mechanic's Guide
As part of the label's DIY attitude towards the music industry, they published a 24 page guide that was believed to be responsible for helping to set up many independent labels throughout the 1990's.
The guide gives detailed advice on many aspects of the music industry from recording and releasing singles through to the legal requirements of setting up a label as a legitimate business.
Demise
Following Thomson's relocation to Philadelphia, with her husband, and the subsequent six hour weekly commute, Simple Machines found themselves under increasing financial pressures to keep putting out records and keeping them in print. Toomey and Thomson had also became disenchanted with the business aspect of their label, realizing that it overruled the musical side of it. In 1997 the decision was made to wind the label down.
They ended by releasing two records, by artists Ida and Tsunami respectively, then organised a Simple Machines Finale Party at the Black Cat in Washington D.C, with 24 bands on the bill which took two days to complete, and on March 29th 1998, Simple Machines closed.
Bands & Artists
- Autoclave
Autoclave was a short-lived all-female indie rock band based in Washington, D.C.. Formed in the summer of 1990, the group consisted of Christina Billotte , Mary Timony , Nikki Chapman , and Melissa Berkoff .The group became known for their intelligent, slightly off-kilter brand of rock,...
- Franklin Bruno
Franklin Bruno is an American singer-songwriter, academic, writer, and originally from Upland, California. He has been a member of Nothing Painted Blue since its inception in 1986....
- Grenadine
- The Hated
The Hated was an Annapolis, Maryland punk rock band from 1985 to 1990. The original members were Mike Bonner, Erik Fisher, Daniel Littleton, and Colin Meeder...
- Danielle Howle
Danielle Howle is an American singer-songwriter. After releasing an early song on a Columbia, SC music sampler, she joined the Columbia band Lay Quiet Awhile, which had been formed by brothers Dan and Phil Cook in 1989 and had released two EPs...
- Ida
Ida is an American indie rock band from New York City. The group formed in Brooklyn in 1992 as the duo of Daniel Littleton and Elizabeth Mitchell. Later Karla Schickele and Michael Littleton joined the group...
- Liquorice
- Lois
Lois Maffeo is an American musician and writer who lives in Olympia, Washington. Although never achieving mainstream success, she has been closely involved with and influenced many Seattle-based musicians.-Early life:...
- Monorchid
- My Dad Is Dead
My Dad Is Dead is a recording project of musician Mark Edwards. The project began in Cleveland, Ohio in 1985. My Dad Is Dead has released eleven full-length albums on labels such as St. Valentine's, Scat Records, Homestead Records and Emperor Jones....
- Rastro!
- The Raymond Brake
The Raymond Brake was an indie rock band that formed in the mid 1990's in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. Greensboro being only 45 minutes drive away from Chapel Hill, the city's music scene was an influence and a guiding light...
- Retsin
- Scrawl
Scrawl is a musical trio based in Columbus, Ohio. The founding members are Marcy Mays , Sue Harshe , and Carolyn O'Leary . Their first show, in the summer of 1985, was a 20-minute opening spot for the Meat Puppets...
- Sea Saw
- Tsunami
Tsunami was an American indie rock band from Arlington, Virginia, formed by housemates Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson in late 1990 to play at New Year's party...