The Uncarved Block

"Spotlight" Interview

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Aldora Britain Records is an independent music e-zine and record label, focusing on unsigned and underground artists, giving interviews and reviews via their Facebook page, as well as publishing regular compilations on Bandcamp.

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We took some time to interview it's creator and main contributor, Tom Hilton.

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ANDY -  Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, here at The Uncarved Block. I feel we are on the same page, with our aims, so could you explain what is Aldora Britain Records?

TOM - Hi Andy, it’s great to be chatting to you. I’ve checked out some of your work at The Uncarved Block and I really love what I see.  It’s great to meet like-minded individuals, passionate about great new music.

Aldora Britain Records is something that I started at the age of sixteen in my bedroom.  Basically, I was a bored and skint teenager who lived out in the Scottish countryside.  I didn’t have the pennies to get into town to say my mates that often, so I immersed myself in one of my passions, great rock and roll music.  At the same time, I had just discovered a great little indie band from London, The Last of The Troubadours.  I was mad about their stuff, they had two EPs, and I got in touch with Joel, guitarist and co-lead vocalist, because I wanted to try and spread the word up in Scotland, create some sort of fan-base.  Before I knew it I had a copy of both EPs, Sooner the Better and Don’t Stand On Shadows, sent out to me and it started from there.  I reviewed both releases and did an email interview with Joel.  This is where it began.
Over the next year or so I interviewed and reviewed well over a hundred independent bands.  Many disbanded and largely forgotten: Decoy Jet, Mamas Lips, The Broxton Hundred; and many that are still flying the flag for independent music: Groovy Uncle, The Theme, The Most. I was also lucky enough to work alongside Lewis Capaldi, Gerry Cinnamon and Catfish and The Bottlemen before they really took off and also with some well-established names such as Clem Burke, Elliot Easton of The Cars, Henry Priestman, Fairport Convention and Glasvegas.  It was a crazy year!
Then came the ‘wilderness years!’ University life took over and I somehow managed to sign a contract to play cricket in Australia.  I dabbled with setting the blog back up a few times, but nothing much ever came of it. Then I rebranded and relaunched as an e-zine in December 2018, interviewing Darron J Connett (formerly of The Last of The Troubadours) and Aaron Gardner (of The Stone Thieves) and we were away.  I started releasing the compilations in November of 2019 and that’s when things really took off to a new level.  My vision is to create a go-to place for music lovers all over the world to discover great new music, music that wouldn’t get the chance to be heard otherwise.  Almost like an online platform for independent music.  In the e-zine, people can read about the music through interviews and reviews and on the compilations, people can hear that music.  People are really starting to buy into this, and I’ve had some great success stories in getting bands played all over the world, even in Israel bizarrely enough…!
That’s the basic idea behind the whole thing.  It’s just a music fan getting a bit mad and obsessive to be honest!
 

ANDY - I can fully understand what you are saying, as I feel the same! So, it has been a real labour of love to get to where you are now?

TOM - Back in August 2013 it didn’t really take off in its current format with the e-zine and the label until about November 2019.  It’s got a really great network of people that support it now. I initially started in the countryside outside of Livingston, Scotland and then it moved to Edinburgh.  I’m now based in the village of Rothley, just outside Leicester, where I have moved with my young family.

ANDY - There is a massive amount of work that you seem to put in to the e-zine and compilations. I know you take on the bulk of this work, but do you have a team that helps you out?

TOM - I really love describing it as a community so to answer that question I’d have to say all the artists I’ve worked with, all the independent music press I’ve worked with, all the online radio and podcasts I’ve worked with, and all the music fans I’ve reached.
Producing the zines and comps, it’s mainly me with help from my dad and my partner, Emma. There’s a key group of people that share stuff and really help push AB: Bill Newton of Psychobilly, John Donegan (who is a solo artist) both read and listen to just about everything I put out, Phil Sorrell (today’s answer to Alan McGee!) of Caretaker Studios, Garry John Kane of The Proclaimers, Beth Dobson at Planet Beth radio, Andris Gulbis at Luxy Galaxy radio, Rik Bardsley from the Lucky Bag Show and Andrea Volpin at Pinball Wizard. Bobby Tarlton from Doctor Bird also introduced me to a lot of great people after I put out one of his tracks on a compilation.

It’s all about growing up a community I think and I’d say that started late last year. 

These guys have been heavily involved since November/December last year but there’s also countless more I could mention that have got on board and been really supportive since the New Year. There’s literally too many to mention!

That’s what I want Aldora Britain Records to be, a community.  Nobody is really sure what it is; some think it’s a record label because of the name, others know it primarily as an e-zine, and some just see the Facebook group and page where people just share great stuff. It’s a community and the e-zine and label support that.

 

ANDY -  It sounds like you have a great bunch of like-minded people supporting you. The group seems to be growing well, so where do you see ABR eventually heading? How far can the project go?

TOM - I want to create a community of music lovers.  I want to make AB Records into the go-to place for music lovers to discover great new stuff from all over the world.  It’s a place where they can read about new music and also listen to that new music.  I don’t think there’s anything quite like it.  There’s no big platform where independent artists can have their voices heard.  There was back in the day but the modern music industry is a big money machine which is concentrated on processed pop. It’s easy and risk-free.
I want to change the music industry and bring it back to authentic music. People writing the music and performing it from the heart, rather than people writing ‘hits’ and having them performed by someone else in a monotonous manner.

ANDY - That's such a great mentality to have, and something we should all be a part of. I was wondering how you find the artists for your compilations and e-zine?  Do you look for specific styles or genres?

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TOM - No, nothing specific. The artists I feature reflect my music taste. I remember when I was younger I did a playlist for my brother and we put it on shuffle, Snoop Dogg crossfaded into Travis Tritt. Gangsta rap to redneck country and western!  So, basically I feature anything… one minute it’s all roots rock and alt country, the next minute it’s psychobilly and hard rock, the next minute it’s indie pop and new wave.  There’s no rule, it’s all just great music basically.

ANDY - There's definitely an eclectic mix of styles on each compilation. You have certainly introduced me to a few great artists, as well. The unsigned/underground music scene really has some exciting acts out there. How do you see the future of the UK music scene progressing in the near future?

TOM - I don’t think there will be too much change but I think the emergence of Lewis Capaldi is quite important. Listening to Capaldi, you can hear that he’s done the hard miles. I saw him performing in Sneaky Pete’s before he was big. He was supporting The Phantoms, my mate’s band. There was about five of us watching him. I remember thinking that he should be huge but it will never happen because the music industry isn’t geared towards a lad with a guitar making heartfelt music.  People don’t have the attention span for it, they want visuals as well, half-naked people ‘dancing’ about the stage for example. I think a lot of people dismiss Capaldi as another manufactured pop star but I saw him doing the hard miles and if you take away all your bitterness about him ‘making it’ and listen to the songs… they’re fucking biblical!  And he writes them himself. He’s got the right attitude and the right wit to be a real ‘rock star’ as well. This may be a controversial opinion with the ‘heavier’ bands I work with but I think his emergence is very important.
I don’t think things will change overnight but I think there will be a swing back to good ‘authentic’ music.  You see bands like The Courteeners and people like Gerry Cinnamon selling out large venues but not getting any radio play… bizarre! Many chart stars sell out clubs - there’s something off there.  Maybe an Oasis reunion would kickstart the revolution!?

ANDY - Very interesting. From what I have seen, I feel the tide is turning, because the talent out there is too good to ignore. What do you think is the main thing that we can all do to help promote this burgeoning underground scene?

TOM - Go to gigs (when lockdown has finished), buy a t-shirt, buy a record.  Don’t stream, buy the music, own the music.
I also believe that creating a community, a compilation label and a zine that could become a go-to place for independent music that is known all around the world would help hugely.  I’m also exploring other platforms too, including a video platform too.  Maybe that’s just a plug though!

ANDY - Plug away! What you are doing is fantastic, and something we aspire to, here at The Uncarved Block, too! Just going back to something you mentioned there, I was going to ask you if you think digital music/streaming is helping or hindering up and coming artists?

TOM - Hindering.  It takes money and funds away from the up and coming artist and I know these guys are artists and aren’t in it for the money but, at the end of the day, you need the money to create the art.  I don’t understand people who’d rather hear a tinny sound on Spotify over the crackle of putting the needle on the vinyl anyway.  Weird.

 

ANDY - I must say I am inclined to agree! Most bands and artists have to work a full time job, and the music is their evening hobby! But, anyway, we will leave it there. Once again, thank you Tom, for taking the time to answer my questions, and the best of luck for the future.

 

TOM - Thank you

 

I have included links for the Aldora Britain Records Bandcamp page (most compilations only cost around £1, displaying some great musical talent from different genres), and their Facebook page, where you can join the community and read the latest e-zine.

 

This is a new age of the DIY music scene, and ABR is showing us the way. Let's do this for ourselves!
 

Andy

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