Charlie Winston Says Majors Are Like Frightened Animals

Winston, who is the brother of EMI recording artist Tom Baxter, saw the major label machine in action first hand when his brother was caught up in the merger between Sony and BMG, in 2004. Charlie was playing in Tom's band at the time, when Sony BMG released Tom's Feather and Stone album.

"Tom got a short straw really," Winston told Hot Press. "Because it's such a machine, when something like a merge comes, everyone's frightened about losing their jobs, and they don't want to take risks."

Having seen his brother's career temporarily founder – Baxter's second album Skybound was released independently in 2008 – Winston is more than happy with his own indie status.

"Because the record industry is so rubbish at the moment, and record sales are so low," he told Hot Press reporter Olaf Tyaransen, "they haven’t got a clue what they’re doing. They’re like a big frightened animal and don’t know which way to move. So I’m steering clear of that."

Winston's album Hobo – the follow-up his own 2007 debut Make Way – has been released on Peter Gabriel's Real World label. Hobo was a No.1 hit in France, where it has sold over 400,000 copies and he is now stepping up the campaign in Ireland

You can read the full interview in the new issue of Hot Press.