Independent’s Day is a new ten-part radio series looking at the state of independent music in Ireland. Alternative culture and independent music has a rich history in Ireland and record labels are a big part of that.  These small businesses bring drive and passion to signing, promoting and selling non-mainstream music.

Across ten episodes, Independent’s Day will feature an in-depth look at Irish independent record labels with interviews with the originators of these labels.  It will focus on their original concept for the label, as well as their desire to promote the music they love.

The music business has changed drastically over the last 20 years since the advent of the internet and the ensuing consequences of Napster, legal and illegal downloading and streaming. The label founders will give an insight into how they choose what bands to sign, the vinyl revolution, the importance of artwork, Spotify, live shows and distributing and promoting music to an Irish and international audience.

Bands and artists from each record label will give their take on making music in 2019.  With the changes in the industry, being in a band is not a career option for most people, so why do they do it?  They will discuss the importance of collaborating with an independent label, their creative processes, making a living as an artist and the thriving disparate music scenes in Ireland.

Independent record labels from all around the country will feature in Independent’s Day with genres from indie, folk, hip hop, sound art, jazz, traditional and electronic.

Record Labels included in the series are Art For Blind Records, Word Up Collective, Homebeat Presents, Raelach Records, Lyte Records, Rusted Rail, Strange Brew, Farpoint Recordings, Rua Sound and Out on a Limb.

Artists included in the series are Ellll, Alien She, Natalya O’Flaherty, Tebi Rex,  Carriages, Let’s Set Sail, Shane Mulchrone, Saileog Ní Cheannabháin, Melana Gillard, Verse Chorus Verse, A Lilac Decline, Yawning Chasm, Paddy Hanna, Junior Brother, Viv Corringham, Danny McCarthy, Touchy Subject, TMSV, Windings, Crayonsmyth.

‘Independent’s Day’ will be aired on RTÉ 2XM on Mondays at 13.00 and repeated on Wednesdays at 13.00 for 10 weeks from April 22^nd 2019.

LISTEN LIVE: ‘Independent’s Day’ can be listened to on RTÉ 2XM on DAB radio, Saorview and online at: http://rte.ie/listen/2xm

LISTEN BACK: Podcast available on www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/rteradiowebpage.html after the broadcast after the broadcast.