Love Letter From Olympia

Today I received a wonderful package in the mail box from Washington indie record label Electricity/Lust, who has just released a limited edition 7″ vinyl pressing by New Zealand’s favourite American darlings Polka Dot Dot Dot.

Michael Ryan Dellinger, founder of Electricity/Lush just sent me a follow up email explaining the story behind the label. It’s a story inspired by friendship and years of hanging out with wonderfully creative people. The story starts on a bus in Olympia…

“I was on the bus one night, and I heard someone talking behind me about a band that my friend was in, The Terrordactyls. So in truly awful eavesdropping form - I turned around and involved myself in their conversation. As it turned out - it was Colleen, and Polka Dot Dot (just her and Onyx) were playing a show in a few days with the Terrordactyls. We were kind of insta-friends from then on. It automatically felt like we had known each other for a long time. Obviously when I went to the show I was hooked. Even without Jordan being there (he was in school at the time) the music was just so powerful I fell in love with it.”  

Dellinger’s inspiration to start Electricity/Lust stems from the foundation of another famous indie record label. Formed back in the early 1980s, K Records is one of the pioneers of the Washington pop scene (alongside Seattle’s Sub Pop Records).

“A few years ago I moved to Olympia and started going to school here at The Evergreen State College. I was really obsessed with K Records when I was younger (the obsession hasn’t faded entirely, but it’s changed quite a bit), and wanted to live closer to where all of this awesome music was coming from. Right away I got swept up in the music scene in town. There were shows all the time. Almost every night of the week I was seeing a band I’d never heard of, and meeting a ton of people at shows. It’s a really great and supportive environment, and for being such a small town, with so many bands, it’s incredible how many people come out and populate shows.”

Since meeting Colleen and Onyx that day on the bus in Olympia, Dellinger’s relationship with the band has grown into a deep admiration. Little did he know, but he had already been introduced to the band’s third member Jordan O’ Jordan.

“The funny part is - I had known Jordan from living in Seattle a few years prior. I had seen him play a number of times, and we ended up going to a lot of the same shows ourselves and hanging out a little bit at them. When he moved to State College for school, it was the same time that I moved to Olympia.”

Despite dreaming about starting a record label, he really didn’t know where to start. Befriending Colleen, Onyx and Jordan was a blessing and gave him the extra push to pursue his dream. But it was still an expensive hobby and without any previous experience in the record business he was a wee bit nervous. He chose to get some advice from the experts.

“Eventually I interned for a few labels in Olympia, and learned a lot about the music industry, and production processes for records - which really sealed my desire to put them out.”

The music of Polka Dot Dot Dot then enters the story again, for it was their music that finally inspired Dellinger to forge ahead with his dream. It’s also where New Zealand enters the story, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing…

“It was when Colleen and Onyx went on tour with Ben Kamen that they made like 50 of these tour cassettes that had those 4 Polka Dot Dot Dot songs, and some of Ben’s songs on them. They were so incredible and I couldn’t stop listening. When they got back from tour - I told that to Colleen. I think I said something like “It’s so so good. I wish I could put it out on vinyl” to which she said “Could you have it ready for our New Zealand tour?” and the rest just kind of fell in to place.” 

 “I didn’t end up getting them ready for that tour - I had a lot of problems in getting them out, but it taught me a lot about the things that can happen in the vinyl production process, and helped me avoid a lot of mistakes down the road.”

So the Electricity/Lust label was born and all of Dellinger’s dreams had come true. The first release is Polka Dot Dot Dot’s Spring of Alchemy and Amory 7″ EP, a beautifully packaged pink and white splashed vinyl.

 “Basically I really like handmade things - and things that have some personal character. I really don’t like mass-produced things. There is something really special about something existing only in a limited quantity.”

 “My label is focused on having as many hand-made things as I can. I hand screen print all of the jackets and use old typewriters for as many fonts as possible. I really like making something that is more than just a few songs in a paper jacket - more of an artifact or treasure. Right now I’m only making vinyl, but I’m thinking that I might do some limited edition cassettes as well.”

For those wanting to buy a copy of the Polka Dot Dot Dot’s Spring of Alchemy and Amory, and I know there will be a few, you can purchase it from the Electricity/Lust website. Get in quick because it’s limited to 500 copies. You should also keep an eye out for Jordan O’ Jordan’s debut album, which will be released via the label in the coming months.

Here’s a single from Polka Dot Dot Dot’s Spring of Alchemy and Amory and a final word from Michael Ryan Dellinger.

“It’s crazy for me to think about how much amazing music - and how many amazing performers are just under the radar! There are amazing things waiting to be found all around us - and I really just want to share some of the ones that I’ve come across with other people. Hopefully these records will be able to do some of that. You’ll have to let me know what you think.”

Polka Dot Dot Dot- Up All Night: MP3

 Electricity/Lust- Myspace

 Polka Dot Dot Dot- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under U.S.A