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In Depth: The Coyote Records Clan Discuss The Importance Of Doing Things At Your Own Pace

“I just did it. I didn’t really think – I didn’t map it out with a business plan or anything like that, I just thought, y’know, one day I’m going to make this happen.” It’s a fairly common story. Businessmen might call it exploiting a gap in the market (or something to that effect), but when it comes to grime label origins it’s not unusual to hear their various founders describe the process as almost entirely organic, if not accidental. Despite being four years into running Coyote Records – and more than adept at spinning a story, including on these very pages – Tomas Fraser doesn’t seem to have come to any new conclusions about how this particular journey started. Nor does he seem overly concerned with doing so. “To be honest, I was looking at what other people were doing and thinking, ‘well I could do that, but better,’” he says, though without an ounce of the braggadocio that such a statement might usually require. “It was a case of being sent so much music at the time – because I was writing a lot about music,” he explains, “and I just felt that a lot people were really underrepresented, especially a lot of really good producers just not having a real back-up – just someone to say, ‘yeah, this is good.’” It’s arguably through this balance between a very singular, self-confident conviction and the desire to provide a platform for what is ultimately the work of others that both Coyote and Fraser really find their identity. In this way, the label is very much his, but equally very much owned by its roster. The label’s mission statement, he says, has always been “just to put out music that I believe in, and work hard.” And over the intervening years, that mission statement has been behind the development of a label with a steady stream of releases that are increasingly underpinned by a binding identity. Some of this, Fraser says, is down to the assistance of the label’s resident artist, Elliot Holbrow, who has been responsible for all release, flyer and tour poster artwork to date. Being able to quickly establish a visual identity has given the music side of things time to breathe and develop at its own pace. “There are so many labels out there now releasing music at our level and I think it’s really important to solidify an image,” says Fraser. This of course takes patience, and that’s something that Fraser counts among his learnings – or at least recognises as something to balance along with his self-belief. “We’ve had a few records that I’ve signed because I like them,” he says, “without really thinking about how they were going to be received or where I was going to put them.” Releasing on vinyl has helped on both counts here. Not only does it provide, in its very physicality, some additional sense and strength of identity but there’s also the fact that it enforces a certain equanimity when it comes to planning releases – given the long, delay-prone production times involved. “Vinyl takes three or four months, start to finish,” says Fraser, “so I have a habit of signing music in advance, sitting on it, making it right, and then we put it out.” The latest Coyote plate, Last Japan’s ‘Ascend’ (featuring a vocal from AJ Tracey), was recorded in July last year and will be almost a year old by the time it hits the shelves this Friday – cause for some celebration, Fraser says, at what will also be the label’s first showcase at fabric. Physical releases are worth waiting for though, says Last Japan: “Releasing your music on wax or any kind of physical format, as an artist means a lot more. I definitely feel like you take more pride in it.” With patience comes a need for trust. This is both in the sense of being able to gain artists’ trust when you might be sitting on their music for a number of months, but also in establishing a curatorial reputation. Tomas is open about the difficulty faced when starting a new label to just “get the music out there” – and is recognises that that not being a DJ himself hasn’t necessarily helped in this respect. “You’re effectively trusting someone’s ear that just sits at home and writes about music,” he says, “and there’s loads of people who do that.” The artists need to maintain trust in their own vision too – Last Japan talks about being protective of his work and self-critical. The amount of time it can take to actually see a release enter the public sphere, he says, regardless of how much he’s enjoyed playing it in his own sets, can bring him to question “is it actually that good?” But that changes when the listener is given the chance to take it in at their own pace – something that is also nicely reflected in the physical action of turning a record over and putting the needle down. Doing things at their own pace is something that the Coyote clan seem happy to do. “Sometimes it’s a good thing to let people create their own hype – without forcing it down their throats,” says Fraser, “and just let them come to you.” The past twelve months have arguably been the biggest yet for the label, and have seen it move from a fledgling, slightly bandy-legged outfit to one with implementation and identity to match the ever-present, resolute driving force of Tomas’ work rate and very personal vision. “I’ve [been able to] take a much more creative stance, and people trust me now,” Fraser says, with an audible tone of anticipation. If Coyote has come this far without Fraser feeling like he’s flexed his creativity or gained the trust of his artists, then who knows where it might be in another year’s time… Words: Will Pritchard (@Hedmuk) Photo: George Quann-Barnett
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