The release of Saints & Sonnets 015 featuring agency artist Quell with Perth & Kinross marks the first vinyl release since BLM’s Hard Knocking EP. To commemorate the occasion the label will launch brand new artwork. We had a brief chat with S&S designer and third member of the SAS team, Alastair Holmes, about the new design and its origins.
Tell us about the design?
The main idea behind the artwork was to return to the theme of the first S&S release – the use of shapes and colour.
What was the inspiration?
When Huxley initially asked me to come up with a logo and label designs for S&S he showed me a few examples of old 7″ that he liked. They had interlocking shapes of different shades and colours. With the artwork for the latest release I’ve tried to use that simple idea to create an interesting piece of design. The design will develop over the next few releases with different pattern formations and colours.
How important would you say artwork and design is for label releases?
Ultimately it’s the music that is most important. But the artwork does have a role to play. The artwork should make the release stand out and be in some way unique. Also, in a time when music is so readily available to download, I think it’s important to make physical music a desirable thing to have and own. When I was a kid buying music I used to spend hours looking at the inlays and artwork of my albums, so I think it’s important to have an appreciation of music as an object, not just sound.
And why is it important to create brand identity as a label?
I think it’s important to create a brand and identity for your label that expresses something about the music you’re putting out. In some of the earlier S&S releases we did this very literally (the I Feel Release had a hand print on it). With the latest release the idea is more abstract and reflects the original references Huxley gave when starting the label. A label’s brand should also become something that people can trust – so that when they put the logo on something they can expect a certain level of quality.
To find out more about Saints & Sonnets you can find their website here.