by Kenneth Morton

Celebrating their Ten Year Anniversary with a CD/DVD collection entitled Something Worth Fighting For, Facedown Records is one of the most respected and influential hardcore labels out there today. Launching the careers of bands such as Comeback Kid and Sinai Beach, we recently spoke with label President (and No Innocent Victim drummer) Jason Dunn to recollect the first decade of Facedown…

First of all, at what point did you decide you wanted to start Facedown Records, and were you in No Innocent Victim at the time? It all started in a backyard shed?
Facedown first started off as a distro at shows and a mail order company that sold other labels’ releases. I saw a lot of good underground music not available in traditional record stores, so I would just offer it to kids at shows and through NIV’s mail order. This was in early 1997. Later that year I decided to turn Facedown into a label as well as the distro, so Facedown Records was born in late 1997. I was in NIV at the time and that is how I came in contact with all of the bands that I would work with early on. We would play with bands like Overcome on tour, and then we met Figure Four at a show we did with them in Winnipeg, Canada. And there were always real good Southern California bands that we always played with at home. As far as the shed goes, yeah Facedown was started in a 10’X10’ shed in my parent’s back yard. It all started when I was in high school, so I was living at home and my dad used to have a photo dark room built in a shed in his backyard. So I got to take it over and make it an office. Once the label got a more legit home, my dad knocked the shed down and that spot is now home to a sweet hot tub!

What was the very first release Facedown put out, and how difficult was it to get the initial release recorded and distributed?
The first release on Facedown was a split 7” with NIV and a New Jersey hardcore band called Phanatik. The 2 NIV songs were recorded live at CBGB from our show there in the summer of ’97 and Phanatik featured ex-members of classic bands like Breakdown and Underdog. Only 1,000 were made and most were distributed at shows and through mail order. We would work with indie distros like Revelation + Very and sell directly to any stores that would carry it. Each band took care of recording their own side so that took care of the recording and the distribution was just real DIY. We really didn’t have real exclusive distribution with anyone for a few years. We handled most of it ourselves for the first few years and just built it up naturally as the label and the bands grew.

Do you feel ten years has gone by fast? Did you ever think that Facedown would become such an influential independent label?
Yeah, very fast. It’s crazy to think that the end of 2007 will mark 66 releases on Facedown, and that doesn’t count the 26 we put out on our sub label Strike First Records over the past couple of years. So over 90 albums total! Pretty wild if you ask me! I’m blown away all the time with the level that it’s gotten too, but we’ve had (and still have) some great bands that have pushed the label and we’ve had good people working for the label. It’s a big blessing for us to be where we are at. It’s not always easy as the music industry is facing a lot of challenges right now, but what matters at the end of the day is that kids check out the music and lyrics. As long as we can keep that going, I’ll be real happy. It’s humbling to think that the label has been influential to people and it’s an honor. I never had plans of getting to where we are. It was a hobby that grew and grew and I am thrilled to be a part of it.

What has been the best and worst aspects about running your own record label?
As with any business, it’s great to make your own schedule, but unfortunately that schedule is usually 60-80 hours a week! So it has its advantages and disadvantages. Some of the best aspects are seeing the bands live. I will never get tired of watching our bands live and watching kids in the crowd connect with the bands and be part of the show with them. That’s what has always drawn me to this style of music to begin with. It’s also amazing to hear from kids who have had their lives changed by the music and message that our bands put out. To be involved with that behind the scenes is by far the best aspect. The tough times have come when distributors have ripped us off or when entire chains of stores go bankrupt, like Tower. Those are tough blows, but we are fortunate to still be going strong today. We will push on with Facedown for as long as we can, that’s for sure!

Was it a difficult or easy decision to sign No Innocent Victim to Facedown after being on Victory Records? Why or why not? How difficult is it to tour with NIV when you have a label to run?
We were happy to bring NIV to Facedown for our most recent album To Burn Again and not because we were unhappy with Victory. They always pushed us as a band and our records and we don’t have anything bad to say about them. They opened a lot of doors for us that most other labels could not have. When it came time to put out To Burn Again, as a band we were not at a level to tour very much, and we knew that without touring no label out there would give us a strong push. However if I could put the album out, I could push it as much as possible. It was never a goal to make money off the album, but to just push it as much as possible. I am very happy with how it did and I know that no other label would have put the same resources into it that we did. So overall, it was a real good experience for all sides.

How do you feel when bands such as Comeback Kid and Sinai Beach sign on to the bigger labels?
In the case of those two bands, I was happy for them and helped them get to that point. I have friends at Victory and helped put the wheels in motion for that to happen. We were at a point as a label that our distribution was very limited and a band like Comeback Kid quickly grew to be the biggest band on the label and there was no end in sight for them. We didn’t want to be a label that hindered them at all. Since that took place years ago, we have secured amazing distribution through RED / Sony (the same distributor for Victory, Metal Blade, Ferret, etc.) so now we can work on developing our bands and bringing them to the levels that we couldn’t before. So now bands can grow to larger levels on Facedown and we don’t have to worry about letting them go. Some bands might still leave once their contract is up, but we always stay in good close communication and friendship with those bands. A great example is Nodes Of Ranvier. They completed their contract with us and felt it was time to move on. No hard feelings or drama and we still talk to those guys almost weekly. Same with bands like Comeback Kid who I am actually going to see in San Diego tonight. I love those guys and am still great friends with them. For me, being a label has always been much more than seeing bands as numbers and revenue. It has to be personal or what’s the point of doing it?

Many Facedown bands find success touring with secular bands. Please comment on that. And would you ever sign a secular band to your label?
The majority of all of our bands’ tours are with non-Christian bands. Our bands have never really been ones to only do church shows or Christian tours. Although they won’t turn down good opportunities (Christian or non) they’ve always been about getting out there and working hard and not limiting themselves to just one group of people to play for. Personally I feel that it’s always been our place to not just preach to the choir and to get out there and play clubs, bars, and anywhere else possible. If bands have a message, it doesn’t make sense to just tell it to people that already believe the same as them. As far as the bands we sign, when I started the label it was my goal to give bands a chance that other labels wouldn’t. At the time bands like us (NIV) were being told that labels wouldn’t sign us because we had songs that had Christian lyrics. Instead of just sitting back and crying about it, I started Facedown to give those bands a chance. So that is still our goal today. Although things have changed quite a bit since then and other labels have found some success with Christian artists, I feel like it would be wrong to all of the sudden change the vision and goals that the label originally was created for. Personally I listen to all types of music and I try to help support all different kinds of bands out there. Whether it’s hooking up tours for them, or passing their name on to other labels, etc….

You very nearly signed and released a band called This Run Through which featured Spencer from Underoath. How surprised were you at the time when Spencer left the band to join Underoath? And is there any unreleased material you might wind up putting out one day?
This Runs Through was signed to Facedown and they were writing for their debut full length with us when the band disbanded and Spencer went on to Underoath. There were only two songs ever recorded by them while they were on Facedown and both of those songs were just released on our 10 year CD / DVD collection titled Something Worth Fighting For. It’s always a bummer when bands break up, but I am happy for Spencer and the success that Underoath has seen. Their latest album Define The Great Line is amazing and one of my personal favorites of 2006.

Listening to Something Worth Fighting For is quite an exhilarating experience. What kind of emotions do you have when listening to all of these bands that Facedown has worked with over the ten years on the two-disc collection?
It’s great to see where the label has gone over the past 10 years and the diversity of the bands that we have worked with. It was a great feeling to put out that release and to be able to cram over 79 minutes of music on one CD in the form of over 30 songs! Plus I’ve been wanting to put out a DVD with all of our videos, so this was a great chance for that. I wish we would have had more videos from our older bands, but money was always so limited in the earlier years so video budgets were unfortunately out of the question back then.

Are you a fan of President Bush and his policies? What are your feelings and/or concerns on the mixing of church and state?
Politics are a tricky situation for me. I don’t really categorize myself as a Republican or Democrat and I think I am probably in the middle as far as a lot of the policies go. I think there are a lot of stereotypes out there that all Christians are radically right wing Republicans and we all march around to everything George Bush has to say. I personally disagree with the current war and I think it’s wrong that the media spins it off as something like “Operation Freedom”, etc… It’s all like a big marketing campaign and it’s a big business to them. It was all about WMD’s until none were found and then it turned into “liberating the Iraqi people”. If it was truly about liberating people and helping, then there are a lot of other countries out there that are in worse shape than Iraq was in before America stepped in. But why are we not involved more with “liberating” them. Probably because their lands have nothing that will benefit the US. Think about it, oil isn’t spraying out of the ground in places like Uganda or the Sudan! I think everyone out there needs to do what they can to read between the lines and not just blindly accept what they are told on the news. There’s a lot of shady stuff in the world today and just because someone is supposed to have our best interest in mind as an elected public official doesn’t mean that they are going to. People are always looking to benefit themselves, build power, wealth and influence.

As far as the church and state subject, I think that separation of the two is the best way to go. Personally my faith has nothing to do with the country I live in, so why should it? I don’t think the government should tell people what they can or can’t believe. I am not the kind of person that is going to blame every problem in the US on the fact that prayer was taken out of schools. Problems go so much deeper than that. I think that Christians that are quick to point that finger and raise that complaint should spend the time to look deeper into their own lives and families and see how they can improve and how they can lead their kids in a more Godly way at home. Just one small example, but I think it shows how I personally think in these kinds of matters.

Tell me about the first Facedown Fest, where the idea came from, and your memories about how the first one went over.
The first Facedown Fest took place in the spring of 2000 and it featured six bands in one night at the Showcase Theatre in Corona, CA. It was a sold out night and the vibe in the club was amazing. In 2002 it moved up to two nights at the showcase with 10-12 bands and from there it grew to be two nights at the Glasshouse because the Showcase just couldn’t hold the crowd anymore and we didn’t want to turn people away. It’s an incredible time for me and the bands and staff of Facedown. For one weekend each year we have every band on the label in one place and we just hang out, play to a ton of kids and just encourage each other for a weekend. It doesn’t get better than that.

There are so many faith based hardcore and metalcore bands out there right now trying to get signed. What advice would you give a new band looking for a record deal? And what do you look for when you sign a band?
My advice is to just focus on why you are doing what you are doing. Stay committed to your vision as a band and realize that music can be a powerful tool to impact peoples’ lives. Don’t go out there and start a band to get signed, but just focus on enjoying what you do. If you’re a good band and doing music because you enjoy it, labels will find you. That is exactly what we are all looking for!

What are your goals for Facedown Records for the next ten years?
Honestly, whatever God has in store for us. It is great to be at the level that we are and as a business we are always trying to improve and grow. We’ll keep fighting the fight and working with bands that we enjoy and believe in.

Any final words of wisdom?
Thanks for the interview and thanks to anyone who has read it. Thank you to the people that have supported Facedown over the past 10 years. It’s been an amazing journey so far and I am looking forward to the next 10 years. Take care.

Facedown Records links

Facedown Records: Happy 10th Anniversary to Facedown Records!
Sound The Alarm on Myspace: Their Official Myspace Page!
The Highwire Daze Home Page: Return to the Main Page!

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