The Swingline Records:
After graduating from Washington State University, managing bands, booking shows in Pullman (at WSU as ASWSU Entertainment Committee chairperson and independently at the Combine), I moved to Seattle in 1995. Prior to starting The Swingline Records in 1996, I had put out releases with Dan Beloit under the label moniker Feed Records and released a tape by The Glow (Dan from The Valley, Jeff from The Lights, Geno from WolfCougar) and an eastern Washington 7-inch compilation featuring {Raspberry (Moscow/Pullman) – a pre-Silver Scooter band fronted by Scotty Garred; Sugar Daddies (Lewiston/Clarkston) – a pre-Glow band fronted by Dan (the Valley) and Jeff (the Lights) and David Welker (Rummies); Purr (Clarkston) – Dan Beloit band with Doug (Shack Nasty) and Tom (drummer from Raspberry); and Motherload (Spokane)}.
The idea to start The Swingline Records was born in late 1995. I was working a shitty accounting clerk position at a seafood company constantly doing busy work, which included a ton of stapling interaction with my handy dandy stapler, designed by Swingline, hence the name for the label. My creative genius added “the” to the name and, voila! a label was born. Now I needed a band to work with…
Silver Scooter:
During my Wazzu days, I had become “friends” with a few bands playing in Moscow and Pullman, but I wasn’t really connected to any of them. Then, Scott Garred, who I knew from going to school in Clarkston, started a band with his then girlfriend and some guys from Moscow called “Sleepy Handful”, which reminded me a lot of a mellow Hammerbox-like band. At the same time, my high school buddy, Dan Beloit, had started a band, Shack Nasty with other “Valleyites” including Jim Laws. Both bands started playing shows together and we all developed a mutual respect for each other’s bands. Eventually, Scotty and his girlfriend broke up, so the band switched their name to “Handful” and Scotty assumed vocal duties.
Over the next year or two, Scotty switched things up and started the Billy Corgan Trio, which brought them closer to the eventually sounds of Silver Scooter. After graduating from WSU and Idaho in 1995, Scott and Tom relocated to Austin, Texas, and recruited a new bass player and officially, Silver Scooter was born. From Seattle, I had been in contact with Scotty periodically to see how things were going for him and his new band. At some point, he mentioned recording some initial Silver Scooter songs and looking for someone to release them as singles (I was in good company because both Peek-A-Boo and Crank Records both agreed to release singles too). I quickly jumped at the chance to release music by some of my favorite musician friends…by summer of 1996, the single “1353” was released with two originals and an Eric’s Trip cover song. The Swingline Records was born!
The Valley: (Dan Beloit – guitar vocals from Clarkston, Jim Laws – drummer from Lewiston, Taku Mineshita – bass / vocals)
Fast forward to 2003, the label hasn’t released anything since the Silver Scooter single, primarily due to a lack of funds and focus. Around this time, Trent and Ben Rupp (from WSU – lived in the Whitehouse (bands played in basement) had developed friendship and a mutual interest in NW bands. After many drinks and joints, we made a decision to relaunch the label. Now we just needed a band to work with …
Dan Beloit had relocated to Seattle and played in multiple, but around this time he had finally locked into a great little trio, called The Valley who played short, fuzzed out, garage-y rock tunes. The Valley had recorded a handful of songs with Conrad Uno at the famed Egg Studios, so we both jumped at the chance to work with each other. In 2003, the Swingline records was reborn with the release of The Valley single “Marked Star."
In 2004, the Swingline made the decision to release full length albums instead of just singles. We approached the Valley about recording and putting out another release with them. They went back into Egg Studios with Johnny Sangster behind the boards to record their debut album, “Blue Bear” and by early 2005 the album was released. The band played live on KEXP for the first time and played a sold-out record release show at the Sunset Tavern in Ballard. The album received rave reviews and lots of airplay on college radio (especially KEXP).
Quotes –
“One of the best things I’ve heard this year. More, Please” – Losing Today (David Mansdorf)
“Think like Mudhoney and the Fluid meets Dinosaur Jr and the Stooges, throw in a little Sonic Youth, and they all go and write some infectious pop songs together” – The Big Takeover (Marcel Feldman)
The Lights: (Jeff Alberston – bass/vocals from Lewiston; Craig Chambers – guitar/vocals from Pullman, PJ Rogalski – drummer from Pullman)
The Lights had released their first album, Beautiful Bird on Bop Tart Records in 2003, which was one of our favorite albums released that year. The Swingline records kicked ourselves in the butt, because we should have got our shit together and made an offer to release it. But good things come to those who wait, the Lights recorded their second album, "Diamonds and Dirt," and had signed with Wantage records in Missoula Montana to release the cd. They approached The Swingline Records to see if we would be interested in releasing the vinyl version of "Diamonds and Dirt," which we promptly said “Hell Yeah.” So in 2006, The Swingline Records and Wantage records jointly released the second album by The Lights. In 2010, The Lights released their final album, "Failed Graves," with Wantage records.
Other label notes:
In 2006, the Swingline records also released CDs by the Seattle bands Magneto and the Heavy Hearts. By 2008, the label was put on hiatus due to work and family obligations.
2024 updates:
In 2023, Ben and Trent started talking about reviving the label to re-release the Swingline Records releases on vinyl (most of our later releases were cd only). We approached the Valley about idea of releasing, “blue bear” album, on vinyl for the first time. Dan Beloit loved the idea and started the process of gathering the recording and getting it remastered for vinyl. Around this time, The Lights were also looking for a label to release their first album, "Beautiful Bird," on vinyl for the first time. The Swingline Records loves both albums and felt that they should be memorialized with a vinyl release. Things geared up very slowly, so it wasn’t until December 2023, that the wheels finally went into motion. The Swingline records committed to releasing both albums in 2024, and in turn the bands agreed to reform to play reunion/release parties for both albums. The bands are both spread around the Northwest now, so this was a huge commitment to gather and prepare to play these songs for first time in years.
The Valley – Taku is located in Seattle, Dan is in Spokane, Jim in Lewiston; The Lights – Jeff is located in Anacortes, Craig is in Seattle, and PJ is in Missoula.
The Valley “Blue Bear” album plans – vinyl will be released in September on 180 gram blue/black split vinyl with original artwork and new full color insert. The reunion / release party is scheduled for Sept. 28 at the Clock-out Loung in Seattle with the Tom Price Desert Classic and Sleep Capsule as supporting bands. They will also play a warmup gig at Hogan’s Pub in Clarkston on Sept. 21 with the Maple Bars.
The Lights “Beautiful Bird” album plans – vinyl will be released in October on 140 gram clear with black & white splatter vinyl with updated artwork and new full color insert. The reunion / release party is scheduled for Oct. 12th at the Clock-Out Lounge in Seattle with Kinski and Eric Blook (DJ set) as supporting acts. They will also play a gig in Missoula at VFW on Oct. 19.
