Interview with Nikolay from Ugly & Proud Recs


My man Nikolay is a brain and muscle behind Ugly & Proud Recs, a young hardcore label based in Sofia, Bulgaria that has been putting out some quality records in recent years. Roster includes bands like Blade, Lose The Life, Can't Relate, Raw Justice, Die Young and much more. As you can see, 100% legit stuff that everyone into hard and uncompromising hardcore could appreciate. This type of entrepreneurship will always get respect and support on this blog, so I thought it would be cool to ask Nikolay couple of questions about the label - how it got started, how it works, and what is the biggest headache. I hope seing the insights behind what it means to run a DIY hardcore label is something you'll find interesting.

Strictly Business: Alexis from Straight & Alert on running a distro

Recently it was Darin from Westcoast Worldwide discussing how to take care of business when running a hardcore label, and it’s time to continue with our ‘strictly business’ series. This time Alexis from Straight & Alert dropping a knowledge how to run a hardcore distro without losing a fortune on it. This is integral part of hardcore but a hard work to do in a times of digital downloading, but Alexis knows how to hold its own. Check it out!
Recently it was Darin from Westcoast Worldwide discussing how to take care of business when running a hardcore label, and it’s time to continue with our ‘strictly business’ series. This time Alexis from Straight & Alert dropping a knowledge how to run a hardcore distro without losing a fortune on it. This is integral part of hardcore but a hard work to do in a times of digital downloading, but Alexis knows how to hold its own. Check it out!
Hello Alexis, can you introduce Straight & Alert distro and tell us how did it get started?
Hi Dloogi ! Straight & Alert is a distro I've started during 2009 summer. I've been into vinyl records since 16 years old and going again and again to the local metal / hardcore record store made me want to start my own distro . Around May or June 2009 my friend Simon with whom I was playing in a band had a small distro but he had to stop doing it because he was moving to UK to finish his master degree. So we agreed on a deal and he gave me his leftover records, so I just had to place a couple orders to some labels and start my own distribution ! I started with a few 7"s and a list on a blogspot.

To be precise Straight & Alert is a hardcore punk mailorder / distro but we also carry some old metal / thrash / death & crossover records and a couple of indie / post hardcore stuff too. We're trying to have a wide selection of records, from classics to the last new hype ***band members*** side project.

What led you to run a hardcore distribution? What was the vision you had in mind when starting Straight & Alert?
Like I said it before, I'm into vinyl records for a while now and it has always been a real pleasure to drive from my hometown to the closet big city to get to the local record store. By this time I was a kid and I thought it would be so cool to have my own shop one day. Who is into vinyls would'nt like to spend his days listening to records, talking about music and maybe sell a bunch of LPs?

Also I felt ( and still feel) doing a distro is playing an important role in the (local) hardcore / punk scene. Since I'm into this music I've always wanted to get involved one way or another. It's a small scene so YOU have to make things happen, and it's up to everyone to build something the way they want it to be.
I've done a fanzine, played in bands ( still do !) so I just wanted to try something new.

Basically when I've started Straight & Alert my ultimate aim was to open a record store quite quickly. I've started working on this project with a friend but life and things forced to him to slow down and eventually it didn't work out. So I decided to do continue to work on that alone and continue to chase that dream. And at the end it's probaly better like this ! In fact I'm not sure it would have worked out so fast… I'm not even sure a record store could be a viable project now. Maybe I'll figure it out one day !

However I'm currently thinking about some alternatives to a "real" record store. I will keep going with the mailorder as it is and also try to do like "Straight & Alert HQ open house" days once or twice in a month.
The fact you can't talk face to face with the people is the anoying part of running a mailorder.

Sending an email is obviously less pleasent than have at talk about the last cool band or whatever else. That's why I love having a table with S&A at shows or festivals. Meeting and sharing with new people is essential to me.


Does it take a lot of time to run this business? Is it hard balancing the so-called regular life and the distro?
Yes it does. Currently it takes me between 25 and 35h a week in the mean, depending on many orders I recieved and all. Besides i'm working on a regular job 35h a week too. So weeks can be pretty long sometimes yeah. So far it's kinda hard to balance between doing a mailorder and the regular life.

However running S&A is one of my favorite activities, it's an hobby over all. So I'm ok with sleeping a few hours during night and wake up at dawn to work on S&A before going to work. I'm fine but people around me feels it takes me too much time and so I don't have enough to hang out with my girlfriend or friends.

Fortunately I'm quiting my regular job mid August to focus on Straight & Alert and other work / personal projets. I'm somebody who likes to do everything by his own and having a boss telling me how things have to be done isn't something I'm enjoying so much. Besides I've always (more or less) made choices that set me appart during my life. It's not at all something I take pride in but it's just how it is. So I feel I don't fit in the " work – eat – sleep routine" mold. I need something more.

I've been running the distro this way for 3 years now and I feel it's time to turn S&A into a full time activity. Hopefully it will work out, if not I'll find alternatives but I'm pretty sure Straight & Alert will last long, in a way or another. It's just up to me.

Now I will have more time to focus on what's really important, make S&A evolve and enjoy life a bit more with people I care about.


What's the process for what records you choose to carry in your distro? What are your favorite albums you carry right now?
Well it's petty simple. If I really dig a record I try to get it to distribute over here. It doesn't matter if it's the last album of american heavyweights or a local band's demo tape. The point is I have to like the record. I can't really sell to people stuff I don't like at least a bit. Off course I also carry stuff I don't particulary appreciate… If Madball or Terror put out a new "metal-called-hardcore" album I have to distribute it, but it's far from being my prority.

The 2 last records I'm really glad to distribute is THE HOLLOWMEN "Three Betrayals Toward Modern Man" 7' and the SHORT DAYS demo Tape.
I didn't know those bands band before they emailed me to know if I could help them to distribute their stuff and I had a blast listening to both of them !

THE HOLLOWMEN comes from Spain and is like RINGWORM mixed with IN COLD BLOOD and INTEGRITY. Heavy stuff, listen to it !

SHORT DAYS is the french version of THE OBSERVERS, incredibly catchy.

I'm also glad I could have a few copies (15) of the BOSTON STRANGLER LP. It was sold out on my webstore in just few hours. This is an awesome record but I don't really understand the frenzy about this LP.

What more …
The new xDIGx 12" is pretty rad. They friends from Paris playing Hate-edge hardcore, influenced by Violation, Guns Up, One Life Crew and mid-80's NYHC. The last NOOSE 7" is dope too ( even if what happened during their tour sucks). The TWITHCHING TONGUES "Sleep Therapy" LP is probably one of my favorite records of the year. The last POWER TRIP 7" is crazy too.

I'm also always glad to have in my shelves old hardcore classics like YOUTH OF TODAY, IN MY EYES, MINOR THREAT or even great old metal stuff like DEATH, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, POSSESED, or OBITUARY.



A word of advice for kids interested in starting their own distro or label - looking back, what was the best decision you made when setting up the S&A?
First : Have fun doing it. Second : Work hard. Things happen if you are dedicated and don't give up.

Doing a distro (or a label) is a wonderfull experience. It's all about doing something you like, meeting new people, sharing and building something that you care about. It feels great when you achieve something by your own. There is no rules, just yours.


Concerning the best decision, well I hope it will be the one I'm doing right now : to turn it into a full time activity. I'll find out pretty fast haha.
It's always hard in this scene to try to keep doing things balancing between ethics and "business" . I don't want to run a "random-$$$-rock-n-roll$$$-mailorder" but you sometimes have to do some things like publicity or stuff like this if you want to do a bit more than deal 3 or 4 local bands' 7"s. If you are cool with the DIY-Punk-Police talking shit about what your doing it's fine.

And what is the worst choice you have ever made when getting the S&S going? What hardcore entrepreneurs should avoid doing on their road to riches?

The worst choice is to work with cheesy label owners.
Just to name a few ( the worst ! ) there is the guy from DOUBLE OR NOTHING records who stole over $200 from me and a LOT of people, including some friends.

It was back when the STEEL NATION LP was about to be released. He took preorders and then said the record was delayed at the pressing plant. After a while and tons of message to know what was up with the LP he started to email everyone with messages such as " yeah i've sent the records, i've sent the records" to eventually recieve nothing.

Also the guy behing THIRTY DAYS OF NIGHT records who told me like 4 times in the same month he sent my HANG THE BASTARD records for at the end give me the money back. I guess he didn't send them but at least he refunded me ! Several people told me he's doing this really often.
The ugly thing is you don't know they suck before they rip you off !

I don't feel I've doing other really bad choices so far.

What are some of the downsides of running a label or a distro? Does it ever happen that stuff gets stolen at the show or some records you've paid for are not sent to you? How to avoid being ripped off?

Except the fact you need a lot of time to run a label or a distro and cheesy label owners I don't see other downsides.
Like I said, it's all about fun and doing something you like. As S&A isn't a label (yet) I didn't have to deal with all the problems related to pressing a record, I guess it's a mess but i'm impatient do struggle with pressing plants ahah.

I also noticed lately ( since like a year) that I recieve a lot of records with damaged covers. I don't know if shipping compagnies treat packages worst than before or if labels try to save on shipping costs by sending lighter packages but it's kinda anoying ahha. 90% of the time labels send replacement covers but it's another loss of time.

I don't know if records got stolen at shows, it probably happened a few times but I didn't realize.
Concerning not recieving some records you've paid for I've said all I had to said in the previous question ! Unfortunately I guess there is no perfect solution to avoid to be ripped off. Bad people are everywhere, even in the hardcore scene. Life isn't pink !


As hardcore rarely pays the bills, running a distro is usually considered a hobby and keeping an eye on the costs is always important. Any tips of how to promote your stuff on budget?
DO IT YOURSELF. Learn new things.

If you need a website do it by your own. If you need flyers print them at work. There is tons of ways to save money. Just don't be lazy and ask people around you. You probably know a lot of people good in doing something, ask them how to do and do it by your own.

For instance I've did my own website when I didn't know anything about how to do it. I've just found the right tools on the right boards ( google is your friend). It took me more than 3 months but now it's working fine since almost two years ! I think I've learnt more things that I use and need everyday in 3 years doing a distro than in 3 years of highschool haha.

Looking at bigger trends, it seems that everything is moving into digital world with kids rather paying for mp3s than for a real record. What’s your opinion about it? Do you see the same trends among hardcore crowd?
Well first of all I think CD- era is over. Fortunately vinyl is trendy again since some years. Even big majors / mainstream bands put out vinyls now.
But as far as hardcore is concerned I don't know if things have ever changed. I'm incapable of being objective about it that much because I didn't leave the pre-internet era in the hardcore scene.

But I think labels were really clever to start adding download cuppons with vinyl records. With that you've got the best deal : the physical and digital version.
I guess kids in the hardcore and punk scene buy vinyls records since the begining and keep doing it over the years. Paying for a record is more than just getting a piece of wax. It's helping and supporting a band, a label, a distro… It's another way to keep the scene alive. Without them, there is NO scene.
Records nerds need more than an mp3 file !

Before we wrap up, ever thought about turning Straight & Alert into label?
Straight & Alert should turn to be a label too this year, maybe early 2013. I have some plans since a long time but it's always postponned, mainly because of a lack of money but I'm really impatient to start to work on a first Straight & Alert release !

Plans for the future?
A lot ! The first one is to buy a van to go with S&A across France and Europe, to festivals, shows or tours with bands. Then the label thing is something I'm really looking forward to doing it. Eventually maybe open a real record store. We'll see how things are going but I've got new ideas every month, it's sometimes hard to focus on one. As far as I'm concerned I'm supposed to start on or two new bands with some friends in September. 2013 should be a great year for Straight & Alert! Thanks a lot for the interview, I had so much fun doing it.

Check out Straight & Alert website/Facebook

Strictly Business: Darin from Westcoast Worldwide Records

If you have been into hardcore longer since last week you probably know Westcoast Worldwide Records. The label has been responsible for bringing you albums by likes of Hoods, Out For Revenge, Brawl or Hammerfist and they worked with classic acts, just to name Folsom, Lionheart or Above This World among others. None hardcore kid who respects themselves can deny these are some dope bands that know (or knew) how to deliver that hardest edge of this music. This is interview with Darin, who in charge of this lucrative enterprise when he’s not fronting Out For Revenge.
If you have been into hardcore longer since last week you probably know Westcoast Worldwide Records. The label has been responsible for bringing you albums by likes of Hoods, Out For Revenge, Brawl or Hammerfist and they worked with classic acts, just to name Folsom, Lionheart or Above This World among others. None hardcore kid who respects themselves can deny these are some dope bands that know (or knew) how to deliver that hardest edge of this music. This is interview with Darin, who in charge of this lucrative enterprise when he’s not fronting Out For Revenge.
Let’s start from the beginning. How did Westcoast Worldwide come to be? Where did the first idea come from to start a record label and what were the goals back then?

Westcoast Worldwide was started in the late 90's by Mikey Hood, who we all know as singer/guitarist/general rad guy of the legendary band Hoods. The original purpose of the label hasn’t really changed much since then. It’s all about getting quality bands that are staffed with quality people heard, and that song pretty much remains the same today. We do things with ethics, and integrity, and we feel that that is something really important that we not only owe the scene, but to ourselves and our bands in return. We exist more like a family then anything, and that’s an element that remains very important to us. We believe our roster is stocked with some really talented people, who above and beyond all else are personally great people that can do great things for the world.

What do you feel is the driving influence behind the label nowadays?

I’d say what keeps us going is more or less the guys that were there before us, that paved the way, and trying to live up to what they created, while at the same time watching the new kids make and create things that continually keep us inspired.

Can you tell us how WestCoast Worldwide operates? Who is behind the label? It was started by Mike Hood, but with him being on tour so much time, it’s you who runs the business?

Well, Mike owns the label, and he gets involved whenever he can. Right now he is in the process of opening a barber shop in Sacramento, California called True Blue Barber and Shave Parlor, and that keeps him very busy in addition to Hoods. I basically run the day to day shit, and recently Brandon Wells (Vocalist from Havenside) joined the team, and he handles a lot of the web based promotion stuff.

What has been the hardest thing as an independent hardcore record label?

You have to make a lot of personal sacrifices. It’s basically a full time job that you don’t really get paid to do. Doing something like this is huge hours, and its hours that we don’t get to spend with our friends and families. I’m lucky that I have a home office that’s pretty comfortable, so me and my wife (who by the way is cool as shit, and extremely patient) spend a lot of time chilling out in here, but it’s tough when the phone is ringing off the hook at 4:00 in the morning, and a band is having van trouble, there was drama somewhere, or a show got cancelled or something, and you have to deal with it right then and there. My phone rings pretty much 24 hours day 7 days a week and that gets a little trying sometimes. I also don’t get to go to as many shows as I’d like to anymore because of the time this takes up too, but the way I look at it is that if I have to miss a show I wanna see so that thousands of kids all over the country can see their favorite WCWW bands play in their town, it’s worth it. I’ve been to probably a good 3500 shows in the last 12 years or so, so I’ll survive. I wanna make sure kids have the options available to have experiences like that for themselves too. I really do love doing this label, and was a huge fan of it before I got involved with it, and I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by awesome people so that makes it even better. I feel very honored that I get to do this most of the time.


Everyone throughout the music industry says that the record sales are dying in the modern digital age. How are labels like yours addressing this challenge?

It’s totally the truth. Record sales will never be a real financially stable means of revenue ever again. The standard has been set, and it will most likely never be broken. Right now it really breaks down to an album being nothing more than just a really expensive business card for your live show, or your clothing line. That’s really what it’s about right now. You have to sell a tangible product in order to get there now, and as backwards as it sounds, in most cases music has now become somewhat of an intangible. However one of the things that’s great about the hardcore scene (and seems to have died out in most other genres) is the fact that kids will support you financially if they like you and/or what you do. Sure they might steal your album off the internet, but if it’s something they connect with they will turn around and buy things from you, and they will support you in whatever way they can, which is a true testament to what the hardcore scene is really about. This also places major importance on artwork. Artwork and the lure of holding something tangible in your hard is one of the only factors left in somebodies decision either to buy something, or just steal it. Having a complete product that has obvious quality has never been more important than it is today.

How do you see modern technology, like Facebook, mp3s, youtube etc., affecting the way you run the label?

The internet really has two sides to it for a label like us. On one hand it allows your artists to be exposed to a much larger audience much more quickly, which is awesome. However on the other end, it pretty much ensures that you are never going to make any real money for your efforts as a label if you do things honestly. The second part of that is sort of irrelevant to us though. WCWW isn’t about making money. It’s about the bands, and the kids, and doing something right and honorable for the scene. It seems like lately that a lot of people are flooding the scene looking for a paycheck, and I think a lot of good bands and good people get fucked over in the process of people like that figuring out that theres no real money in hardcore. Sure we like to see our bands make as much money as they possibly can. It keeps them on the road, and making merch, and generally doing their thing, but I think for anybody that’s actually doing it for the right reasons, getting your message or opinion out, and letting your music be heard is the most important thing. From a label standpoint that doesn’t do much for us, but it’s good for the bands. We always want to see them get paid before we do, and things like bigcartel, and bandcamp have provided them with ways to accomplish that with more convenience, and it’s easy for us to help them by driving traffic to those types of sites. We as a label basically lose money 100% of the time, but we really don’t care. This is a labor of love for us, and the internet really helps with that end of things. So yeah, it has affected us a lot, but the bottom line is for a label like us, we see it as being a very useful resource.

From Hoods to Give Em Hell to Brawl, your rooster is quite diversified stylistically. How do you choose artists to work with?

Hardcore is a very diverse form of music, and we like WCWW to reflect that. We all love a lot of different styles of hardcore, and we know most people who are into this music do to, so we just try and represent all sides of the genre, and try and offer something for everybody. As for how we choose artists, they need to meet three basic sets of criteria. First, they need to be great at what they do musically. Second, they need to share the same passion for hardcore that we do and demonstrate a work ethic that we can respect. Third, (and in some respects the most important part) they need to be quality people. This means if you wanna run around and start shit everywhere you go, we aren’t the label for your band. If you have some giant shitty attitude, we aren’t the label for your band. If you wanna half ass everything, and let your fans down either musically or personally, we aren’t the label for your band. Character is a major thing for us. We put a tremendous amount of work into the bands on this label, and we don’t have time to waste on assholes or drama queens.

You often mention that a band has signed to Westcoast Records. What does signing to Westcoast Records entail?

It means you are member of our family. We work with you to make a better product, we hype you, we help you with shows, and stuff on the road, and we push your music world wide. Same thing any other label does I guess. haha

Any words of advice to bands trying to contact you and submit a demo?

Not really other than the standard stuff. Make a quality demo, go play shows, make somewhat of a name for yourself, and then hit us up on www.westcoastworldwiderecords.com I guess. Nine times out of ten we don’t sign bands from demos. We do a lot of research and generally we know what’s out there most of the time. we usually directly contact bands were interested in. however I don’t want to discourage anybody from hitting us up though. If you got something great, we for sure want to hear it!

What’s your standpoint on artwork for releases? I am asking cause I really do like the visual aspect of your albums. From cover art to photos on your website, everything looks professional and with a keen attention to details.

If you really break it down music is art, and so we feel those things kinda go hand in hand with each other. Ultimately a huge part of your product is visual appeal, and most times that is the first thing that the listener is going to be exposed to with a complete package like a cd/mp3/website/etc. We basically want to set the right initial tone for the listener, and make it a more complete experience for them. That’s something we really try and push on our artists too. Don’t just write a bunch of songs and glue them together. Try and make a complete experience for anybody that’s going to fork over their hard earned money for what you have made. Listening to one of our bands we feel should be an all-encompassing type of thing that you not only see and hear, but also feel. One of our biggest goals as a label is to make sure that a listener is gonna feel like they got more than their monies worth when it’s all said and done, and we don’t feel like we have done our jobs until that goal is achieved 100%.

What are your goals and plans for 2012? Have you got any forthcoming releases on your label? Anything else major on the horizon?

We have all kinds of stuff going on in 2012. We just put out new albums from Havenside and Brawl recently, and we just signed a great band from Washington called Cowardice. We also got a bunch of new shit coming out from other artists already on WCWW this year too. We do have some additional things in the works, but you all are gonna have to wait and see on that stuff. Keep an eye on www.westcoastworldwiderecords.com. We’re pretty good about keeping people up to date on there.

Anything else you’d like to mention? Any shout outs? Message to haters?

Wed like to give a shout out and a thank you to anybody that not only supports us, but hardcore in general everywhere in the world. This kinda music can be somewhat thankless a lot of the time, but that is sort of irrelevant in the grand scheme. We do this for the kids, the bands, and the friendships, and experiences that we get out of this. This wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for all the great people around the world that love this music like we do, and that’s why we do it. It’s for all those people. As for the haters? We have no time for haters. We don’t even see em.

Westcoast Worldwide: Website; Facebook