Simple Machines was an American independent record label in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

. The label was founded by Derek Denckla and Jenny Toomey and Brad Sigal while both were living in the Positive Force House in north Arlington, but Sigal and eventually Denckla stepped back from involvement. In 1990-91 Kristin Thomson stepped up and co-masterminded the project with Toomey and they started a new group house near Positive Force's. At its peak, the label had four paid workers: Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard. The label was formed to "find creative ways to avoid the established and boring music business."

Biography

The label came into existence in 1989 working toward the 1990 release of the ''Simple Machines 7"'' series. The ''

Working Holiday! ''Working Holiday!'' is a compilation album released on the Simple Machines label in 1994. It is a collection of tracks by American indie bands which were originally released on a series of 12 7" singles by Simple Machines as part of the Wor ...

'' 7" series followed. Simple Machines promoted cooperation with other indie labels all over the United States, and the "sell it at a fair price" ethic. The label also released a compilation of bands covering their "favorite Beat Happening covers". The profits were donated to a youth at risk home in Washington D.C. One of the most famous releases of the label is '' Pocketwatch'', an album recorded by

Dave Grohl David Eric Grohl (; born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He founded the rock band Foo Fighters, of which he is the lead singer, guitarist, principal songwriter, and only consistent member. From 1990 to 1994, he was the drummer of th ...

, the

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frontman, who was at the time the drummer for

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

-based

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...

band Nirvana. Hesitant to use his own name on the record, Grohl used the moniker "Late!", and was listed in liner notes as "Dave G".

The Mechanic's Guide

As part of the label's DIY attitude towards the music industry, they published a 24-page guide that is believed to be responsible for helping to set up many independent labels throughout the 1990s. The guide gives detailed advice on many aspects of the music industry from recording and releasing singles through to the legal requirements of setting up a label as a legitimate business.

Closure

Following Thomson's relocation to

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

with her husband, and the subsequent six-hour weekly commute, Simple Machines found themselves under increasing financial pressures to keep putting out records and keeping them in print. Toomey and Thomson had also become disenchanted with the business aspect of their label, realizing that it overruled the musical side of it. In 1997 the decision was made to wind the label down. The label released two final records by artists Ida and Tsunami, respectively. Toomey and Thomson organized a Simple Machines Finale, "Kick the Bucket" Party at the Black Cat in Washington D.C., with 24 bands on the bill which took two days to conclude. On March 29, 1997, Simple Machines closed.

Current

In 2024, Chicago archival label The Numero Group began reissuing projects originally released on Simple Machines including compilations from The Hated, Ida, and the co-founder's band

Tsunami A tsunami ( ; from , ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, ...

Roster

* Autoclave * Bricks * Franklin Bruno * Grenadine *

(under the pseudonym "Late!") *The Hated * Danielle Howle * Ida *Liquorice *

Lois Lois is a common English name from the New Testament. Paul the Apostle mentions Lois, the pious grandmother of Saint Timothy in the Second Epistle to Timothy (commending her for her faith in 2 Timothy 1:5). The name was first used by English C ...

Lungfish Lungfish are freshwater vertebrates belonging to the class Dipnoi. Lungfish are best known for retaining ancestral characteristics within the Osteichthyes, including the ability to breathe air, and ancestral structures within Sarcopterygii, inc ...

* Mommyheads *Monorchid * My Dad Is Dead *Rastro! * The Raymond Brake * Retsin * Scrawl *Sea Saw *

References

{{Authority control Record labels established in 1990 Record labels disestablished in 1998 Alternative rock record labels American independent record labels