Sarah Records

Sarah Records was a UK independent record label active in Bristol between 1987 and 1995, best known for its recordings of indie pop, which it released mostly on 7" singles. On reaching the catalogue number SARAH 100 the label celebrated its centenary by throwing a party and shutting itself down. In March 2015, NME declared Sarah to be the second greatest indie label of all time.

The label was formed in Bristol in 1987 by Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes and grew out of the fanzine scene at the time, Haynes having previously edited Are You Scared To Get Happy? and Wadd Kvatch.

(Read more at Wikipedia.)

Links To Peel
Peel gave airtime to numerous releases on the label, including the first single (Sara 001), 'Pristine Christine' by the Sea Urchins, having previously played the band on a Kvatch flexidisc. Eight of the 31 artists who released singles on the label had Peel sessions.

0n 22 April 1995, the DJ interviewed Matt and Clair of Sarah Records during Sound City Bristol, ahead of the ahead of the planned release of Sara 100 later that year. A CD compilation, 'There And Back Later Lane,' it would be the label's final release.

JP: ''Does it sort of spur you on, the fact that Sara Records does get the mickey taken out of it quite a bit and reviews always start off with words like “limp” and “pale”? You've always had that. Does that encourage you to continue, or ignore it, or does it depress you?''

Clare: It's wearing a bit thin.

JP: I should have thought it's wearing exceedingly thin!

Matt: It depresses us, because it means we don't sell as many records as we could sell, because people don't take us seriously as a record label because we get this criticism the whole time.

JP: But then also, the other side of that, is that you have this kind of cult following, in a sense, where people would buy anything on Sara.

Matt: ''I think we've lost that a bit. Obviously when you start out you have that, any label just starting out.''

[...]

JP: ''Well, I hope you keep going. I take heart from your continued activities. I mean, I don't like everything you put out, obviously madness to claim that I did, but at the same time it always encourages me to know that you're throbbing away down here.''

Sessions
Sarah Records' artists who had Peel sessions.


 * 14 Iced Bears: (2 sessions, 1986-87)
 * Boyracer: (1 session, 1994)
 * Blueboy: (1 session, 1994)
 * Even As We Speak: (3 sessions, 1992-93)
 * Field Mice: (1 session, 1990)
 * Heavenly: (2 sessions, 1991-94)
 * Orchids: (2 sessions, 1990-94)
 * Wake: (1 session, 1983)

Festive Fifty
Sarah Records' artists who had Festive Fifty entries on the Peel show.


 * Field Mice: (Sensitive #26 (1989 Festive Fifty), Missing The Moon #45 (1991 Festive Fifty)

Links

 * Wkipedia: Sarah Records
 * Wikipedia: Sara Records discography
 * Sarah Records official site