Debt Records

An independent record label based in Manchester

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Louis Barabbas Part of Karen McBride Photo Exhibition

Louis Barabbas

It has just been brought to our attention that label co-founder Louis Barabbas is part of celebrated music photographer Karen McBride’s “Stripped Back” exhibition. A large photo of a semi-nude Louis holding wilting roses hangs alongside such Manchester notables as John Robb and Kirsty Almeida. It must have given gallery attendees quite a fright.

Louis Barabbas' portrait in Karen McBride's exhibition

The image was part of a 2014 shoot in which Karen was keen to get past Louis’ usual clowning and uncover something more sensitive. See Louis’ site for a blog post about the experience.

An Open Recording Session With T.E. Yates

Open Recording Sessions, T.E. Yates

T.E. Yates performing live

Debt Records is proud to present the chance to witness the amazing T.E. Yates record brand new material with his band at the beautifully intimate Eagle Inn, Salford. The event takes place between 3pm and 10pm on Sunday 7th June. Come for the whole day or just drop in and out of the session at your leisure. It’s free entry and the beer on tap is good!

About the artist…

Most musicians boast of exploding onto their local scene in a glittering blaze of media hype and spontaneous applause.

T.E. Yates, however, snuck in through an open window.

His name was not on the top line of event posters, but rather a discreet artist signature in the bottom corner; his first gig flyers and album covers were ones he designed for other bands not himself. He’s performed in front of huge crowds, but always as a hired hand or supporting player, a multi-instrumentalist in the shadows – mandolin, banjo, harmonica, even musical saw – you may have heard him on the tracks of other artists without even knowing it.

But now T.E. Yates has stepped out of the shadows, taking centre-stage with a formidable backing band (both onstage and on record) comprising members of Victorian Dad, The Bedlam Six, Ottersgear, Gorilla Riot and Honeyfeet. Even when performing solo the man doesn’t travel light – his weird and wonderful drawings regularly making an appearance between songs, baffling and delighting audiences in equal measures.

His debut EP “Possessed” was released on Debt Records in 2013 and described by BBC Manchester’s Michelle Hussey as being “like Nick Drake’s Lazy Jane with a touch of Roy Orbison” and by I Am Kloot’s Pete Jobson as “euphoric”.

Unassuming, unusual and enigmatic, T.E. Yates is a multi-disciplinary artist of rare and disarming qualities that must be seen and heard to be believed.

Ivan Campo Spanish Tour

Ivan Campo

Ivan Campo tour

Ivan Campo are off on a jaunt to Spain. Check out their tour dates (more TBC)

11th June – L’Ancora, Sant feliu de Guixols
12th June – Context Llibreria Cafe, Girona
13th June – La Fabrica, Celra
14th June – Terraluna Terraza, Zaragoza
16th June – Galeria Mitte, Barcelona
18th June – House Concert, Salou
19th June – Pla De La Calma, Cardedeu
20th June – Wharf 73, Madrid

Video: Open Recording Session at Manchester Central Library

Open Recording Sessions, Richard Barry, Snowapple, T.E. Yates, The Bedlam Six

As part of Manchester After Hours 2015, we held an Open Recording Session in the Henry Watson Music Room of the Central Library. The session featured a specially formed label supergroup drawn from artists and bands on the label roster, including Richard Barry, Tom Cleghorn, Fanny de Ruiter, Felix Hagan, Fran Lydiatt and T. E. Yates. The song was written by Louis Barabbas and Felix Hagan to mark the 90th anniversary of the publication of Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs Dalloway”.

The video was made by Marta Niemyjska and edited by Matilda Smith.

You can also read a behind the scenes blog about the collaboration.