About Sneezeguard Records
Sneezeguard was started in the winter of '91 when Rubber Sole put out the first pressing of our demo "8 Songs You Haven't Heard." Like every other band that didn't have someone to put out our records we put them out ourselves and by coincidence we created a record label. We needed a label name to stick on the cassette so we came up with Sneezeguard and have stuck with it. A few years later we had a merger of sorts with the Pee Tanks own label Pickled Himalayan Music. The idea was to band together and put out twice as much stuff but it never happened until we put out a compilation of bands Mike and the Pee Tanks had met on tour called Dear Fred: It was me that did it.
The label was never intended as a means to make money off other bands or our own bands effort. We are fighting not to lose money and will be satified if we can pull that off. I guess it has always been more about puting out the things that we can't believe aren't already out. The label is based more on frustration than ambition. The consequence however is less effort being put into the label and more effort put into the bands we play in. We figured out after no one would distribute our records that we should keep putting out things we enjoy and eventually they will come to us. Definately a stupid way to run a label but for us it seems to have worked. Most of the releases these days are actualy put out by the bands themselves. We'll chip in some money or expertise in the graphics or manufacturing end and keep ads running.
Although we tend to put out stuff from the D.C./Baltimore area we don't want to be a label that puts out local bands exclusively. Our series of Dear Fred comps have tried to include up and coming bands that are good people as well as in good bands from around the country. After the first Dear Fred Comp came out a network of contacts were created and it became easier for bands to tour and use the other bands on the comp to get shows and places to stay. Hopefully this will continue now that a new version is out.
Write us letters if you want advice putting out records or getting shows in our area or even if you want to give us some pointers. If you have any of our records and enjoy them tell your friends and make them a copy but remember where you got it from.
Start a band, label, fanzine or put on a show because 1991 seems like yesterday and if we weren't doing this we'd all have nice cars.
Bobby from Sneezeguard and The Thumbs.