Damnably is an independent record label based in Stratford, East London. It was founded by George Gargan and Janice Li. Primarily created to promote a John Peel night at The Brixton Windmill in 2006,[1] Damnably then undertook tour booking and evolved into a record label. It has since grown, adding a roster of artists from all around the world including USA, Canada, Japan, Korea, China, Indonesia, France and the UK.
History
The label was founded in 2006 by George Gargan, of the band Former Utopia. He was later joined by filmmaker Janice Li. Together, the label was formed on a shoestring budget, incorporating a DIY approach which still remains an integral part of their ethos today.
The label's first release was a single by Former Utopia, and its first high-profile signing was Shonen Knife.[2] After booking Shonen Knife for their first UK tour in 16 years, Damnably released their album, Super Group, which including additional live bonus tracks.[3]
Successful London gigs led to more gigs nationwide as well as shows at SXSW in Austin, TX. Tours were booked for Julie Dorion, Dick Dale, Shonen Knife, Codeine, Come, Bitch Magnet, Wussy, Geoff Farina (of Karate) & Chris Brokaw (Come/Codeine/The New Year). Golden Week tours were booked for Otoboke Beaver as the Japanese band often did not share the same holidays as western workers, meaning this national holiday was the only time they could tour.[4] Say Sue Me, Leggy and Drinking Boys and Girls Choir joined them as support.[5]
Damnably hosted a series of World International The Fall, Smog and Sonic Youth nights featuring bands from out of London covering a song or two, in additional to playing their own set. Bar sales went towards bands who struggled to get London shows that were not pay-to-play. This led to a large triple stage World International John Peel Day event for 2 years, raising money for charities and with a large number of acts.[6]
In April 2017, Damnably put on a show with Jon Fine (of Bitch Magnet) chatting to comedian Stewart Lee, followed by a performance with Jon and members from smallgang.[7]
Say Sue Me toured extensively in 2018 playing all across the globe. They were the first ever Korean band to record a KEXP session,[8] with Drinking Boys and Girls Choir being the third.[9] In 2019, Say Sue Me won two Korean Music awards.[10]
Damnably's acts performed as showcasing artists at SXSW for several years. In 2018, Otoboke Beaver, Say Sue Me, American werewolf academy, Leggy and didi performed. In 2019, Otoboke Beaver, Say Sue Me, Drinking Boys and Girls Choir, David Boring, Construction and Destruction, American Werewolf Academy perfromed. And in 2021, Otoboke Beaver, Say Sue Me, DBGC, Hazy Sour Cherry and Grrrl Gang performed in their online showcase.[11]
Damnably acts have additionally performed at festivals like Coachella,[12] Green Man,[13] Fuji Rock,[14] Primavera,[15] Roskilde[16] and Pohoda.[17]
Gargan and Li were married in the late 2010s, Say Sue Me and Otoboke Beaver both wrote songs titled George & Janice to commemorate their label bosses' wedding.[22]
Damnably has been very vocal about gender representation in the music industry, with festival line-ups and agency rosters in the UK being dominated by white male acts, while Damnably's roster, invariably featuring women, is often ignored.[23]
As Damnably's success grew, they quickly ran out of space operating out of their flats, opting to invest in a proper office space. As of 2019, Damnably are now based in a studio at Trampery on the Gantry.[24]
