Matt Lunsford | |
---|---|
Born | Danville, Illinois, U.S. | November 5, 1976
Occupation | Co-founder of Polyvinyl Record Co. |
Years active | 1996-present |
Spouse | Darcie Lunsford |
Matt Lunsford is the founder and co-owner of Polyvinyl Record Co.,[1] an American independent record label headquartered in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.
In 1994, while attending high school in Danville, Illinois, Lunsford and his then-girlfriend (now wife) Darcie published a fanzine called Polyvinyl Press.[1] After releasing a pair of 7"s and Direction, a 20-track compilation album documenting the Midwestern D.I.Y. scene, Polyvinyl Press officially transitioned into Polyvinyl Record Co. in 1996.[1] At this point, Lunsford decided to drop out of college (where he had been pursuing an engineering degree) to focus on the label full-time.[2]
As recounted in the book Post: A Look at the Influence of Post-Hardcore 1985-2007, Lunsford's relationship with Polyvinyl's first break-out band, Braid, formed during time spent skateboarding with a couple of the group's members. Lunsford says the DIY ethos of skateboarding "defined my personality."[3]
As of 2015 Polyvinyl had released over 300 albums from over 100 artists under Lunsford's watch.[4]
In 1998 Lunsford became friends with the members of American Football and encouraged the band to record an album.[5] In 1999, Lunsford decided to release their debut full-length even though the band broke up.[6] American Football has gone on to garner considerable acclaim in the time since its release, including a #6 ranking on Rolling Stone's list of the 40 Greatest Emo Albums of All Time.[7]
Lunsford has been credited as a producer on two Braid releases - Movie Music Vol. 1 and Movie Music, Vol. 2 - as well as an art director on the 2008 of Montreal album Skeletal Lamping,[8] which was part of the groundbreaking Skeletal Lamping Collection.[9]
In 2009, Lunsford was interviewed for a New York Times article about Kickstarter because Polyvinyl was considered one of the site's "earliest success stories."[10] According to Kickstarter, Polyvinyl's project was the platform's most-funded project for a 57-day period.[11]
In 2014, Lunsford received an executive producer credit for his work on the of Montreal feature-length documentary The Past Is a Grotesque Animal, which was released via Oscilloscope Laboratories.[12]
In 2018, Polyvinyl entered into a partnership with Brooklyn-based label Double Double Whammy.[13] DDW co-founder/owner Mike Caridi has been enthusiastic about the pairing, telling Pitchfork "I’ve learned a ton from them. I talk to them pretty much every day—they’re kind of like mentors in a way."[14]