Legendary Liverpool record label Deltasonic Records has joined the Bandtheme family. For those that don’t know the label, here is an introduction to the music that helped define indie in the noughties and a chat with the man responsible for their unique visual aesthetic.
“Bandtheme is a very versatile theme. Working with the support team I reconfigured some of the structure to allow a page for each band, which lets the label add all of the Bandtheme features for each of its artists when needed.”
Scott Jones, Deltasonic
In the 2000s, terms like ‘cosmic Scouse’ and ‘scallydelica’ started appearing in the music press. They were referring to the psychedelic tinged indie coming from Liverpool made by bands like The Coral and The Zutons. That music came from Deltasonic.
Formed by Alan Wills (former drummer in Shack and Top) Deltasonic (the name coming from Delta blues and Sonic Youth) was influenced by Mo’ Wax records and had the aim of bringing Liverpool’s unique guitar-band scene to a wider audience. While the excellent Mountaineers marked early releases it was The Coral that set the label going in an impressive way.
Following releases came from The Zutons, The Dead 60s, The Little Flames, Yhe Rascals, The Basement and Candi Payne, who all became mainstays of the noughties indie sound while adding their own unique slant on it, whether infusing psychedelic, ska or 60s soul.
Whilst esoteric, the label churned out hits, not least The Coral’s ‘Dreaming of You’ – an almost ubiquitous tune – and The Zuton’s ‘Valerie’ which became a mega-hit for Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse from Ronson’s ‘Version’ album.
In their first non-Scouse signing, The Longcut, the label can boast one of the most criminally underrated bands of the era especially on 2018’s final album ‘Arrows’ which sits between electronic post-rock and dancefloor indie. It is in many ways a lost masterpiece.
After Wills’ untimely death in 2014, the label continued to develop young artists from ground level, with a flurry of activity with bands like The Little Flames and a load of reissues in 2015/2016, with sporadic activity since. Now they have a new album by a new signing to reinvigorate the label.
Irish multi-instrumentalist McKowski releases ‘Notes From The Boneyard’ this month (September 2023) and taps psych style into alternative Americana (the album features Giant Sand’s Howie Gleb). As Deltasonic kicks off a new era, we couldn’t be happier to be aiding that through Bandtheme.
As much as the music, Deltasonic is known for creating its own visual identity, something that immediately suggests “that’s Deltasonic” capturing not just the vibe of the label but each individual act on the roster. Since 2001, Scott Jones has worked on the label’s artwork across packaging, print, digital and video in various guises, if it is Deltasonic Scott has had a hand in how it looks.
What drew him to work with the label? “They were at the epicentre of a great scene in Liverpool at that time which was exciting to be a part of,” he explains. “Deltasonic has always had a passion for developing emerging new bands, I think that this has contributed to how much the label is respected by artists and industry.”
Scott explained why the artwork always fits the act so well, “The label’s visual identity very much comes from the influences of the bands themselves, although there is a definite influence from other independent labels of the past like Factory and Mo Wax.”
“I have enjoyed working with all the bands I’ve been privileged enough to work with, but have had a great ongoing working relationship with The Zutons,” he added.
We also asked him how working with Bandtheme has helped them represent the label on their new label website.
“Bandtheme is a very versatile theme. Working with the support team I reconfigured some of the structure to allow a page for each band, which lets the label add all of the Bandtheme features for each of its artists when needed.”
To see what Scott created using Bandtheme, visit the new Deltasonic website here.
The Coral – The Coral
The Zutons – Who Killed The Zutons
Vryll Society – Course Of The Satellite
Learn more about Deltasonic in the article we contributed to on Under The Radar
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