For this month's In Profile we've had a chat with Gary Taylor, the man behind one of Glasgow's newer indie labels, GoldMold Records.

MG: Initially then what prompted the creation of GoldMold? Glasgow seems to have a lot of young record labels currently (although it could be we're just being exposed to more of late) but I presume you felt there was still a gap in the market to fill. 

GT: I started GoldMold in 2013, having become more interested in certain labels, their histories and importance over the previous couple of years. In Glasgow, Struggletown and Good Grief were pretty influential but also labels like Blue Note, Dischord or Factory - the way in which the label is just as notable as their artists certainly interested me. I started it while doing an HND course in Music Business at Stow College (the course in which you 'help run' Electric Honey as part of it). Before I applied to the course, I was aware that there was a project element which would afford me the chance to set up a label while getting some assistance and guidance from the lecturers. It was that which sold me on applying in the first place, there weren't any entrepreneurial aspirations or anything, I just thought 'I want to do that' and saw that the course would help me to do it. 

MG: I note from your website that times were tough back in 2014, as they likely are at various times for smaller labels. It's 2016 now and you obviously still have product coming out, otherwise we'd not have heard of you via December '91's 'Woman In a Man's Body', so how did you manage to weather the storm?

GT: I released the Lovely Ladies 'Gnome' EP in 2013, and the Lovely Ladies/KingsArms Split 7" in 2014, with each release conveniently tying into my college work. We only had one release each year at that point because I wasn't quite confident enough that I knew what I was doing. Rather than it being a tough time for the label I'd say it was more a case of me finding my feet. 

In 2015 I knew I wanted to get more bands involved and have more releases coming out, so I used the 'Spring Sampler 2015' as a way to get some more bands involved (The Pooches, Polarnecks, December 91, Over And Out, etc.)

MG: I usually forget to ask this but where did the label name come from?

GT: The name came from Cameron Orr, who's a guitarist in Lovely Ladies, releases music as Egopatterns (and some other secret pseudonyms) and has done the majority of our artwork. I've known Camy since school, and he's been in various bands for years, so when I knew I was starting the label I talked about it with him. I don't really want to tell you what it means, but it came from Camy. He's responsible for the entire aesthetic.  

MG: Cassettes seem to make up the bulk of your releases so far (most of which also seem to be free to download) but is there a wish to move more towards vinyl or do the lower overheads of tapes mean you'll stick with those for a while yet?

GT: Ideally, I'd like to release on CD, Tape and Vinyl. Obviously though, tapes are the cheapest so that's what we're focusing on just now. I put out the Lovely Ladies/KingsArms 7" early on because I collect vinyl and wanted to fulfil a dream of having my own release in my collection. I'd love to do more vinyl, but it's just too expensive to justify for me at the moment. 

MG: Yeah the 7" is a great format but, having idly looked at the cost of having them pressed up, it's clearly potentially quite a gamble at times. What then does 2016 hold in the way of coming releases?

GT: We're about to put out the new Over And Out EP, December '91 album, Earths EP, Polarnecks demos and EP. Hopefully with some more to come after that too.