BrynnBear: Do Yourself a Favor /// 4

I'm in love with Get Young Records. You should be too. They've got a powerful line up of bands and are passionate about producing for each one of them. Four Boston guys have poured everything they've got into this New England rooted label, and it shows. One thing to love about them is that they do everything themselves, including the screen printing of their merch (get some!). Although the label is still pretty new and shiny, you wouldn't guess it from the quality of stuff they pump out. Get Young Records has an energy that makes you want to be a part of whatever they've got going on.

CURRENTLY ON THE LABEL:

- Cold Snap

www.myspace.om/coldsnapct

- Bust it!

www.myspace.com/bustitct
- Undark and the Radium Girls

www.myspace.com/undarkradiumgirls
- Jake Jenkins

www.myspace.com/sexvsrobots
- Matahari

www.myspace.com/mataharima
- Baby Grand

www.myspace.com/babygrandct
- Now Denial

www.myspace.com/nowdenialarmy

They're getting ready to release a 7" for a band called Bust It, titled "Hell is Other People," so stay tuned for that!

Here's a quick interview with Rich Goenne of GYR.

Brynn Bear: Who is GYR?
Rich Goenne: Get Young Records is currently myself, Mike Walsh and Jay Brown.

BB: How do you guys know each other?
RG: We know eathother through mutual friends, going to shows, and we all lived together at some point or another.

BB: Are you guys all from Boston?
RG: I'm from Connecticut. Mike and Jay are from suburbs outside of Boston, but we all currently live in Allston and Brighton.

BB:How long was GYR talked about before stuff actually started to happen?
RG: Jay Brown and I lived at the Fort when we decided that we wanted to start a record label. It was discussed and kind of tucked away in the back of our heads until we decided to take the leap and make it happen. So it's been talked about for a couple years now.

BB: How did you come up with a name for your label?
RG: Mark Davidson is responsible for the name. We spent weeks trying to figure out a name and everything we came up with sounded too cheesey or offensive. Mark was driving back to Boston from the Fest in Gainesville, FL and somewhere in between FL and MA he came up with the name. He called me up wasted while in the back seat of the car and told me "let's name the label Get Young Records!" I was instantly into the simplicity and catchiness of it and thought it was a brilliant name for a label. So it stuck.

BB: Tell me about your screen printing studio.
RG: We built a screen printing studio in our friends basement in Allston. It was the first basement I've seen in the area with a working sink and separate light safe rooms to keep the emoltion coated screens from being exposed to light. We wanted to start printing all of our merch ourselves to keep the cost down so we fabricated a DIY screen exposure unit which is pretty much a big light table with ultra violet light bulbs. We bought some cheap lumber and found some old glass windows on the side of the road for the top that ended up working out great. We also built a bunch of work benches and made our own one color press out of some hinges and used an old van bench for seating.

BB: What would you rather be doing than this interview?
RG: Probably getting drunk with Seany and Brett Asselin at some sketchy local bar.

BB: What do you look for in the bands you choose to represent?
RG: We look for bands who are original, honest and love playing the music they play. GYR is all about having fun and doing what we love.

BB: What was the last show you went to?
RG: The last show I went to was the hostage calm, tigers jaw, o'pioneers after show at the outskirts a few streets up from mine. It's a new living room venue in Boston.

(Here's an audio montage of that show, made by Ali Donohue: www.notrealradio.bandcamp.com )

BB:Does GYR have a neighborhood (Boston, New England, East Coast)?
RG: Were open to music from all over the US and even music outside the states. The bands on the label now are from New Hampshire, Connecticut and Massachusetts. We are into the idea of pressing music from bands outside the North East. Send your music to us! We would love to give it a listen.

BB: What role do you feel GYR plays in the music scene?
RG: Get Young is all about supporting one another. Like I said before, we're all interested in putting out honest music by bands who love playing what they play. We're always promoting and encouraging each other with music, art, drinking or whatever it shall be.

BB: Top 5 most played songs on your iTunes. Go.
RG: Her and Her Cigarettes by Cheap Girls, Oak Square by Make Do and Mend, Blue Period by Kind of Like Spitting, Empty Drawer by Bust It, and every The Good Life recording I have.

BB: Best band to get ready for work to?
RG: Probably slayer or DMX.

BB: Most importantly, if Get Young Records had a mascot, what would it be?
RG: Seany A.