Will Butler (To Live A Lie Records)
What are your top five albums that were released in 2024? (In order 1-5)
- Yambag - Mindfuck Ultra LP
- Brain Tourniquet / Deliriant Nerve - split 7"
- Kidnapped - Disgust LP
- Suppression - Spiritual Sepsis LP
- Sissy Spacek - Diaphanous LP
What band did you discover in 2024 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? How so?
Been jazzed (pun!) on Yussef Dayes lately. Not at all in the genres I work with but I've recently built a new music server so have been listening to some different music than I normally do -- from Yes to ADHD. As it gets colder I'll probably be listening to industrial and darkwave again.
How will you remember 2024 (in terms of music)?
2024 was the year the major labels all came back with a vengeance. 2020-2023 were truly the years that small labels and DIY thrived and with the economy on the downswing and big bands being back on tour, DIY is a bit put aside. Personally there has been some interesting mainstream music: new The Cure, new Kendrick Lamar, new Mdou Moctar, etc. I appreciate the musicians in that space, I will keep trying to support smaller labels and musicians.
What can we look forward to from you in 2025?
I really don't know. To be honest 2020-2023 were the most insane sales and highest high points of my label aside from the years I started the label. 2024 was a huge leveling out and I had to cut back extremely in 2024. I expect more in 2025, unfortunately. I'd like to sell some of my current and year old releases to get back on my feet financially and then I'll keep supporting smaller bands. If I can't find that momentum I'll have to mainly focus on the tried and true bands but something in my heart wants to keep supporting smaller bands to break them out into the world, so I hope I can find the funds to do that again.
What records are you looking forward to most in 2025?
I'm still not mentally caught up on 2024! I got some news that a more popular band I've worked with might be recording an LP for 2025 so I'm personally excited for that.
How do you try to get your news to fans as media platforms and algorithms change?
Since punk is anti-authority and anti-corporation I've been on Mastodon and other fediverse places that are non-centralized and FOSS. I'm on Bluesky but haven't put a ton of effort other than automating my posting from other systems there. I hope to see better adoption of alternative social media networks in the future.
