| Arts & Crafts | |
|---|---|
| Parent company | Arts & Crafts Productions |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Kevin Drew Jeffrey Remedios |
| Distributor(s) | Caroline Distribution EMI Music Canada |
| Genre | Indie |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Location | Toronto, Ontario |
| Official Website | arts-crafts.ca |
Arts & Crafts Productions is a Toronto-based independent artist services company, offering expertise as an independent record label, management firm, merchandiser and music publisher both in Canada and internationally. Launched in 2002 with the release of Broken Social Scene's critically acclaimed album You Forgot It in People, Arts & Crafts has released more than 50 albums from 30 artists, earning 15 JUNO Awards along the way. Arts & Crafts is regularly touted as one of Canada's most important record labels.[1]
Contents |
Arts & Crafts (also referred to as "A&C") was launched as a music company in 2002 by friends Jeffrey Remedios, a former Virgin Records executive and Kevin Drew, who co-founded flagship group Broken Social Scene (BSS) with Brendan Canning. The partnership was originally intended as a vehicle for self-release and artist management of Broken Social Scene's breakthrough album You Forgot It in People, and the structure quickly formed as a platform to release albums and manage the careers of artists directly affiliated with members of Broken Social Scene. In addition to BSS albums the labels first releases were by Stars, Jason Collett, Feist, Apostle of Hustle and Valley of the Giants.
In 2005 The Most Serene Republic was the first band unrelated to Broken Social Scene to sign to Arts & Crafts[2] and officially marked a shift of scope broader than the projects related to Broken Social Scene.
A&C began its foray into the digital music business launching GalleryAC.com in 2005, a boutique web store that offered digital downloads and Arts & Crafts related merchandise. They were one of the first labels to launch a digital download store.
In 2004, Remedios expanded the operation into Montreal basing himself out of the offices of DKD who later partnered to form Arts & Crafts International, releasing the gold selling album Set Yourself on Fire[3] by Montreal based group, Stars.
Arts & Crafts were among the first labels to offer a strategy for combating advance music leaks by offering Stars follow-up album In Our Bedroom After the War for sale before promotional copies were ever manufactured and distributed by issuing wide release as a digital download only 3 days following album completion.[4]
In 2009 Rolling Stone cited Remedios as a key insider reshaping the future of the music biz.[5]
Arts & Crafts Music (also known as GalleryAC Music) controls or administers the publishing rights to much of the music released by the Arts & Crafts label.
Documented in the 2009 release of This Book Is Broken (House of Anansi Press) The International media focus on Toronto based indie bands.
A design house, Arts & Crafts is well known for a consistent look and quality to all releases. Design and art are important to the company, and are taken as another medium of artistic expression that the label supports. A&C has been nominated for two JUNO Awards for Album Artwork of the year. In 2006 for Broken Social Scene: Broken Social Scene (Louise Upperton (Director/Designer); Christopher Mills, Kevin Drew, Justin Peroff (Illustrators)) and in 2009 for Constantines: Kensington Heights" (Dallas Wherle, Robyn Kotyk and Alex Vs. Alex). In 2011, Kotyk, Peroff, Charles Spearin, Joe McKay, Jimmy Collins and Elisabeth Chicoine were awarded the Recording Package of the Year Juno for Broken Social Scene's Forgiveness Rock Record box set.
Stars Set Yourself On Fire
| Country | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Gold[6] | 50,000 |
Broken Social Scene You Forgot It in People
| Country | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Gold[7] | 50,000 |
Feist Let It Die
| Country | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Platinum[8] | 100,000 |
Feist The Reminder
| Country | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 2X Platinum[9] | 200,000 |
The Juno Awards are presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Arts & Crafts artists have won a total of 15 Juno Awards over eight years.
Broken Social Scene|| Group of the Year || style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Broken Social Scene You Forgot It in People | Alternative Album of the Year | Won |
| 2004 | Broken Social Scene "Stars and Sons" | Video of the Year | Nominated |
| Stars Heart | Alternative Album of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2005 | Feist One Evening | Video of the Year | Nominated |
| Feist Let It Die | Alternative Album of the Year | Won | |
| Feist | New Artist Of The Year | Won | |
| Stars Set Yourself On Fire | Alternative Album of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2006 | Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene | Alternative Album of the Year | Won |
| CD/DVD Artwork Design of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Feist Inside and Out | Single of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2008 | Feist The Reminder | Album of the Year | Won |
| Pop Album of the Year | Won | ||
| Feist 1,2,3,4 | Single of the Year | Won | |
| Feist | Songwriter of the Year | Won | |
| Feist | Artist of the Year | Won | |
| 2009 | The Stills Oceans Will Rise | Alternative Album of the Year | Won |
| The Stills | New Group Of The Year | Won | |
| Constantines Kensington Heights | CD/DVD Artwork Design of the Year | Nominated | |
| Feist | Juno Fan Choice Award | Nominated | |
| Feist Honey Honey | Video of the Year | Won | |
| 2010 | Amy Millan Masters Of The Burial | Adult Alternative Album of the Year | Nominated |
| Amy Millan Masters Of The Burial | Recording Package Of The Year | Nominated | |
| Bell Orchestre As Seen Through Windows | Instrumental Album Of The Year | Won | |
| Charles Spearin The Happiness Project | Contemporary Jazz Album Of The Year | Won | |
| The Most Serene Republic Heavens To Purgatory | Video Of The Year | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Broken Social Scene Forgiveness Rock Record | Alternative Album of the Year | Nominated |
| Broken Social Scene Forgiveness Rock Record | Recording Package of the Year | Won | |
| Broken Social Scene This Movie Is Broken | Music DVD of the Year | Nominated | |
| Broken Social Scene Forced To Love | Video of the Year | Nominated | |
| Chilly Gonzales Ivory Tower | Electronic Album of the Year | Nominated |
The Polaris Music Prize is awarded annually to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit. Arts & Crafts have had four albums make the short list.
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene | Polaris Music Prize | Nominated |
| 2007 | Feist The Reminder | Polaris Music Prize | Nominated |
| 2008 | Stars In Our Bedroom After The War | Polaris Music Prize | Nominated |
| 2010 | Broken Social Scene Forgiveness Rock Record | Polaris Music Prize | Nominated |
| 2011 | Timber Timbre Creep On Creepin' On | Polaris Music Prize | Nominated |
The Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards happen every March in Toronto as part of Canadian Music Week.[10]
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Arts & Crafts | Independent Label of the Year | Won |
| 2009 | Arts & Crafts | Independent Label of the Year | Won |
| 2011 | Arts & Crafts | Independent Label of the Year | Won |
In 2008 Arts & Crafts opened Arts & Crafts México [11] and are recognized as the first independent music company to focus on the independent music market in México releasing albums by the A&C North American roster as well as being the Méxican home to a number of other successful artists such as Sonic Youth, Bright Eyes, M.Ward, Metric, and The Dears.