It is with great sadness that we are reporting some major changes here at Touch and Go Records. Many of you may not be aware, but for nearly 2 decades, Touch and Go has provided manufacturing and distribution services for a select yet diverse group of other important independent record labels. Titles from these other labels populate the shelves of our warehouse alongside the titles on our own two labels, Touch and Go Records, and Quarterstick Records.
Unfortunately, as much as we love all of these labels, the current state of the economy has reached the point where we can no longer afford to continue this lesser known, yet important part of Touch and Go's operations. Over the years, these labels have become part of our family, and it pains us to see them go. We wish them all the very best and we will be doing everything we can to help make the transition as easy as possible.
Touch and Go will be returning to its roots and focusing solely on being an independent record label. We'll be busy for a few months working closely with the departing labels and scaling our company to an appropriate smaller size after their departure. It is the end of a grand chapter in Touch and Go's history, but we also know that good things can come from new beginnings.
(Corey Rusk, quoted in [1])
If this has happened to Touch & Go, it could happen to almost any independent label. I hope this news isn't a prelude to a rash of other closures. I really feel that mid-size independents have been hit much harder by the changes in the music market that have led to a large overall drop in sales across the industry. The tiny labels have no overheads and few staff, if any, and the majors can live off the fat of the land. But with the mid-sized independents like T&G, there isn't any fat to begin with, and it's incredibly hard to find anywhere to cut. And what does get cut are the vacations, the evenings and weekends at home and any sense of optimism about the future of the music business.
