Venturesome Indie Label Sub Pop Goes Hollywood

L.A. has tons of singles clubs, but none as hip as the one at Sub Pop Records.

The Seattle-based record company, which has emerged as the nation’s most adventuresome independent label, has earned much of its stellar reputation through a unique subscription-only singles club.

Each month, Sub Pop sends subscribers a new seven-inch, brightly colored vinyl single featuring new songs by a variety of top cult-rock artists, most of whom officially record for other labels. In recent years, the club has offered singles by such raucous underground faves as Soundgarden, Mud Honey, Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Flaming Lips, Henry Rollins and Pussy Galore.

“When we were starting the label, we got the idea of putting out these limited-edition singles, but people would call and yell at us because we’d run out of copies so fast,” says Sub Pop co-owner Bruce Pavitt. “So we decided that if people wanted the records so badly, then they could pay for ‘em in advance.

“The club was really an outgrowth of our focus on regional rock scenes. Every band in the singles club has been from a different city because virtually every scene out there has at least one great band--and we wanted to plug into that.”

So far, the singles club has more than 2,500 subscribers, who pay $35 a year for 12 singles. The new October/November edition features two singles, one by Poison Idea from Portland, Ore., and one by the Chicago-based group the Poster Children.

According to Pavitt, 20% of the club’s membership resides outside the United States. “We’ve got people everywhere,” Pavitt says. “Japan, Finland and Germany are the biggest fan areas, but we even got a subscription in yesterday from Sudan.”

But here’s a true sign of Sub Pop’s influence. Last year A&M; Records signed Soundgarden, one of Sub Pop’s most commercial bands. But to make sure the group doesn’t lose its hard-core following, A&M; has helped finance a “bonus” singles-club issue, with a pair of new Soundgarden tunes.

“To lots of kids, there’s nothing more credible than a Sub Pop single,” explains Jeff Weiss, the A&M; exec who works with Soundgarden. “It conveys a special kind of underground aesthetic--an image of quality--that fans everywhere know about.”

Unlike many indy labels, Sub Pop is also a shrewd business enterprise--starting with the singles club. “By having fans subscribe in advance, we get 12 months to play with their money,” Pavitt says. “And instead of waiting 90 days to get payment on our regular album sales, we sell the majority of our records to record stores C.O.D.

“Our cash flow is probably better than CBS’. It isn’t as much, of course, but it’s probably quicker.”

Pavitt admits he can only take Sub Pop’s indy network so far. In fact, Sub Pop is completing a distribution agreement with Hollywood Records, which would give Hollywood first crack at distributing Sub Pop’s biggest acts. “We’d still own the company,” says Pavitt. “But if an artist really busts open, then they’d become more financially involved in the act.

“Either way, we stand to gain. We’ll have Hollywood’s resources behind us if we need them, but we’ll maintain our old system of distribution as a safety net. If we have to go back to selling records out of our cars, we’ll do it--we know how to survive.”