Profile: Chimneysweep Record Label

Early this spring, brothers Ben and Josh Peebles founded Blacksburg's newest record label, Chimneysweep Records. The brothers have long dreamed of starting a record label for local bands and have finally made their dream come true with Chimneysweep's first release, a compilation of songs from local bands entitled, "5-4-Whoa! A Compilation of Southwest VA Bands."

photography by Al Fayez

Local musicians heard through word-of-mouth about the compilation project and donated tracks in exchange for free copies of the CD. Chimneysweep Records' first launch, while not ultimately bringing much financial profit, is serving its purpose by promoting some of the local bands that the Peebles brothers love most and want to support.

According to Josh, "5-4-Whoa!" was almost a year in the making. The compilation has served as both springboard and training ground for the fledgling enterprise. "It gave us a way to learn how to release a record as we went. I didn't know a lot about mastering or manufacturing a CD, which companies to go with, or how much things cost." To produce the compilation's sound, the Chimneysweep owners looked to Tim Hope at Q Studios. Tracks came from a variety of different source media, from reel-to-reel to 4-track to slick studio recordings. Some of the tracks were recorded at Q Studios and are exclusive to "5-4-Whoa!" Tim's job was to master the tracks to create a more consistently even sound throughout the compilation.

Dominique from the bands The Two Funerals and Hostile 17 imagined the compilation's title while Forensic Teens member Sarah Everton created the cover art. The CD has a little something for everybody, with genres thrown out the window and the creative process serving as its focal point. Chimneysweep Records' future endeavors include a cassette release of "It's Okay" from Florida's imadethismistake, a new album by Lee Street Riots, a Hostile 17 record and a release of the last recordings from The Makeout. Chimneysweep's first project has gone far, launching local bands across Virginia to Maryland and over the internet via interpunk.com.

Ben insists that the focus of the label is "to make things fair as possible between all involved parties. We can get both the band's and the label's name out if they decide they want or need help with their releases." When asked about "5-4-Whoa!" Sarah Everton commented, "If anybody were to see that this compilation existed in other parts of Virginia, or other parts of the country, they'd recognize it as proof that the kids in Southwest VA are at work and have their shit together."

"5-4-Whoa!" is available for just five dollars at Nice Dreams and Crossroads Music and Movies.