Michael Schulman started a record label without even intending to. While part of a vibrant scene of bands in the greater Washington, DC area, Michael found himself as a member of a cadre of seven musicians playing in a combination of four different bands. Knowing that the momentum behind these bands and the individual people involved could shift at any time, Schulman sought to document what was happening at the moment. The resultant EP was pressed to 7 inch and slowly, Slumberland was born.
Since 1989, Slumberland has been releasing a stream of some of the best and most beloved indie pop of the modern era. What began with Schulman’s own band Black Tambourine, and early acts like Velocity Girl, Big Jesus Trash Can, and Powderburns soon brought on acts like Stereolab, The Aislers Set, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, The Bats, Papercuts, Veronica Falls, and Boyracer just to name a few. To look at Slumberland’s catalog of more than 300 releases is to witness an evolution of the indie and twee-pop movements over the last four decades.
Schulman found himself intrigued when he first discovered punk and New Wave on a local DC free-form station, but it was The Jesus & Mary Chain that made him feel the urge to start his own band. Without any musical knowledge or lessons, Schulman and a childhood friend set to learning how to be in a band. His initial excitement over the debut Jesus & Mary Chain record, Psychocandy was the first in a series of dominoes that led to Schulman owning and running an indie label for 36 years.
Obviously, during Slumberland’s run, the world, the musical economy, and Schulman himself have all changed. Mike and I discuss how difficult it is to find coverage for bands in a shrinking musical ecosystem. We also both wax a bit poetic about the power that was once wielded by the music press and college radio. Mike and I also wonder if the actual power and influence of music is waning in our modern culture.
Mike and I discussed the amazing variety and quality of the music that was dubbed “alternative” or “college rock” in the days before the Grunge boom. We talk about the challenges of owning and running a label in 2025, and the changing nature of where Schulman’s focus and priorities are in relation to Slumberland and its future output. We also acknowledge that every creative work is a political act, especially in today’s uber-fractured America. Simply putting out a record or releasing a podcast into the world can be seen as an act of artistic defiance for the rest of modern American life.
Come join me and Mike Schulman for a wonderful chat about an accidental life in the music business. Let’s get into it.
Cheers,
Matty C
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You can find Slumberland’s catalog wherever you get your music and you can support them with direct purchases on their Bandcamp page at https://slumberlandrecs.bandcamp.com/
Buy tickets for our Live Recording Event at the Robin Theater on Dec. 3. http://therobintheatre.com
The What Am I Making podcast is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C.
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