One of the primary motivating factors going into the establishment of Literati Records is our lifelong passion for music. A passion that crosses label and genre boundaries. It is that passion for great music that also led to the creation of our "5 Questions With..." interview series.

As music fans ourselves, this is our opportunity to introduce you to new artists we love, as well as updating you on established artists you may already be familiar with. Throughout the series we will be spotlighting some of our favorite artists, and discussing various issues facing independent artists today, such as label support, touring, promotion, etc.

In addition to independent artists, we will also feature people we admire and respect, who are involved in other areas related to the independent music industry. We will feature other labels, record stores, promotors, managers, distributors - well, pretty much anyone who can offer their unique insight and/or advice on the challenges facing the independent music industry as a whole.

April 4th - Greg Ginn @ Hi Dive (Denver, CO)

Legendary Black Flag guitarist and founder of the influential SST and Cruz record labels, Greg Ginn, was in town Easter night with his band, The Taylor Texas Corrugators. SST Records has produced many notable bands throughout the last few decades like Bad Brains, Sonic Youth, Descendents, Husker Du, Minute Men and many more.

Constantly on the move, Greg has been performing over the past 32 years. He recently released 6 new albums and is heading out on tour in two bands to promote the records, JAMBANG and Greg Ginn & The Taylor Texas Corrugators. 

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Thanks a ton to Greg Ginn for taking the time to answer a few questions about SST records!! You can get your hands on your favorite SST artists right here. Please use our contact form to send questions, feedback, or to suggest someone you think we should interview.

Caspian returns to Denver!! Monday April 26th @ Larimer Lounge w/ Red Sparowes - Parts 1 and 2 of the interview we did with them on April 2nd @ 3 Kings Tavern are posted below...Also want to post a link to some great photos of the bands performance in Chicago a few days ago, taken by Todd James. These photos really capture the energy the band puts forth live...Awesome pics, Todd - Thanks for the tweet!! : )

April 2nd - Caspian @ 3 Kings Tavern (Denver, CO)

Caspian is definitely a band that makes sure "ROCK" stays a part of "POST-ROCK". With beautiful melodies interspersed amongst driving, sonic soundscapes, the band showcased the wide musical pallet it draws inspiration from. They say truly great bands take everything to a higher level once they hit the stage, and Caspian is no exception, as they wring every ounce of emotion from their instruments. The high quality of the songcraft and performance on their latest album "Tertia" will surely leave an impression on most who hear it, but this is a band that must be experienced live to truly appreciate every gift it has to offer. But even beyond the music, these are genuinely good people, and their respect and admiration for their label (The Mylene Sheath), their tourmates (Adai, Arms and Sleepers), and their fans is immediately evident. Enjoy The Interview.

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I also met a really gifted artist and great guy at the show, Vincent Comparetto. I can't thank him enough for the use of these awesome pictures. They really caught the dynamic essence of Caspian's set. Visit his website to see more pics from the show, including shots of Denver's own "Cannons", who opened the show with raw intensity and emotion. I hope to do an interview with those guys soon, as well. Seriously though, do yourself a favor and check out his site. Vincent is not just a great photographer, this guy has skills in many artistic media including fine art and motion as well.  

Thanks to Caspian, for taking the time to speak with us. To find out more, visit their website www.myspace.com/caspiantheband. Please use our contact form to send questions, feedback, or to suggest someone you think we should interview.

March 24th - Vitamins @ The Hi Dive (Denver, CO)

One day after their return from the legendary SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas, I had the opportunity to sit down with Vitamins. Following a great set at Hi Dive, the band graciously agreed to discuss their recent trip to the SXSW, Hot Congress, and their latest CD "Songs for Stem Cells", which is easily among my favorite local releases of last year. While retaining some of the diversity of their previous release, "Calliope", "Stem Cells" takes the band in a slightly darker direction, but comes across as a much more cohesive album. If "Calliope" showed a band willing to try on many musical hats, in an effort to find itself, "Songs for Stem Cells" takes a big step forward in showcasing a band that may be on the verge of finding a perfect fit. I highly recommend you check them out. 

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Thanks to Vitamins, for taking the time to speak with us. To find out more, visit their website www.myspace.com/vitaminsband. Please use our contact form to send questions, feedback, or to suggest someone you think we should interview.

March 23rd - Scout Niblett @ The Hi Dive (Denver, CO)

For our first interview in the series, we were lucky enough to sit down with Drag City recording artist Scout Niblett. While the city was being blanketed in white by one of the late-March snowstorms Colorado is notorious for, a brave contingent of Scout fans braved all to spend the evening with one of the most unique and riveting performers in indie music today. It was certainly worth the risk, and I can honestly say "this fool can die now".

After all the gear was moved into the Hi Dive, Scout and I went next door to Sputnik for the interview, where we discussed some of the issues revolving around the artist-label relationship.

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Thanks to Scout, for taking the time to speak with us, and for helping us kick the interview series off right. Please use our contact form to send questions, feedback, or to suggest someone you think we should interview.