FIFTEEN YEARS OF HAND DRAWN DRACULA

Hand Drawn Dracula 15 Year Anniversary and EXCLAIM Interview:

Before there was the label, there was the aesthetic. James Mejia, Toronto indie label Hand Drawn Dracula’s founder, was a graphic desinger, whose work with Wintersleep had earned him a JUNO Awards nomination for Recording Package of the Year — a success that snowballed into work with other big-name Canadian artists.

Eventually this led Mejia to release Wintersleep’s 2007 album Welcome to the Night Sky on vinyl at a time when other labels weren’t pressing on wax — and, with that, Hand Drawn Dracula was born.

Flash forward 15 years and the Toronto label has become a Canadian indie music institution. As the company marks the anniversary with a show at the Garrison on December 15 (with a lineup featuring Beliefs, Tallies, Bonnie Trash, Michael Peter Olsen and DJ Vallens), we spoke with Mejia about watching the Breeders from side-stage, hearing his own voice on a Beliefs record, and figuring out how to run an indie label without losing all his money (or his mind). ~ By Alex Hudson

READ THE EXCLAIM INTERVIEW >>>

 

Hand Drawn Dracula 15 Year Anniversary
The Garrison, Friday December 15th
11:20 BELIEFS
10:30 TALLIES
9:45 BONNIE TRASH
9:00 MICHEAL PETER OLSEN
& dj VALLENS