Livewire Recordings: Burning down the house

When Atlanta rock label Livewire Recordings collapsed in December 2007, it left several Southeast bands holding the bag.

From 2005, when it opened an office in Alpharetta, to its sudden demise in December 2007, Livewire Recordings collected mainstream rock bands from around the Southeast and produced clean, professional-sounding albums with evocative artwork design. It had a national distributor in Warner Bros.-owned Ryko Distribution and sought to replicate a major-label experience on an independent scale.

It was that promise of a full-fledged marketing campaign for its debut, You Know People, I Know People, that led Atlanta’s Morning State – a promising pop-rock band with sharp, melancholy lyrics – to sign a deal in early 2007. Just before Livewire suspended operations, the band was in the studio with music producer and Livewire co-owner Colin Cobb. Morning State gigged hard throughout the year to build anticipation for the album, completing several East Coast tours and industry showcases at SXSW and CMJ Music Marathon.

After Livewire went on hiatus, negotiations stalled over the master recordings to You Know People, I Know People, Morning State lead singer Russell Ledford says. He claims Cobb wanted a “producer’s agreement” so he would make money if the band sold the album to another label. Instead, Morning State has chosen to completely re-record it.

“We looked at the producer’s agreement and said, ‘No, this doesn’t work for us,’” Ledford says with a sigh. He’s frustrated because “it was tough to throw away those months of work.”

Among the eight bands signed to Livewire, Morning State may be the most disenchanted. But Chris Rowell, lead singer for Decatur’s Warm in the Wake, praised Livewire for introducing the band to a national audience. Its American Prehistoric release may be Livewire’s biggest artistic success, a jangly pop-rock delight that drew praise from critics for its cool, summery tones. “We went from being a band that, honestly, I don’t think anybody had ever heard of to, you know, we got our name out there,” Rowell says.

According to SoundScan, which tracks CD sales, Warm in the Wake’s American Prehistoric has sold 500 copies. That number only includes brick-and-mortar stores equipped with SoundScan technology, not Internet retailers and mom-and-pop record shops.

“We did some decent numbers, particularly for an indie,” says Livewire owner Colin Cobb, adding that he’s trying to help his artists find new label homes. “The only problem that we’ve had has been with Morning State. That situation is too bad. But I wish them the absolute best.”

The son of veteran gospel-music producer Winton Cobb, Colin Cobb launched Livewire with his business partner George Fontaine. While Fontaine handled promotion, Cobb produced the label’s roster at his home studio, Vintage Vibe Productions.

Livewire issued nine discs, including a full-length and an EP from Warm in the Wake, before suspending operations. While Cobb didn’t get into specifics about its financial situation, he says, “I don’t think we have the full-on resources to move as many projects as we need to move.”

Despite its distribution deal and slate of pop-rock bands, Livewire didn’t last long enough to make a deep impression among music fans. Its slate of ambitious, fledgling modern-rock bands didn’t have an emblematic sound or identity. Unlike Brash Music, another small Atlanta label whose stars include Aaron Shust and Anthony David, Livewire didn’t develop any major artists who could have prompted the record industry’s attention. The best thing about Livewire is that it gave previously unknown acts a chance to reach a wider following.

Cobb says he doesn’t know what the future holds for Livewire. “We’re not moving forward on any projects at this time,” he says. He hopes his artists find labels “that will treat them the way we treated them, which is essentially putting lots of money into the project and working our asses off for them.”