“The Sound of Young Scotland” was Postcard’s tag line. In its first run from April 1980 to August 1981, Postcard released essential early recordings from Orange Juice, Josef K, Aztec Camera and The Go-Betweens (originally from Australia, but relocated to Glasgow). Short and sweet, the label put out only thirteen singles before bankrupting. Still, its influence on the culture of independent music and labels to follow has been huge.
Postcard, for its modest means, actually had a surprising amount of success in the UK Indie Charts. Most if its singles charted and many cracked the top ten, holding their own against contemporaries like Joy Division, Adam and the Ants, UB40 and Depeche Mode. Check out a couple:
Postcard’s stylistic influence can be seen across the board in UK independent culture, from DIY fanzines to later labels like Sarah Records and Jeepster. Musically, bands like The Smiths, Franz Ferdinand and Belle and Sebastian have been outspoken about the influence of Orange Juice and others from the Postcard stable.
After lying dormant for a decade, founder Alan Horne kickstarted the label for another go in 1992 to release new music and finally issue Orange Juice’s unreleased 1981 album, Ostrich Churchyard.
Here’s a teaser for a documentary called The Sound of Young Scotland about Postcard and another Scottish Label, FAST Product:
– Submitted by Justin Main, Music Design