Walnut Tree Records Explained

Walnut Tree Records
Founded:	2007–2012
Founder:	Tom Beck
Genre:	Alternative rock Pop-Punk Indie rock
Country:	United Kingdom
Location:	Watford, Hertfordshire

Walnut Tree Records, was a British independent record label from Watford which specialised in limited run releases from new and upcoming bands.

History

Walnut Tree Records started life as "The Walnut Tree" in July 2006, a small scale per-zine and CD distribution business. In an interview with AlterThePress.com,^[1] founder Tom Beck stated that he "was working on a different genre of music in his full-time job and was falling out of love with music a little" and wanted to find a way to change that. After reading a positive review of The Wonder Years and Bangarang split EP on Punktastic.com Beck contacted The Wonder Years directly to ask if he could import their CD and sell it to potential fans in the UK. This was followed by releases from the likes of Valencia and Four Year Strong, all of which were without a distribution deal in the UK at the time. The Walnut Tree gained a reputation as somewhere to buy cheap releases from up and coming bands and allowed Beck to build up a small network of frequent buyers.

After complications with a release, Beck decided to focus on helping unsigned UK bands, founding Walnut Tree Records in July 2007. The label initially co-financed releases with Pep Rock Records and No Order Records, before then taking full control of releases from March 2008.

Walnut Tree Records released 27 records over 5 years, distributing a further 15 in the same period.

The label was closed in August 2012.

List of former artists

• Bayonets
• Burn The Fleet
• Cuba Cuba
• Drawings
• Gunning For Tamar
• Indian School
• Paige
• Portman
• Rob Lynch
• The Maple State
• Tiger Please
• Viva Sleep
• Waiting For Sleep

Release catalogue

This is the release list of Walnut Tree Records in chronological order...

1. Paige – (If You Say So) (NOWTR001) (March 2008 (ltd. 1000))
2. Portman – From Here To Your Eyes And Ears (PEPWTR002) (March 2008 (ltd. 1000))
3. Waiting For Sirens – Self Titled (WTR001) (July 2008 (ltd. 1000))
4. Portman – Remembering Fondly (WTR002) (December 2008 (ltd. 100 physical / free download))
5. Portman – Unplugged (WTR003) (December 2008 (ltd. 100 physical / free download))
6. Bayonets – Wishes & Wishes (WTR004) (March 2009 (ltd. 1000))
7. Portman – These Songs Were Written In Bedrooms & Village Halls (WTR005) (June 2009 (ltd. 500))
8. Various Artists – (WTR006) (August 2009 (Charity compilation))
9. Tiger Please – They Don't Change Under Moonlight (WTR007) (November 2009 (ltd. 1000))
10. Viva Sleep – The House Of Viva Sleep (WTR008) (February 2010 (ltd. 100))
11. Burn The Fleet – Burn The Fleet (WTR009) (March 2010 (ltd. 1000))
12. Tiger Please – Seasons (WTR010) (May 2010 (ltd. 1000))
13. Cuba Cuba – Home Is The Fire (WTR011) (May 2010))
14. Various Artists – Discovery (WTR012) (July 2010))
15. Burn The Fleet – Black Holes (WTR013) (October 2010))
16. Delta / Alaska – Start With The Cage (WTR014) (November 2010))
17. Call Me Ishmael – I Am Stop, You Are Go (WTR015) (November 2010))
18. Day Of Rising – American Professional (WTR016) (November 2010))
19. The Maple State – First The Worst (WTR017) (November 2010))
20. Newlands – Say (WTR018) (November 2010))
21. Ghostlines – Act Your Innocence (WTR019) (December 2010))
22. Drawings – Bones (WTR020) (March 2011))
23. Gunning For Tamar – Deaf Cow Motel (WTR021) (May 2011))
24. Cuba Cuba – Where Else Is Safe But The Road? (WTR022) (June 2011))
25. Rob Lynch – The East EP (WTR023) (October 2011))
26. Tiger Please – They Don't Change Under Moonlight 12" vinyl (WTR024) (April 2012))
27. Indian School – The Cruelest Kind EP (WTR025) (April 2012))

Releases distributed by Walnut Tree Records

Walnut Tree Records also offered a CD distribution service. Originally titled The Walnut Tree, the service offered new and hard to reach releases from North American bands to the UK public at cost base prices. The releases were available in a limited run and only through the label's online store. The idea behind this service was that often these releases, at the time of distribution, weren't cost effective when importing single copies and therefore Walnut Tree Records felt that bulk buying them direct from the bands or labels would make it easier for UK fans to buy physical copies.

This was also at a time when music fans would like to own physical copies of smaller releases.

1. The Wonder Years / Bangarang! – (Split EP)
2. Permanent Me –

Notes and References

1. Web site: Interview: Tom Beck of Walnut Tree Records. www.alterthepress.com. 28 September 2017.