What does the term ‘Independent’ mean to Iron Man Records?

“In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: Not necessarily to Win, but mainly to keep from Losing Completely.” Hunter S Thompson — Gonzo Papers, Vol. 1: The Great Shark Hunt: Strange Tales from a Strange Time (1979)

Hunter S. Thompson had many wise words that can be useful to anyone wanting to work in the music business. But I’ve always puzzled over a simple question “How did he know?”

Independent can mean many different things. For Iron Man Records, an independent record label, it often means working hard and trying to turn available time and resources into value for the artists and the consumer. It can mean working to engage your artists and the networks and audience they attract, building a community around the artists and the work being done. Independent also means being respectful of other people’s work, time, budget, skills and intelligence. Keeping peoples attention is not easy. Once people lose interest, you may never get them to come back. This applies to the artists you work with, the audience you try to engage and everyone else in the network.