(EDITOR’S NOTES — Cullen Parker runs the Fredonia-based DIY label ‘Milkcrate,’ which started, as his website states, in a small apartment out west in Seattle before relocating to a living room in Western New York. Cullen’s story is an interesting one and we had a great time learning about his operation. If you’re a Buffalo-area band or artist interested in working with Milkcrate, contact Cullen at the label’s Instagram page HERE. — Photo provided.)
1120 PRESS: Thank you for speaking with us! To start off, can you tell us a little bit about your background and where music fit into it? It must have played a role in shaping the person you are now, given what you are doing.
CULLEN PARKER: As someone who grew up on the tail end of the Hot Topic Emo-Scene era, starting a band was always a dream of mine. I asked for a guitar for Christmas and I got guitar lessons at Crino's Music in Dunkirk for about a year, but I just wasn't able to "get it." I tried other instruments, but came to the conclusion that playing music was just not for me.
My brother was in a horror punk band called The Crazies, so I often got to tag along and just get to see all these really small shows. Being in a band looked so fun, and I always dreamed of some way that I could be a part of that world. Music to me was always my outlet of belonging as I never had a big group of friends or the cliché of people understanding me as a child. I often would lose myself to just the music that I love. As I got older I ended up finding more community and like-minded people through the music that I loved so much.
1120: What led you to start a label and what’s its mission?
CP: In 2014, I got my first car and it had a tape deck in it. I thought it would be neat to try and find some music that I liked on tape, if that was even possible. The first tape I bought was Blink-182's ‘Buddha,’ and then I found out that tapes were a staple of the world of DIY. The more I got into DIY, the more dissatisfied I became with the labels that were in that scene. I noticed that some people were using DIY as an excuse to do things poorly because "it's DIY; it's not supposed to be good."
One day I ordered a bunch of tapes from a screamo label and was very excited about it. The label had forgotten about my order and I waited for months to get it. When I got it, only one out of the six tapes had listenable quality, and one was just blank. It infuriated me that these bands were being so poorly represented all for the sake of "DIY is supposed to be bad." So, I chose to "put my money where my mouth was" and try my hand at making a label. And what I found is that it is very hard work, but I'm proud of the work I have been able to do.
My main goal is to be the label that I want other labels to be like. As a DIY label, I am able to provide affordable merch for fans, while still providing major support for the bands that I work with. I hope to set a standard and change some of the bad practices that exist in the world of DIY.
1120: Is there a story behind the name?
CP: There are two stories behind the name:
1. I like milk and have some sort of social association with it. (I use to make milk reviews on YouTube.)
2. The name itself is a ‘That 70’s Show’ reference, kinda. A milkcrate is the perfect size to hold records.
1120: What’s a typical week for you in terms of the work that goes into your label? What are the products and services you offer?
CP: I have a day job where I work Wednesday-Friday, but Saturday-Tuesday are reserved for the label. Typically, Saturdays are the day that I update my website if I have a new item going out. I spend the rest of the day printing. Since a big part of Milkcrate is merch, I spend most of my time screenprinting in my kitchen. That’s where all the magic happens.
I reserve Saturday and Sunday for printing, but I still will get all my orders packaged to be shipped out on Monday. I try to reserve one day for fun and spend the other day doing whatever I need. But since my label is one-person run, every day is also a work day. Even nights where I've worked at my day job I will still do some work like cutting out J-cards for tapes I'm making.
I offer band merch that I make, like shirts and hoodies, but I also put albums out on cassette and CD. I've also partnered with BSDJ: a label in Japan, to put out his releases in America as it would be quicker and cheaper than ordering it from Japan.
1120: What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered that perhaps you did not expect, or found to be harder than you thought?
CP: Finding local bands to work with. I have not had any luck working with local bands. The closest band to me that I've done stuff with was Poorly Wrote Suicide Note when they lived in Rochester, but so far that is the closet band to show interest in what I do. Sometimes it gives me imposter syndrome. I have reached out to local bands, venues, and show bookers but have had no clue getting any sort of local interest.
1120: What have been your satisfactions in running the label — the things you found, and maybe did not expect, that you enjoy most?
CP: I never thought that what I do would "matter" to other people aside from myself, but every once in a while some kid will message me and will tell me that they taught themself how to screenprint because my work inspired them. As someone who was inspired by the screenprinter "retirementfund" on Etsy, that means the world to me.
I went to a concert and someone there told me that I taught them to screenprint. Often I'll answer any questions or give any advice I think would be helpful, but I never know who I'm talking to when it comes to the animosity of the Internet. It can be nice to put a face to the username.
There are other times when people will tell me that thanks to me they are able to wear their favorite band's merch despite the band not touring anywhere close to them. Often I will work with bands who aren't big enough to tour, so to make tapes or shirts for a band in California, and to see someone wearing those shirts at an AMVETS in Buffalo, really blows my mind.
Most importantly, I never expected to make friends from this. There are people I have met through this that I hope to continue to know for many, many years.
1120: What do you want people to know most about Milkcrate?
CP: If there is something you want to do, do it. Milkcrate was started with two tape releases that probably cost me $150, and then I taught myself how to print with a $30 printing kit I found online. There is never a reason to not do something. If you're worried about failing, who cares. Just keep trying stuff until you find something you love.
1120: Thank you again for speaking with us. Is there anything you want to add that we haven’t touched on?
CP: Don’t let anyone tell you that DIY is supposed to be shitty. Just because something is made by hand does not mean it is supposed to be bad. There is love and passion that is rooted in DIY and it's the coolest fucking thing ever.
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