(EDITOR’S NOTE — When Harvest Sum started back in 2004, there was never any plan for it to become an actual label, let alone one that would endure. Thankfully, though, that’s exactly what happened, and it’s been the umbrella for a long line of excellent bands ever since. This Saturday, Harvest Sum celebrates 20 years with an anniversary show at The Cave, 71 Military Road in Buffalo. We spoke with Roger Bryan of The Old Sweethearts and Roger Bryan & the Orphans about the label, its history and the upcoming show. We’re grateful for his time. — Bands on the Harvest Sum label include: The Old Sweethearts; Sleeping Kings of Iona; Vera Lena; Besnyo; Tracy Morrow; Mark Norris and the Backpeddlers; Johnny Nobody; The Lochs; Bearhunter; Nick Gordon; Fourem; (At Sea); On Beta; Strange Acres; TVMTN, Lower Pony and Applenium.)
1120 PRESS: Congrats on the 20th anniversary of Harvest Sum Recordings! When you stop and think about how it’s been 20 years, what goes through your mind?
ROGER BRYAN: It’s like my whole life is flashing before my eyes!! So much has happened during all these years it can be hard to make heads or tails of the time that’s passed. I’m just really grateful that we all met when we did in the way that we did. Having all these different projects documented helps keep it all together and not get lost in the years. It’s easier to trace the past because you have all these different markers in time. Even with that though, there’s still plenty that I can’t remember anymore. It’s like a lot of mental snapshots spliced together going really fast.
1120: Tell us the origin of Harvest Sum. How did it come about and what was the mission when you set out?
RB: It started as just a simple imprint to have on the first record we made with Mark Nosowicz and from there quickly turned into this label/not a label umbrella to cover all these different shows and projects our friends were doing. I have to be honest: There was no master plan. We had no idea how long any of this would last, so it was really just us trying to make the most of what was happening while we could.
1120: In undertaking an endeavor like a small label, what were some of the challenges that you encountered and had to overcome? Also, how did things change, if at all, once the streaming era arrived?
RB: Well, we didn’t have any money. But we were able to record and provide artwork “in-house” which was helpful. Resources and connections were pretty limited beyond that. When we started, you were dealing with CDs and selling those through local record shops and shows. Getting ears on it beyond your city was difficult unless you played other cities. As streaming and social media came about, that of course helped ease those boundaries. It still takes a lot of work but you have access to more tools to try to grow and make connections now. Still, traveling and making those connections in real life can’t be beat.
1120: Conversely, what are some of the moments/highlights of which you’re most
proud?
RB: I’m most proud of the fact that we are all still here doing this. Everyone has made a lot of really good music and it didn’t get lost in the shuffle. It didn’t end. And when we put something like this show together, everyone rallies together and still gets excited. But that wouldn’t be happening if we didn’t get lucky back then and come about during a really awesome period in Buffalo. There were a lot of great people going to shows in a really active scene and we got to be a part of that.
1120: How did the idea of a 20th anniversary show come about? Of course, you want to celebrate the occasion, but when did you all decide it was something you should pursue and do, and were people generally down for it?
RB: We put on a showcase in 2022. It had been a while since we’d done a proper one even before the pandemic. It served as a relaunch with us getting a Harvest Sum Bandcamp page organized and getting all of the releases updated and organized on there. We also launched the Instagram account that started chronologically documenting our history alongside current updates. We started discussing it last year and chose to skip 2023 to focus on the 20th show. Everyone was all in and excited but some logistics had to be worked out first. Around August this year we nailed down the Sweethearts and Iona returning for the anniversary.
1120: What would you like to say about the show?
RB: We wanted to incorporate as many of the bands as we could fit for the 20th. And we’re really happy to have found a way to do that as well as reunite Sleeping Kings of Iona and the Old Sweethearts who were such a big part of what was happening in those early years.
1120: Is there anything else you want to add that we haven’t touched on?
RB: I’d just like to thank everyone who ever came to a show, bought a record or shared it with a friend. It’s hard enough to catch the attention of one person let alone have someone still show up 20 years later for one of our little bands. It’s something that we’re really grateful for.
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