Sara on Vincent Vincent and the Villains: VV & the Villains were our very first release, we might never have started the label if they hadn't given us a nudge, we couldn't believe they trusted us to put out their single, and we were really happy to release their second single too.

Sara: VV & the Villains was always the most stylish band, do you remember what impacted your style and identity?
Vincent Vincent (guitar/vocals): We were interested in the old fashioned idea of dressing up smart to go on stage. No sulky shoe gazing in jeans and t-shirts, but in sharkskin suit jackets, tapered trousers, spangly shirts. In the last few months of the band I would wear a full matadors costume to perform! Most bands have their own idea of what’s cool and it varies wildly from band to band, but when everyone in that band is on the same wavelength, then they know what clothes will look good standing with everyone else. This is where a band can present a strong identity.

Sara: If you could meet your teenage self, what would you say to him?
Vincent: Tuck your shirt in.

Sara: What is your ultimate summer song? ?
Vincent: ‘Higher and Higher’ by Jackie Wilson.

Sara on Good Shoes: We met Good Shoes through them coming to lots of our nights; Rhys gave us a demo that had been recorded in their shed, decorated with his amazing illustrations.

Sara: What are you up to right now?
Rhys Jones (vocals/guitar): We're just doing festivals at the moment, just got back from a few staggered dates through June; we played in Italy, Germany, Belgium, Spain and now off to Germany.

Sara: 'Small Town Girl' was released nearly 5 years ago; we remember the roof caving in at your single launch! What's your favourite memory of that time?
Rhys: I think the ceiling was ripped down actually, or at least helped on its way! I remember everyone meeting up at Frog and us DJing. There was a scene created – a lot of good London bands knew each other. I think we all took it for granted and now that doesn't really exist in London anymore. I also really liked the original PUSH venue, where you had your club nights, everyone used to hang out there, that's where the ceiling caved in and so many great bands played there.

Sara: Do you have a favourite song you've discovered by accident on a compilation?
Rhys: Yeah there was a compilation that got played a lot in a pub I go to and I'm pretty sure it had ‘Didn't I’ by Darondo and ‘Things Ain't Gonna Work Out’ by Mayer Hawthorne. The premise was that this DJ went round discovering lost songs in different countries and released a CD from each journey. I think both were on it, definitely Darondo, but both are great songs anyway!

Sara on Pull Tiger Tail: We put on the first Pull Tiger Tail gigs, before they had even settled on a name; we're always delighted to have them drop by Y&L HQ for a PTT Pizza Party.

Sara: "Animator" had some very special artwork, can you tell us about that?
Davo McKenzie-McConville(bass, keys, vocals): Back in 2006, as people were being sucked into the internet with its faceless MP3s, each identical to the other, we decided we should personalise the 7"s of ‘Animator’. We didn't anticipate how long it would take to create something unique on each of the hundreds of vinyl, so we apologise if the quality was variable. They all were full of love, though.

Marcus Ratcliff (guitar, keys, vocals): The other problem - aside from the serious TIME that it required from three band members not noted for their attention spans - was that we didn't have the space to lie each vinyl flat to dry in our house alone. We had to commandeer Sara and Nadia's apartment of the time and use every available surface it had too.

Sara: When we first met, Friendster was all the rage; have you ever made a terrible or embarrassing social networking gaffe?
Davo: I'm pleased to remain outside the social networks so gaffes are not an option. I think we met people longer ago, though. When Playdoh was all the rage.  
Marcus: We reserve all of our internet gaffes for Skype, where making a fool of yourself can be achieved much more quickly. You could, for example, answer a Skype call from your girlfriend while half-dressed as a "sexy 80s personal trainer", only to find that it was her religious mother calling.

Sara:  What are you up to this summer?
Davo: I'm escaping London this summer, time off for good behaviour.

(Marcus is flying to Tokyo for several important holiday reasons. His unrelenting desire for a 500ml can of "Pocari Sweat" is not the least of these. - Sara)

Nadia on Noah and The Whale: Many of my favourite memories of the label involve Noah and the Whale. Noah and the Whale were Y&L Club's first album release, and they also headlined the Y&L Club Tour.

Nadia: What's the strangest thing in your wardrobe?
Urby Whale (bass): Probably a jesters hat, but it 's in close competition with the mud from Glastonbury 2007 which is still on a white silk suit.

Nadia: If you weren’t in Noah & The Whale what would you be doing?
Urby: Most likely iving on a beach somewhere living la vida loca! 

?Nadia: Compilations are such a classic way to find out about music, do you have a favourite compilation? ?

Urby: My favourite compilation of all time is a record Doug and I shared called Stone Cold Funk. A great introduction to stone cold funk! A close second would be Soul Brother Soul Sister.

Sara on Semifinalists: Semifinalists are one of Y&L’s favourite releases, Chris from the band is now in The Awesome. Ferry is possibly the most talented man we know.

Sara: We've seen you in many different bands, but if you were going to put your dream band together (with musicians from any period) who would be in it?
Ferry Gouw (vocals/guitar): Well, I imagine the musical geniuses of various eras all have giant egos and strong opinions and putting them all in one project can in fact nullify each genius' talents, to appease to the well being of the group (see England football team, the Travelling Wilbury's, or Velvet Revolver). Actually, Travelling Wilbury's are not that bad. I'd rather be in a band with people I like hanging with, people who are smart, like good shit, etc. No dream musicians.

Sara: What's your guilty summer anthems?
Ferry: Diplo vs Tiesto's ‘C'mon’, any Bruce Springsteen, The Verve's Urban Hymns (amazing album), Fleetwood Mac.

Sara: You drew and designed the Major Lazer character, if you were creating a Ferry "superhero" character, what superhero power would you give yourself?
Ferry: I'd be able to conjure up the legendary dead and ask for advice. Ask Keith Floyd for recipes and ask Einstein for chess moves.

Sara on Lord Auch: Lord Auch have just released 12" EP To The Shithouse.

Sara: You moved to London from Leeds, do you think the two cities differ from each other when it comes to forming bands and playing gigs? 

Liam Wade (guitar): Myself and Simon used to live in Leeds where Simon was part of Black Wire and I was in minor bands I'd prefer not to mention. London and Leeds are very different when it comes to music. Leeds has a tighter community and you'd know everybody at gigs and club nights. It was always the same crowd. I got bored of that very quickly and left university after 2 years to move to London. London is much more diverse in every way. I found people in London were creating music I wanted to listen to and wanted to be a part of. It's easy to get in a band here and get gig's which was very appealing to me. The irony is I never knew Simon in Leeds and then we both moved to London and formed Lord Auch.

Sara: In Lord Auch you've made some amazing and visually stunning videos, do you have any memorable moments from making them? ?

Liam: We have been lucky enough to work with some very talented film/ video makers over the short course of our career: Zac Ella, Nel Eu and James Willis. The first two were done on very small budgets and the results were fantastic. Our video for ‘Sappho and Doubleskin’ was exceptional as the production team and everything was so professional. It was a shoot with all the extras we had never used before. Memorable moments would have to be us all getting dressed up as Matadors. We had the leggings, hats and frilly shirts, the lot. It's not our usual style but we all had a great time dressing up for the benefit of the video.  ?

Sara:  Do you have a favourite compilation you've found something unexpected on? 

?Liam: I'm personally a big fan of compilations. I have a lot that I'm fond of especially Andrew Weatherall's Sci Fi Lo Fi with great songs like ‘Rock 'N' Roll Radio’ by Joe Boot & The Fabulous Winds that I had never heard before. A more recent find for me was on a Northern Soul Compilation compiled by Paul Weller and Keb Darge with an amazing collection of rarities with my favorite song by Big Mama Thornton, 'They Call Me Big Mama'.

Nadia on Planet Earth: Charlie from Noah and the Whale was always talking about his friend Sam who he went on a road trip with and how Planet Earth is his favourite band. We let Charlie book them to play our monthly acoustic night at the Lock Tavern and asked them straight away if they would like to do a single on Y&L.

Nadia: Which talent would you most like to have?
Planet Earth: The ability to write like Kurt Vonnegut!

Nadia: What is your most treasured possession?
Planet Earth: An Ansel Adams print, Moon and Half Dome.

Nadia: What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Planet Earth: A lack of appreciation for RnB.

Nadia on exlovers: exlovers are all super cool and it was amazing to release their single ‘Photobooth’, every time I see them they just get better and better live! ?

Nadia: How did you guys come up with the name exlovers?

Laurel Sills (vocals, keyboard, glock, percussions): I think Pete came up with it, and we all thought, ‘yeah, good enough.’

Nadia: Who's your secret crush? ?

Laurel: James Mcavoy, he’s a gentleman. Unfortunately he’s married; otherwise perhaps he’d take me punting in Cambridge. It’s not that much of a secret really, more an accepted infatuation… ?

Nadia: When was the last time you went dancing? ?

Laurel: On July the 9th for my birthday at the Young and Lost Dancing night. I liked it when they played ‘Bump ‘n’ Grind’, at least I think that’s what it’s called.

Nadia on Cheatahs: Nathan had played Y&L clubs a lot with his other band Little Death, and we were really excited to hear his solo project Cheatahs too. Nathan did all the illustrations himself for the video for ‘Warrior’.

Nadia: If you weren't in a band, what would you be doing?
Nathan Hewitt (vocals, guitar): Probably drawing things, maybe a wildlife illustrator or something like that. Another dream job would be working on comic books

Nadia: Where's the best place you've been this year? ?

Nathan: Well I'm going to Italy at the end of June and I really hope it's going to be hot there!  So ready for a vacation.

Nadia: Do you have a favourite compilation?
Nathan: Well my friends put out a really awesome compilation this year. I think they called it PVI006/IBB004 and it has a whole bunch of underground UK bands that are all really great.

Nadia on Othello Woolf: We first met Othello Woolf at our club night Push at Astoria 2 a couple of years ago. He was friends with a lot of DJs and bands we knew, like Golden Silvers. We released his debut single last September and it sold out the week of release!

Nadia: Is it true you recorded your first single 'Stand' in your bedroom and played every instrument on the recording yourself?
Oliver Woolf: Yes this is true and the same on all of my recordings. I build up each part at a time, kind of like lego, until eventually it all fits together nicely as a finished song.

Nadia: What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Oliver: Perhaps 'moderation'. I believe that if do everything in moderation you'll never get anywhere.

Nadia: Do you have a favourite compilation?
Oliver: It may well be a double-cassette compilation called Reggae Massive! It's got songs like Gregory Issaacs’ 'Night Nurse’ and Susan Cadogan’s 'Hurts So Good'.