Bombed Out Records

Since 1998

Bombed Out Records was conceived in 1998 with the release of the first Joe Ninety 7" which was closely followed by the debut 7" from Wakefield's Dugong. Founded by Steve Jackson and Alex Hurworth, the label later enlisted the help of Jamie Duncan and, for a period, Kez Alison.

The label's goal, as highlighted by these early releases, was to help out local bands who, as they were just starting out, were being overlooked by the then larger labels in the scene. The label was driven to release records by bands they loved that in turn were made up of people they respected, the latter point being just as important as the former then as it is now.

Bombed Out remained with it's feet firmly planted in the Leeds / West Yorkshire scene for over five years, with bands like Dropnose (soon to become The Mercy Suite), Eighty Six and Fig. 4.0 joining the roster. The vitality and varied make-up of the Leeds scene at this time, aided by the Out of Spite, Rocktober and Bombed Out's own New Year / New Start festivals ensured one of the greatest underground music scenes in the country was right on our doorstep.

In 2002 Bombed Out branched out further than they expected to when Swedish band Kelly 8 joined the fray. The label had been so blown away by this band's demo material that they convinced the band to let them release it, thus Kelly 8's "The Setup" was released mid 2002.

Things have continued steadily ever since, despite the sad but inevitable demise of some of the bands on which the label was founded and grew (Fig. 4.0, Joe Ninety and Dugong have all since called it a day). Bombed Out continue to seek out and release records by bands that inspire and motivate them or just plain rock. It is still run from a spare box-room by Steve, Alex and Jamie in their spare time to largely unprofitable ends. The owners still remain as content and committed as ever, giving as much as they can and taking little back - they wouldn't have it any other way. Sure, things aren't perfect and mistakes are sometimes made but after eight years the label continues to move forward. One day it might break even!

Distribution continues to spread further afield (soon to be digital) and with significant steps regarding promotion and tour booking, along with the likes of The Leif Ericsson and Remainderfour now filling the label's ranks, the future looks bright.

To all the bands mentioned above and everyone who's supported Bombed Out over the years - thanks.