The Salzburg studio and record label founded by Harald Mörth produces artists of all genres and houses successful international musicians. The interview with Harald and Michael Mörth offers a glimpse behind the scenes of Late Hour Music.
What distinguishes “Late Hour Studio” from other studios?
The Late Hour Studio is more than just a recording studio – we work closely with our artists, because we believe this is the only way to tap the full potential. Before we start producing, we analyze sketches of a song or we write new tracks from scratch together with our musicians. Especially at the beginning of a cooperation, we are deeply involved in the composition process. Coaching is an essential part of our job. Our goal is to help artists improve their productions – both in terms of technique/composition and in terms of instruments/vocals. First we start working on the music and then on the sound of a song.
How and why did you decide to found a label?
We realized that many artists did not know what to do with their productions. For many musicians, the only way to distribute their music was to sell CDs at their gigs. Often it was just a problem of ignorance. Giving regional gigs a platform has become our business. It took some time but we are now well-positioned and can say that “Late Hour Music” is one of the strongest labels in Salzburg that made a name for itself in the German music scene too.
Late Hour Records houses several successful artists. How does A&R work?
Before we produce music, we always meet an artist in person to explain to him/her how we work, and to ask him/her what his/her goals are. I think this is very important. It is legitimate to say, ‘I want to record music, release it, but I don’t want to play gigs, or music is just a hobby for me.’ If this is the case, we usually record the song, but we do not sign the artist to a deal. If an artist is not 100% sure, it is not worth it. This is why, as a record label, weonly sign artists whose music was produced by our studio. This allows us to manage acts in the right way, and to have an ‘artistic access’ to our musician, not only a bureaucratic one. This is what distinguishes us, and popular artists such as Dame, The Makemakes, Please Madame or C-Black are an example of our successful approach. We are always looking for motivated artists!
What kind of role do social media play in your marketing strategy?
A very important role! Without social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram etc. it would be very hard for indie-labels like LHM to reach such an audience with a moderate budget. A good Facebook profile, high-quality music videos on YouTube and pics posted on Instagram on a regular basis are necessary nowadays. A good song is still the most important thing but it is no longer enough to keep up with competitors. Social media platforms make it easier for us and for our acts to reach many people.
Find out more about Late Hour Music:
Dame – Low Life
Please Madame – Wait for Me
