Welcome friends and fans to our first ever interview with Brandon Ebel, the President and Founder of Tooth and Nail Records. Brandon Ebel was nice enough to answer a few my questions (and some user submitted requests). Tooth and Nail Website

Interview conducted by: Brandon Jones for Indie Vision Music. Please credit IndieVisionMusic.com if you use any of this material on your own sites.

Question: What steps did you take towards building T&N and how were you involved in the music scene before doing so?

Brandon Ebel: In college I worked at Oregon State’s radio station, then interned at Virgin Records and later got a job at Frontline Records.

Question: Of all the old bands that have been on the Tooth and Nail roster, which band would you like to see make a comeback record? What are your all time favorite records from 93-2008 in your catalog?

Brandon Ebel: I would love to see The Supertones or The Juliana Theory make a new record. I could never choose favorites, but some older ones that stand out for me are (in no particular order):
Juliana Theory “Emotion Is Dead”
Further Seems Forever “The Moon Is Down”
Starflyer 59 “Silver”
Living Sacrifice “Reborn”
Zao “Where Blood And Fire Bring Rest”
Project 86 “Drawing Black Lines”
MxPx “Life In General”
The Supertones “Supertones Strike Back”

Question: Was there ever a point when you didn’t think T&N was going to make it (financially, musically, reputation wise)?

Brandon Ebel: In ’94 and ’95 we were running out of money, but around the same time MxPx, Plankeye and The Supertones all took off.

Question: Why do you think fans have such a loyalty to T&N and not so much as other labels in the Christian and secular markets?

Brandon Ebel: My goal has always been to create brand loyalty with a standard of excellence in everything from production to packaging, while maintaining a diverse roster with bands like Copeland, Hawk Nelson, mewithoutYou and Thousand Foot Krutch all on the same label.

Question: You launched Tooth & Nail Records in 1993 and released two records from two very promising bands, Wish for Eden and Focused. Were these two bands your first choices for launching the label? What other bands at the time caught your ear or were you interested in?

Brandon Ebel: I signed Starflyer 59, Focused, and Wish For Eden all within two weeks or so of each other, and I was also interested in Six Feet Deep, My Little Dog China, Poor Old Lu, and Five Iron Frenzy.

Question: Looking back on those very first records, how do you feel about them today?

Brandon Ebel: Starflyer 59’s “Silver” and Wish For Eden’s “Pet The Fish” are both classic albums. “Adventures Of The O.C. Supertones,” and “Pokinatcha” by MxPx are also both timeless.

Question: If you can divulge some information, what band(s) were you most saddened to have missed the chance on signing over the years? I have heard rumors of bands like Thrice being offered a deal and other bands of that caliber over the years. Any stories you’d like to share?

Brandon Ebel: We almost signed P.O.D. before they decided on Atlantic, but we ended up just putting out an EP. We also talked to Thrice, as well as Chris Carrabba when he left Further Seems Forever. Obviously these three artists went on to do great things.

Question: Of all the albums released throughout the 90’s, what were the 5 biggest sellers? I’ve been dying to know the answer to this question for years.

Brandon Ebel: The top 5 selling artists of the 90’s were (in no particular order): MxPx, The Supertones, The Juliana Theory, Plankeye, and Project 86

Question: Moving forward now.. What have been your top 5 selling albums from year 2000 till now?

Brandon Ebel: The top 5 selling artists of since 2000 are (in no particular order): Jeremy Camp, Underoath, Kutless, Thousand Foot Krutch, Anberlin

Question: What band and message from your own catalog, has most touched your life? Any personal testimonies you’ve read over the years that stand out to you?

Brandon Ebel: There’s been hundreds over the years, all of which have been inspiring to me. Jason Carson from the Supertones had a huge spiritual impact on me as a person, as did the band’s message in general. I was also very moved by Pedro The Lion’s “Whole” EP that we put out.

Question: How did Tooth & Nail as a company, avoid the pitfalls and perils that other such labels experienced? What do you attribute to the success and longevity of your label and bands such as Mxpx, Project 86, Stavesacre, Starflyer 59, Joy Electric, that are still going strong till this day?

Brandon Ebel: I attribute our bands’ and label’s success to hard work and God’s grace.

What new release are you most excited about putting out in the new year?

Brandon Ebel: I’m excited about all of our releases! I am very excited about MxPx’s “On The Cover 2,” and the new albums from Thousand Foot Krutch, August Burns Red, and Hawk Nelson to name a few.

Question: What is the most difficult aspect of running a Record Company, especially in today’s economy? What do you feel the future is for Digital album sales?

Brandon Ebel: In the early years, getting good distribution was very difficult. Nowadays the most difficult aspect has been adapting to the new digital age. More and more people are buying music online, which for us means a big shift to more online marketing. It’s obvious that digital album sales will be on the rise in the years to come.

Question: Does your company sign any 360 degree deals like Live Nation does with their artists? Do you feel that’s the future for the record industry?

Brandon Ebel: Moving forward I think a lot of companies will be using different business models. At this point we are definitely considering everything.

Tooth and Nail on the web:

[myspace] [website]