Lucy Rose has started her own label, announced her first signing, Samantha Crain

Lucy Rose is launching her own record label, under the title Real Kind Records.

She's already kicking things off with her first signing and release, too. US singer-songwriter Samantha Crain gets that honour, and will drop her new album 'A Small Death' on 1st May. It's preceded by a first track from the record, opener 'An Echo', which you can stream below.

“This record was written and recorded during and after some serious hardships in my life," Crain explains. "I had lost use of my hands, sank into despair due to the apparent loss of my ability to perform on instruments. I was suffering from a mental and physical breakdown and when I eventually came out on the other side of it, with my capacities renewed, I found such joy and appreciation to be able to create again and put all of this into this record, because of this, in my eyes, it is the most important record I've made and I held it firmly in my arms and carried it through to completion. I saw this as my bonus round, my second chance, and a time to re-evaluate my principles as an artist and my objective as a person. The state of peace that I came to following this tumultuous time in my life allowed me a real clarity towards desires for this record.

“Around the time that I finished this record, I became re-acquainted with Lucy. We had met before a few years back on a broadcast of Loose Ends on BBC Radio 4 and at one of my London shows the previous year, but she had asked me to support her on a tour and I immediately felt a kinship with her--not only because of our shared navigation of being a woman in the music industry but I was also floored by her artistic integrity and her ability to adroitly manoeuvre herself, intelligently and clearly, through the business of it all too.

“I feel like this record is a new beginning for me, a re-birth after a small death. It is A total mirror of who I am, more than anything else I've made and because of that, it could only find its shared place with someone who truly loved it and believed in it, and Lucy has over and over again shown me that warmth and dedication.

“I feel so honoured to be the first release on Real Kind Records and believe in Lucy and her vision as much as she believes in mine.”

Working alongside the much loved Communion Records for the new venture, Rose plans to develop the label further over the course of the year.

“Like all musicians, I've always felt interested and passionate about other musicians and the art that's constantly being created," she explains "Choosing support acts for my tours is always so exciting for me, to take a musician that I really care about and admire on the road with me and hear them play every night, fills me with such happiness.

“That's what happened last year when I took Samantha Crain on tour with me, an artist that I've been listening to and following since 2015 when we met. But having her on the road and listening to her play every night, my love and passion for her music grew enormously. During those weeks on the road we grew closer as friends and she sent me her album - 'A Small Death' that she was in the process of finishing. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This album that she had self-produced and made in her home of Oklahoma was one of the best albums I had heard in years, maybe ever. I was so excited and thrilled for her but as we talked more it became clear that Samantha wasn't sure of how she would release the album.

“I spoke to Communion Records, my label, about Samantha and her album and they gave me this great opportunity of starting my own label as an imprint under them, so I could release Samantha's album. I couldn't believe it!

“After a lot of thought and consideration, this is what is happening. I've started Real Kind Records and Samantha Crain is my first signing. It has been one of the most exciting moments of my life. Samantha Crain is one of the most talented, genuinely inspired artists I've ever come across and to work with her is truly an honour. When it came to setting up the label, I knew that what was most important to be was that the artists needs came first, artist friendly deals, and at the forefront of what I wanted to achieve was that Samantha enjoyed every moment of releasing this album.

“I have real ambition for Samantha and this album. It's such a profound and intelligent album, musically and lyrically. I'm so grateful for the braveness she has shown in doing this. It's a deeply personal album and one that I will continue to listen to and enjoy for all the years to come. I hope many, many more people will too.”

You can get more from Lucy's Real Kind Records at realkindrecords.com.