DIY Label Spotlight #5: Chess Club Records • Interview • DIY Magazine

DIY wouldn’t be what it is without buzzy bands and grassroots scenes, and independent labels are an essential part of the ecosystem working to support artists from the ground up.

Up next in our monthly feature spotlighting some of the very best in the biz, we chat to Will Street and Peter McGaughrin, co-founders of Chess Club Records - the beloved chequerboard brand which, in its 18 years, has built a reputation for discovering and nurturing some very familiar names.

How would you describe, in less than 10 words, the ethos behind Chess Club?
Will: Driven by discovery and an enduring passion for artist development.

Peter: Indie with ambition.

What was the initial motivation behind founding the label? Tell us a bit more about those early days.
Will: Back in the day before Chess Club ‘Records’ was established as a label, the Chess Club name existed as a monthly club night at The Social in London. Between 2006-2012 the we put on debut or early shows for Bon Iver, MGMT, Lykke Li, The Vaccines, Bombay Bicycle Club, Michael Kiwanuka, Noah & The Whale, Laura Marling, Mumford & Sons, The XX and Florence & The Machine - most of whom were unsigned at the time.

Early on in that period I was introduced to Peter and he suggested that I capitalise on being surrounded by so much great unsigned music and start a label… so we did! At first it was veeeery DIY and small scale and I was just totally making it up as I went along (still am). We’d essentially help artists press a small run of 7” singles then I’d email record stores to see if they’d take any, package them up in boxes, and deliver them to the shop. A couple of weeks later, they’d get in touch to say they’d sold out and needed more, and I’d take some more down to the shop.

The first ever single on the label, CC001 in 2007, was by a singer-songwriter called Jay Jay Pistolet who most people might now know as Justin Young, singer of The Vaccines. Guess we were there a little too early on that one… Soon after that we released debut singles from White Lies, Mumford & Sons and Local Natives, all of whom then quickly signed major label deals, so CC started to build an industry reputation as a tastemaker label. It’s kinda just snowballed from there, and 17 years later we’re still going strong!

What are some of your highlights or most memorable moments since founding Chess Club? Do you have any artists or campaigns that you’re particularly proud of?
Will: In September 2013 we had Swim Deep, Wolf Alice and Sundara Karma all signed to the label and on tour together, which I think has to be one of the best triple threat lineups of all time!

MØ is also an incredibly important artist in the label’s history. Working with her during the explosion of ‘Lean On’ with Major Lazer was nuts! Seeing a song catch fire like that, become a global smash and do over one billion streams was totally wild! Having an artist on the roster who was the voice of the biggest song in the world at the time is something not a lot of labels get to experience.

We take great pride in having played a small role in the origin stories of bands that are no longer on the label too, so seeing people like Wolf Alice, Jungle or Mumford all go on and grow into multi-award winning festival headliners is amazing to see, and the fact that they all started out on Chess Club is pretty cool!

Peter: Too many to name! It’s the people that we work with, from artists to the wider teams around the world we assemble, that make it such a rewarding experience. Releasing the first music and then having long term relationships with artists like Alfie Templeman - who we met when he was 15 years old - is great, as you grow and learn together. Also, I’ve always been proud of handing our artists their first vinyl on Chess Club; it’s an emotional experience when they see it for the first time.

“As long as you have pride in all the music that you put your name to, then it doesn’t really matter how others feel about it.”

— Will Street

How would you describe the current relationship between independent labels and the wider music landscape? Do you think there have been any significant changes since the label’s inception?
Will: Yikes, SO MANY changes! For starters, streaming and TikTok did not exist, so the fact that those two mediums are now arguably the two most important driving forces behind marketing campaigns shows just how much the landscape has evolved. The power dynamic of the media landscape has also shifted, with social media being king when it comes to audience growth. Long gone are the days of getting your song on the Hype Machine chart, having Zane Lowe give you a spin on R1 and watching it fly! RIP.

In a world of instant gratification and the ever-diminishing attention spans of the general public, it’s important that indie labels offer an environment where artists are afforded time to evolve and take risks in the pursuit of creating music that will stand the test of time. Indies have always filled this purpose, but I think it’s even more important in today’s climate. Sometimes it can be easier said than done when there is such demand for a constant stream of new music, but we always try to take a ‘big picture’ view of our artists and where we see them going.

Peter: In the early days it was about giving unknown artists a voice as they didn’t have one. Now everyone has a voice, but it can get drowned out, so it’s about helping them cut through - supporting their creative vision with advice, resources, investment and strategy so they can rise above and have a long career with their art. Generally speaking, before and now, big companies need success quickly or an artist can be out of the door, whereas we try to build good foundations for longterm success, which takes more care and patience.

What’s one piece of label-running advice you’d give your younger self?
Will: There’s one rule I have followed from day one which has served me well, and that’s to follow your gut and work with artists who you feel passionately about. As long as you have pride in all the music that you put your name to, then it doesn’t really matter how others feel about it. Just like any label over the years, we’ve had our fair share of projects that we couldn’t get going, but if I can listen back to those records today and still think ‘that’s a fucking great tune!’, then I’m happy.

Peter: Work with good, honest, hard-working people with great instincts who care about what they do; try to always do what you say you’re going to do; and enjoy it as you go!

What are you most excited about for the rest of 2025, and why?
We have Coach Party’s second album ‘Caramel’ coming out on 26th September, which is a big moment for the label. It’s an ‘all killer no filler’ rip-roaring rock record, and we think it’s going to really propel the band to the next level. Here is where I mention that it’s available for pre order now… [shameless plug].

We’ve also recently welcomed a brand new artist to the label called Zander. We’ve just released his debut single through the label called ‘Madeline’. He’s an incredible songwriter and we have lots more music to come from him this year! If you’re into Rex OC or Big Thief then you’ll love this track.

To find out more about Chess Club, head to chessclub-records.co.uk.

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