Wobbly Music (Est. 2004) is a unique independent record label based in Accrington, Lancs. UK, run by Lynn Monk. Lynn has been in the music business in several capacities since 1972. First as a drummer, then as a lighting engineer for a touring Roadshow, then as a concert sound engineer where she worked with bands such as Madness, Depeche Mode, Blur, The Pogues and Simply Red; to name but a few. At various points in her career, she has also worked as a band manager, agent, and the founder and chairman of the National Association of Sound and Lighting Companies. Moving from London to Accrington in 1994, she was a partner in a bakery business until 2000 when the bakery closed. She then went back to the music business, co-ordinating events for the local council before converting the bakery premises into a project studio. Bakehouse Studio, not only runs as an independent studio for local clients, but also produces releases for the artists signed to the label.
Lynn has always been a campaigner for fairness and choice in the music industry. So she wrote her own contracts to be as fair as possible to both sides. Wobbly Music was the first label to sign independent artists and songwriters to recording contracts and probably the only label that any artist could sign up to online with no questions asked! Since then, the contracts have been modified multiple times. From 2018-21 she worked in partnership with an artist manager and together they developed a more traditional exclusive contract; recruited various people to help with event booking and radio plugging; and tried to sign more mainstream artists. However, with COVID affecting the music business to a greater extent than most, their plans hit a dead end and they failed to make the intended level of progress. The partnership was dissolved in August 2021.
With plans to make yet another modification to the contract that will take the focus back to the original idea of helping independent artists, but in a way more suited to the current trends in the industry; Lynn aims to help more artists who just want to make a good living from their art, and not necessarily seek chart success. This will suit those who don't have the time to do everything necessary on their own due to work and family commitments. Wobbly Music will provide the business infrastructure and tools for no upfront cost, so that the artist has more time to produce new music and social media content; and can afford to finance the necessary advertising campaigns when the time is right to do so. There are also plans to expand the agency and event side of the business, incorporating online events as well as physical ones.
With no affiliation to any major label, Wobbly Music provides a personal and friendly service that gives the artist the support and guidance they need, without the artistic constraints and unfairness of a major industry contract.