1.
Hello there Life Sentence Records, well you please introduce the people
behind the label? How they get into this kind of music / life style?
Life
Sentence Records is owned and operated by Dan Gump and his wife Alison.
Dan has been Straightedge for over 15 years.
He started the label when a band that he was in couldn’t get anyone to
put out their music, so he did it himself.
2004 marks the ten-year anniversary for Life Sentence.
Dan started going to hardcore shows when he was 13 and has been involved
in the scene ever since.
2.
How come does your label decide regarding to Straightedge? How hard it
is? Will you enumerate some hindrances since the beginning of your Label?
The
label was originally a Straightedge label, signing only sxe bands, but as the
genre of hardcore has become more accepting of non-sxe bands, and is producing
more talented bands, LSR had to broaden it’s listenership by allowing non-sxe
bands to sign. It became more
challenging to only sign sxe bands because the talent pool is limited and by
only having sxe bands on the label we were limiting our growth potential.
Some of the hindrances that Life Sentence has faced are financial
limitations (not doing as much advertising/marketing as we’d like), dealing
with bands that don’t have a serious commitment to their music/touring, and
being able to sign as many bands as we’d like – we need more good demos.
3.
I know and we know that all of you have its own views regarding SXE life
style. Aside from doing a label, do you have any local / side project
individually? Like for instance Straightedge related, etc.
We
are not involved in anything specific as far as community/national projects go.
We are still involved in the scene her in Salt Lake City and try to stay
in touch with/meet as many people as we can throughout the sxe/hardcore
community in the world. It’s
important to us to stay connected and help out others where we can.
4.
As straightedge involve, are all of you have any Straightedge action? Do
you have any direct actions locally like pickets, black propagandas from
multinational corporations and other producers and like Kenny Rogers, etc.
No. We are not involved in anything that takes political or social stands against corporate, individual or government policies.
5.
How about if time comes that the entire lands are poisoned and no other
living human can adopt the Straightedge life style, the only thing is to give up
your straightedge life style, will you give up being a straightedge? Explain
individual.
There is no possible reason that we can see that we would give up sxe for. Not only is it part of our lifestyle, but it is part of our religious belief system as well. There is no question surrounding the issue of us selling out.
6.
Are all the people behind the label has its own work / job? Please
enumerate and please site your job description? Is your job / work affects
the straightedge struggle like working on multinational procedures?
Both
Dan and Alison work “regular” 9-5 jobs as well as doing the label 40+ hours
a week. Dan works for a software
development company and Alison works for Alamo/National Car Rental.
There is nothing at either place of employment that really affects our
commitment to our lifestyle. In
fact, both jobs actually provide opportunity to do work on the label and neither
one requires us to attend events or participate in activities that are contrary
to our beliefs.
7.
How about, when it comes to religion aspects, do you guys celebrate holy
week, New Year? Christmas? If not any alternate activities did you do?
Dan
and Alison are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
(Mormon). We are Christian and
celebrate all the Christian holidays, including Easter and Christmas.
We also celebrate New Years, Birthdays, and other commercial holidays,
such as Valentines Day and Mothers/Fathers Day.
8.
Any view / comments in the past of USA and IRAQ battle? Do you think that
USA already wins that war against IRAQ?
As
a general rule we feel that war of any type is usually not the solution to
worldwide or local issues. We are
completely against the war in Iraq and feel that the USA intervenes in others’
business based on financial gain. Also,
that the people in Iraq generally do not want us there and so we should leave
them to live their lives. However,
if there are tremendous wrongs happening, such as terrorism or ethnic cleansing,
and the country has asked for our help, we should assist them however is best
and then allow them to continue in their own ways, not inflict our version of
“proper government” on others. Further,
the USA has already accomplished what they needed to in Iraq (finding Saddam
Hussein) and should pull out of the country to avoid more death from both
parties.
9.
Please cite your comments/views/opinions/ideas on the following issue:
a.
Culture – Everyone is entitled to live in the way that pleases them,
without hurting others, and those around them should learn as much as they can
about others.
b. Religion – We believe in the principles and constructs that are set forth by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We also believe that others should be allowed to worship according to their own desires. However, we feel that our religion offers a message of salvation and peace and that many would benefit from it’s teachings.
c.
God – We believe in God and recognize that he has blessed us with
everything that we have, including the label, and that without him we would not
know true happiness
d. Leadership – Government and politics are necessary evils.
e.
Gender – Male and female are not “the same.”
Men are better at some things and women are better at others.
However, they are both equal as far as being individuals and entitled to
the same benefits and lifestyle.
f.
Sxe
– We are sxe and always will be. Others
are entitled to their own lifestyles, however, we will not approve of or support
lifestyles that are contrary to our own.
g.
Veganism/vegetarianism – We are carnivores, but good for the people who
can eat like rabbits!
h.
Terrorism – Acts of terrorism are done by cowards and ignorant people.
Those who can’t verbalize and solve problems through the spoken or
written word are intellectually stunted and display their lack of intelligence
(including President Bush and his colleagues).
10.
Any message to the people in the Third World Hardcore / punk / sXe /
kids?
Stay
true to what is in your heart. Don’t
be something you’re not. Education
(both institutionalized learning and worldly knowledge) is the key to a better
lifestyle and to growing yourself on both internal and external levels.
Share what you know and use music to express yourself.
Buy our records. J
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