Seizure Man's Jacob Campbell, Molly Spear, playing in their band
Seizure Man’s Jacob Campbell and Molly Spear, playing in their band, Sup, Muscles? Credit: Photo courtesy of Foo Conner

If you want something done right, do it yourself: That’s the philosophy behind Pittsburgh music label Seizure Man.

“We kind of have a collective, at this point,” says co-owner Molly Spear. “We’re all just working together, trying to elevate each other right now.” Musicians themselves, Spear and co-owner Jacob Campbell saw a void in the Pittsburgh music scene — it lacked a connection between labels and artists.

The decision to start their own label came from “the need to put out our own music, not have to find somebody else to do it,” Campbell explains. “Having a name to do it under was important to me. We got a tape duplicator, and went from there.”

That’s right: a tape duplicator. With the recent vintage revival, cassette tapes are back on the rise. Campbell realized his label could stand out with this step back into the past. Besides that, cassettes are “more cost-effective than vinyl, less disposable than CDs.” Especially when they’re handmade and labeled by the bands themselves.

But Seizure Man isn’t solely about the kitsch. “Labels need to be more interested in the well-being of their bands,” Campbell insists. “[For many labels], it’s not about working with and developing an artist, like it was 50 years ago. Taking a real interest in the musician, that’s a big part of what we do.”

“It’s about elevating bands we love to their full potential, and helping them achieve their goals,” Spear adds.

The label has a special emphasis on math rock, but Campbell is accepting all genres for a new Cassette Store Day compilation to be released Sept. 27. The compilation, an annual project of the Cassette Culture forum on the Reddit website, will come with a zine that profiles the bands as well as the story of Seizure Man. A different label handles the comp each year, and Seizure Man was chosen for 2014. Submissions, due Aug. 10, should be “dynamic, innovative and emotive.”

Fans of the medium should also look into Seizure Man’s tape-of-the-month club, which is limited to 10 subscribers in order to give each artist the necessary attention. A subscription, Campbell explains, is not only a way to stay informed on Pittsburgh music, it’s also an investment in that music’s future.

This article appears in Jul 30 – Aug 5, 2014.

4 replies on “Seizure Man specializes in cassettes”

  3. Did you ask why they chose the name “Seizure Man” for the label? I’d really like to know.

    What are they trying to insinuate with this as the name of a music label? Do either Jacob or Molly understand what a seizure really is?

    As a proud Pittsburgher, who has epilepsy, I hope this name isn’t meant to be cynical or judgmental…

    http://www.enduringepilepsy.com

  4. Katrina, we’re very aware of what an epileptic seizure is. The word itself can also be applied to other things, such as the seizure of items. Regardless, it commemorates when we witnessed a man (whose name we never got) experiencing a seizure in front of our house. He fell backwards and hit his head very hard on the pavement, which led to blood pouring out of his ears. It was a very intense experience that occurred whilst we were taking a break from playing music. I assure you, we didn’t point and laugh when it happened. We were the first to call paramedics to the scene, helping to save his life. The name is not intended to make people laugh or exploit anyone who may experience seizures. It’s also not a direct reference to the Cyanide and Happiness comic.

    Hopefully this answers your questions.

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