Thank You

This month, (almost) unbelievably, marks 25 years of Burning Shed.
 
We’d like to issue a heartfelt thank you for your support over the many years and provide some insight into the company and what our plans are for this anniversary year.
 
‘The Shed’ emerged out of an idea Tim Bowness had for an idealistic online / on-demand label. Peter Chilvers – one of Tim’s musical partners – was experienced in the then mysterious world of e-commerce. Pete Morgan, the final piece of the Burning Shed jigsaw, was running Noisebox, a record label and duplication company (that dealt with releases by Tim and Steven Wilson’s band No-Man).
 
Over several intense gatherings (fuelled by eggs, chips, beans and the milkiest of coffees), a plan was hatched. After six months of trying to convince a bank that the notion of selling CDs from a website wasn’t witchcraft, that plan was in motion.
 
Tim brought in the music, Peter created the coding and Pete ‘The Morganiser’ took charge of logistics.
 
Initially, the idea was to issue elegantly packaged, cost-effective CDR releases – designed by Carl Glover – that allowed artists to experiment and, crucially, generate a little income from their endeavours. 



 
Luckily, the first releases – including albums by No-Man, Bass Communion, Roger Eno and Hugh Hopper – proved to be more successful than anticipated and Burning Shed rapidly evolved. Soon the CDRs became CDs and via word of mouth the company was hosting official stores for artists and labels including Robert Fripp / King Crimson, Stewart & Gaskin / Hatfield & The North, Jethro Tull, XTC, Kscope Records and many others (including, of course, No-Man and Porcupine Tree).
 
Peter Chilvers left in 2008 to work with Brian Eno, but Tim and Pete persisted, building the company up. 25 years on, the Shed is driven by the same instincts as it was at the very beginning.
 
As a “run by artists for artists” company, we try and ensure that the musicians and labels we deal with receive as much money as they can and that deals and accounting are transparent. There are no hidden costs or binding contracts. The idea has always been to release and help globally distribute great music at reasonable prices in the best way possible (to make sure it arrives in perfect condition and on time).
 
To celebrate our 25th anniversary, from April until next March we’ll be bringing you special releases, merchandise and giveaways including more raffle winners each month.
 
We’re also putting on a number of events throughout the year, starting with three co-headline gigs by Tim Bowness with Butterfly Mind plus Bruce Soord & Jon Sykes (The Pineapple Thief):
 
Sun 24 May – Liverpool, Philharmonic Music Room
Fri 29 May – Bath Fringe Festival at Rondo Theatre
Sat 20 June – London, The 100 Club
 
Ticket links are available via https://timbowness.co.uk/live/
 
Looking forward, we’re in a much more complicated world. When we started, it was relatively easy. Shipping involved a jiffy bag, a label and a stamp. Selling online is now more complex, with electronic customs declarations, tariffs, Brexit, GPSR, GDPR, etc etc. From operating out of the corner of Pete’s office at Noisebox, we now have a warehouse and a truly superb team of people making sure everything runs smoothly.
 
None of this would have been possible without the support of all the artists and labels we have worked with over the years. Most importantly, it would not have worked without you, our customers.
 
We know there are many other places to buy music from, so that makes it all the more special that you continue to order from us. Some of you have been with us since the very beginning, some of you have just found us. We are extremely grateful to every one of you, old and new.
 
Thank you for supporting what we do.
 
Here’s to the next 25 years!
 
Tim and Pete