About River Rat Records

River Rat Records was formed in 2007 by James Hurst and Ruth Theodore, with little more than some big ideas, a common goal, and several cans of cider. The plan was (and still is) to be as independent as possible, applying a DIY mentality to everything that we can, and choosing the right partners to work with for everything else.

The label is currently run by just the two of us, and includes a recording studio in North London, our own online shop, and what we hope will be a steadily growing list of top quality releases!

Despite being classed by some as an 'ethical record label', our passion is really about releasing great music. The details of how we operate as a company, the materials and licences we use are here at your disposal - not meant as a fashion statement or sales tool, but simply because we find it interesting... so there!

It would seem that expertise in copyright law has become a prerequisite for listening to music. Digital rights and wrongs dressed up in technical mumbo jumbo are forming an electric fence around music in an attempt to personalise the experience of listening, for the maximum enjoyment of shareholders. Music has never been a purely personal experience (more often it's a shared one), but the nightmare of having to digitally and uniquely identify ourselves for permission to hear something is fast becoming reality.

Whatever happened to sharing what we enjoy? How confused children must be these days - encouraged to share sweets but incarcerated for sharing music.

Historically, rats have always been good at sharing things. Let's face it, more people have heard of the plague than the Pogues. The casual sharing of music is a brilliantly infectious method of free marketing, and we think it's important to spread that message, for the benefit of artists and music lovers alike.

Be it considered futile and contradictory, or brave and revolutionary, River Rat releases all recordings using a special licence - an appendage to international copyright laws, which explicitly grants you the legal right to burn, copy, and share as much as you like. "Some Rights Reserved" means that we still endeavour to protect the rights of our artists commercially, but as long as you're not making money from copying our records, you're safely on the right (or left) side of the law.

From product manufacturing to product packaging, almost everything we produce has enjoyed a former life. Our commitment is to use 100% recycled materials where physically possible.

By purchasing our products directly from this website or indirectly from your local independent record shop you are not only supporting River Rat and its ideology, but also the independent traders we have chosen to work with.

Do the River Rat Ripple, and help the little get some nipple!

All of River Rat's financial resources (gold teeth excluded) have been entrusted to The Co-operative Bank. The impact our money can have on local and global investment is enormous and commonly considered beyond our control. However, bushy tailed financial organisations such as The Co-operative Bank and Triodos make it easy for us to choose to bank responsibly.