Out on a Limb Records

Out on a Limb Records is an independent Irish record label based in Limerick. Established in the summer of 2003, it began with the release of Is it OK to be loud, Jesus?, the debut album by the local band giveamanakick. The label emerged from Limerick’s independent music and live-performance community rather than from a major entertainment company: founders Albert Twomey and Richard Bourke had both been involved with the Aspersion Music Collective, a non-profit promoter of gigs in the city. Ciarán Ryan joined the operation several months after its launch, and Twomey, Bourke, and Ryan formed the core team that worked on the label for much of its history. The label’s identity is closely associated with independent and alternative music from Ireland, particularly artists connected to Limerick’s local scene. Its importance lies less in scale than in continuity and cultural infrastructure. It has been described as one of Ireland’s longest-running independent record labels, providing a platform for artists operating outside the country’s major-label system and helping connect local performers with wider national attention. The label’s releases have included work by giveamanakick and Windings, among other acts, although the available reference material does not establish a complete catalogue. A significant organizational change came in November 2009, when Albert Twomey’s departure from the label was announced. Richard Bourke and Ciarán Ryan continued their association with Out on a Limb Records. Ryan later acknowledged that he and Bourke had considered bringing the label to an end on several occasions, indicating the financial and operational pressures that can affect a small independent imprint. Despite those difficulties, the label continued releasing music. In 2013, the Windings album I am not the Crow became the first Out on a Limb Records release to receive a nomination for Ireland’s Choice Music Prize. The nomination marked an important point of recognition for the label and demonstrated that its independent catalogue could achieve visibility in a nationally prominent music award. Out on a Limb Records is therefore best understood as a long-running, artist-focused Irish label rooted in Limerick’s grassroots music culture, with a history shaped by local collaboration, small-scale release activity, and persistence outside the mainstream recording industry.

Out on a Limb Records was established in Limerick, Ireland, in the summer of 2003. Its launch was tied to the release of Is it OK to be loud, Jesus?, the debut album by the local band giveamanakick. The label was founded by Albert Twomey and Richard Bourke, who were already active in Limerick's grassroots music network through the Aspersion Music Collective, a non-profit organization involved in promoting live performances. Their experience as gig organizers gave the label a community-based foundation and connected it to the city's independent music scene. Ciarán Ryan joined Twomey and Bourke a few months after the label was created. The three subsequently worked on Out on a Limb Records for many years, helping it develop as an independent outlet for music from Ireland's alternative and underground communities. The label's activity represented a local, artist-centered model distinct from the centralized structure of major record companies. It was based in Limerick but contributed to the broader visibility of Irish independent music. The label experienced a change in its core personnel in November 2009, when Twomey's departure was announced. Bourke and Ryan remained associated with the operation. Ryan later said that he and Bourke had considered ending the label several times, reflecting the challenges faced by small independent record companies, including limited resources and the difficulty of sustaining releases over a long period. Nevertheless, Out on a Limb Records continued its activities and retained a reputation as one of Ireland's longest-running independent labels. The label achieved a notable recognition milestone in 2013. The Windings album I am not the Crow was nominated for the Choice Music Prize, making it the first release issued by Out on a Limb Records to receive such a nomination. The event provided national acknowledgment for both the artist and the label, and showed that a release from a small Limerick imprint could reach the level of attention associated with Ireland's principal music awards. The available reference material does not provide a complete catalogue, current ownership information, a current executive roster, or a confirmed official website. Out on a Limb Records is consequently best documented as a long-running independent label whose history is rooted in Limerick's non-profit gig-promotion and alternative-music communities. Its main historical contribution is its sustained support for Irish artists and its role in maintaining an independent recording infrastructure outside the major-label sector.

• 2013

  First Choice Music Prize nomination

  [1]Out on a Limb Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Windings' I am not the Crow became the first Out on a Limb Records release nominated for the Choice Music Prize.

• 2009

  Albert Twomey leaves the label

  [1]Out on a Limb Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The label announced in November that co-founder Albert Twomey would no longer be involved.

• 2003

  Label founded in Limerick

  [1]Out on a Limb Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Albert Twomey and Richard Bourke established Out on a Limb Records in the summer of 2003, launching it with giveamanakick's debut album Is it OK to be loud, Jesus?.

• 2003

  Ciarán Ryan joins the label

  [1]Out on a Limb Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Ciarán Ryan joined the label several months after its founding and became part of its long-term operating team.

A Limerick-based independent record label focused on supporting locally rooted and alternative Irish music outside the major-label system.

• Album release · 2003

  Is it OK to be loud, Jesus?

  The debut album by Limerick band giveamanakick and the release that inaugurated Out on a Limb Records in 2003. It established the label's connection to the local independent music scene and served as its first documented release.

• Album release

  I am not the Crow

  An album by Windings released through Out on a Limb Records. In 2013 it became the first release from the label to receive a nomination for Ireland's Choice Music Prize, giving the independent imprint a significant point of national recognition.

• 2009

  Continuation after a founding member's departureStrategy

  Background

  Albert Twomey, one of the label's founders, was announced as no longer involved with Out on a Limb Records in November 2009.

  Action taken

  Richard Bourke and Ciarán Ryan continued their association with the label after Twomey's departure.

  Aftermath

  The label continued operating and later achieved recognition through the 2013 Choice Music Prize nomination for Windings' I am not the Crow.

  Source

1. 1Out on a Limb Recordsen.wikipedia.org