Sonar Records

Sonar Records is an independent Coventry-based record label established in 1983. It operates as a family business owned by John and Cary Lord and is not affiliated with a major record company. The label’s activities center on releasing music by Coventry artists, preserving local recordings, and maintaining a catalogue that combines new releases with archival material. The label began with a 45-inch vinyl single by Coventry guitarist, singer, and songwriter Dave Pepper, who recorded under the name Courtiers of Fashion. The release carried the catalogue number SON1 and was produced and engineered by Paul Sampson at Cabin Studio in Coventry. The single is described as a rare early item in the label’s catalogue and established Sonar’s local, artist-focused identity. A second early release followed in 1983: “Engineering” backed with “Belladonna” by a group assembled around Furious Apples vocalist Greg Crabb. The recording featured Robin Hill of Pink Umbrellas on drums, John Westacott, formerly of Urge, on bass, Raphael Moore on guitar, Mike Crabb, and Abbe Collins on keyboards. It was recorded on eight-track analogue equipment at Cabin Studio and again produced and engineered by Paul Sampson. Sonar Records is part of the wider Sonar Records Group, which includes the Sonar Records, Frantic, Dodgy Ticket, and Psalm Reader Records imprints. John and Cary Lord also owned Cabin Studio, creating a close relationship between the group’s recording infrastructure and its label operations. This studio connection allowed the company to record and develop local acts within its own Coventry network rather than operating solely as a distribution or marketing imprint. The group’s catalogue includes releases associated with artists such as Blush, Cary, The Courtiers of Fashion, Crokodile Tears, Furious Apples, The Sweethearts, Mysterious Monks, and 20 Days. Crokodile Tears have been associated with Dodgy Ticket Records since the beginning and have remained active in Coventry’s music scene. The catalogue therefore reflects the label group’s emphasis on regional music communities and long-term relationships with local performers. In 2009, Sonar Records marked its 25th anniversary with a compilation album and an accompanying concert at Spencer Sports Club in Coventry. The event was reported as well attended and served both as a retrospective celebration and as a public expression of the label’s continuing connection to the city. Sonar Records continues to release new music while also making back-catalogue recordings by Coventry artists available. Its significance lies less in scale than in its sustained independent operation, local cultural focus, and preservation of Coventry’s grassroots recording history.

Sonar Records was established in Coventry in 1983 as an independent label devoted to music from the city and its surrounding scene. It was founded outside the major-label system and developed as a family business owned by John and Cary Lord. The owners also operated Cabin Studio in Coventry, an eight-track analogue facility that became an important production base for Sonar-related recordings. The first release on the label was a 45-inch vinyl single by Coventry guitarist, singer, and songwriter Dave Pepper, performing under the name Courtiers of Fashion. The record was assigned catalogue number SON1 and is regarded as a rare early entry in the Sonar catalogue. Paul Sampson produced and engineered the recording at Cabin Studio. Its release established several characteristics that continued to define the label: a focus on local performers, small-scale physical releases, and close involvement in the recording process. The second Sonar release appeared in 1983 and was “Engineering” backed with “Belladonna.” The project was assembled around Greg Crabb, vocalist of Furious Apples, with Robin Hill of Pink Umbrellas on drums, John Westacott, formerly of Urge, on bass, Raphael Moore on guitar, Mike Crabb, and Abbe Collins on keyboards. Both tracks were recorded at Cabin Studio and produced and engineered by Paul Sampson. The release further connected Sonar to Coventry’s network of bands and musicians rather than presenting it as a conventional national pop imprint. The business later developed into the Sonar Records Group, comprising four imprints: Sonar Records, Frantic, Dodgy Ticket, and Psalm Reader Records. The group’s multi-label structure enabled it to issue music from different parts of the local scene while retaining an independent identity. Dodgy Ticket Records became associated with Crokodile Tears, a group that has remained active in Coventry’s music community. Across its history, the label and its related imprints have worked with artists including Blush, Cary, The Courtiers of Fashion, Crokodile Tears, Furious Apples, The Sweethearts, Mysterious Monks, and 20 Days. The catalogue includes both contemporary releases and older material, giving the company a role in preserving recordings connected with Coventry’s independent music history. Sonar marked its 25th anniversary in 2009 with a compilation album and a live event at Spencer Sports Club in Coventry. The concert was reported as well attended and brought together the label’s retrospective and community functions. Rather than signaling a move into the major-label market, the anniversary program reinforced the company’s local orientation and long-running relationships with artists. Sonar Records continues to release new music while maintaining and circulating back-catalogue recordings by Coventry artists. Its history is therefore best understood as that of a durable regional independent label: a family-run operation with its own associated studio, several imprints, a catalogue of local acts, and a continuing interest in both current releases and archival material.

• 2009

  25th-anniversary celebration

  [1]Sonar Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Sonar releases an anniversary compilation and stages a commemorative concert at Spencer Sports Club in Coventry.

• 1983

  Sonar Records is established

  [1]Sonar Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The Coventry-based independent label begins operations and releases its first catalogue item.

• 1983

  First Sonar catalogue release

  [1]Sonar Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Courtiers of Fashion, featuring Coventry musician Dave Pepper, releases a rare 45-inch vinyl single carrying catalogue number SON1.

• 1983

  Engineering / Belladonna is released

  [1]Sonar Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  A project assembled around Furious Apples vocalist Greg Crabb issues “Engineering” backed with “Belladonna,” recorded and produced at Cabin Studio.

A locally rooted, independent record-label group focused on Coventry artists, grassroots music, catalogue preservation, and artist releases outside the major-label system.

• Independent music releases · 1983

  Sonar Records catalogue

  The core catalogue consists of releases by Coventry artists and related independent acts. It includes vinyl singles, compilation albums, newer music, and catalogue material maintained by the label outside the major-label system.

• Compilation album · 2009

  25th-anniversary compilation

  Issued in 2009, this compilation commemorated Sonar Records’ 25 years of activity and presented the label’s history through a retrospective selection of associated music.

• Vinyl single · 1983

  Engineering / Belladonna

  The second release on the Sonar label, this 1983 seven-inch single was recorded at Coventry’s Cabin Studio by a project built around Furious Apples vocalist Greg Crabb and musicians from the local scene.

• 2009Sonar Records 25th Anniversary

  Coventry · United Kingdom

  The label combined a 25th-anniversary compilation with a live event at Spencer Sports Club in Coventry, using music and performance to mark its continuing role in the local scene.

  Outcome. The accompanying concert was reported as well attended.

  Source

1. 1Sonar Recordsen.wikipedia.org