What Have You Records

What Have You Records was an independent record label associated with musician Nick Hexum and the early development of the American rock band 311. The label operated as a self-release vehicle while 311 was still an independent act in Omaha, Nebraska, before the group moved to Los Angeles and signed with Capricorn Records. Available biographical material identifies Hexum as the label's principal organizer and describes him as handling management and distribution for the band during this period. The label's importance was primarily developmental rather than commercial. It allowed 311 to finance, record, distribute, and circulate music without a major-label contract. Hexum reportedly used a student loan to fund professional studio recording, reflecting the resource-constrained approach common among independent bands seeking to build a local following. Releases credited to What Have You Records include 311's early albums Dammit! and Unity, as well as the Hydroponic EP. These recordings documented the band's formative sound and helped provide the demonstration material that supported its later search for a larger record deal. 311's first show as a group is generally dated to June 10, 1990, at Sokol Auditorium in Omaha. The band remained independent during its earliest recording phase and issued three releases through Hexum's label before relocating to Los Angeles in 1992. After the band's independent activity had taken it as far as it could go locally, demo tapes were circulated to record companies. Producer Eddy Offord became interested in working with the group, contributing to the chain of events that led to 311's agreement with Capricorn Records. The band then released Music through Capricorn in 1993, marking the end of What Have You Records' documented role as 311's principal release outlet. No reliable source material supplied for this dossier establishes a formal incorporation date, a separate corporate headquarters, a continuing roster of artists, a current website, or an ongoing release schedule. The label is therefore best understood as a historical artist-controlled imprint connected to 311's pre-major-label period, rather than as a currently documented large-scale record company. Its legacy lies in demonstrating how Hexum and his bandmates used ownership, self-financing, and direct distribution to develop an audience before entering the conventional record-label system.

What Have You Records emerged from Nick Hexum's efforts to develop 311 independently in Omaha, Nebraska. Hexum was not only the band's frontman but also handled practical business functions, including management and distribution. The imprint provided a way for the group to release music before it had access to a conventional record company. 311's first performance as a band is associated with June 10, 1990, at Sokol Auditorium in Omaha. During the following independent period, Hexum financed professional recording with money from a student loan. The resulting releases—Dammit!, Unity, and Hydroponic—were issued through What Have You Records. They served both as finished products for local and regional listeners and as evidence of the band's ability to write, record, and perform outside the major-label system. In 1992, 311 concluded that its local independent circuit offered limited further growth and moved to Los Angeles to seek a record contract. Demo recordings were sent to multiple labels, eventually attracting producer Eddy Offord. The band's subsequent agreement with Capricorn Records led to Music, released in 1993, and shifted 311's distribution and recording activity into the major-label market. The supplied reference material does not document additional artists, later releases, a formal corporate structure, or a current operating presence for What Have You Records. Consequently, the imprint is most accurately characterized as a historical, artist-led label connected to 311's formative years.

• 1993

  311 enters the major-label market

  [1]Nick Hexumen.wikipedia.org

  Capricorn Records releases 311's Music, superseding What Have You Records as the band's principal documented release channel.

• 1992

  Hydroponic is released

  [1]Nick Hexumen.wikipedia.org

  The Hydroponic EP is issued during 311's final documented period as an independent band before its Capricorn agreement.

• 1991

  Unity is released

  [1]Nick Hexumen.wikipedia.org

  311 follows its debut independent album with Unity through the same artist-controlled imprint.

• 1990

  311 begins its documented independent release period

  [1]Nick Hexumen.wikipedia.org

  Following the band's early formation and first performance, Nick Hexum uses What Have You Records to support 311's self-directed recording and distribution.

• 1990

  Dammit! is released

  [1]Nick Hexumen.wikipedia.org

  Dammit! becomes one of the first 311 releases associated with What Have You Records.

An artist-controlled independent imprint used to record and distribute 311's earliest music before the band signed with a major record label.

• Album · 1990

  Dammit!

  An early 311 album released independently through What Have You Records. It belongs to the band's formative Omaha period and represents the label's role in helping the group record and circulate music before obtaining a professional record contract.

• Album · 1991

  Unity

  311's second documented independent release through What Have You Records. Unity continued the band's self-financed and self-distributed development and helped expand the body of recordings later used to present the group to record companies.

• Extended play · 1992

  Hydroponic

  An early 311 EP issued through What Have You Records during the band's transition from local independent act to nationally marketed recording artist. It was the last of the three releases specifically associated with the imprint in the supplied reference material.

• 1992

  Transition from independent distribution to a record dealStrategy

  Background

  311 determined that it had largely exhausted the opportunities available on its local independent scene.

  Action taken

  The band moved to Los Angeles, circulated demos, and pursued established record-label representation, ultimately leading to a Capricorn Records agreement.

  Aftermath

  Music was released by Capricorn in 1993, and the supplied sources no longer identify What Have You Records as 311's main release outlet.

  Source

• 1990

  Adopt artist-controlled self-releaseStrategy

  Background

  311 was operating independently and needed a practical way to finance, record, and distribute its early material without a record-company contract.

  Action taken

  Nick Hexum used What Have You Records as the band's release and distribution vehicle and personally handled important management functions.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement produced three documented independent releases and helped 311 build a catalog and demo portfolio before seeking a larger label.

  Source

1. 1Nick Hexumen.wikipedia.org