Lex Records

Operational Structure

Lex Records maintains a deliberately small roster focused on sustained artist development rather than catalog volume expansion. Founder Tom Brown articulates this approach: “We’ve never dropped a signed artist, it’s about investing in new artists from really early on in their career, and working on the production side, and investing in them for a long term deal.” This no-artist-drop policy creates unusual stability for roster members, contrasting with industry-standard artist rotation practices. The label employs dedicated A&R personnel including Daniel Horitz, who joined as project manager and previously worked in digital marketing and content roles. Label manager Zoe handles direct artist relationships, described by artist Andrew Hung as “incredibly talented and versatile.” Film production division Lex Films operates through sustained partnership with writer Alan Moore and director Mitch Jenkins, producing “Show Pieces” short film series and feature film “The Show” distributed via Starz.

The hybrid structure spans recorded music as primary revenue source, with secondary music publishing administration and tertiary film production. Release pace maintains approximately 1-2 releases monthly across singles, EPs, and full albums, consistent with stated philosophy of quality-focused output over volume maximization.

Artist Experience

Multiple artists provide positive testimonials emphasizing production support and creative autonomy. Andrew Hung states: “Life on Lex is good! Yeah they have continued treating me really well. My manager Zoe is also the label manager at Lex Records. She’s incredibly talented and versatile so I’m really lucky to have her looking after me.” This testimony highlights both ongoing support quality and personnel accessibility.

Fly Anakin describes budget support for Pink Siifu collaboration:

“This the only album in my life that I had a budget on so a lot of those ideas that we had, we had no excuse to not bring them to life. We had the capital… anything we needed they were like, ‘We got y’all’ from travel, all that. Them niggas is good money.”

This indicates the label provides meaningful financial backing for album production, touring logistics, and travel expenses. Eyedress, who released four albums through the label between 2017-2022, expressed gratitude for support during viral breakthrough of “Jealous” and “Romantic Lover” during the pandemic. His sustained relationship demonstrates roster commitment through multiple album cycles.

Customer service issues appear limited to physical product fulfillment. One vinyl purchaser reported receiving thin records despite “140 gram heavyweight” advertising, with shipping damage from inadequate packaging. However, the customer noted immediate replacement provision with improved packaging and promotional materials, assessing overall service as responsive despite initial quality concerns.

Catalog Performance

The catalog generates substantial streaming activity through breakthrough artist Eyedress, whose 2019 track “Jealous” accumulated 100+ million Spotify streams and spawned 1+ million TikTok videos. The song achieved 3× Platinum RIAA certification as of March 2024, with additional certifications in Australia, Canada, and Poland. Follow-up track “Romantic Lover” reached Platinum status, while “Something About You” achieved Platinum certification and album “Let’s Skip to the Wedding” earned Gold certification in US and Canada. This viral success provided crucial financial stability for the artist during the pandemic while supporting a newborn child.

BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah collaboration “Sour Soul” received critical acclaim with substantial streaming performance, featuring MF DOOM on track “Ray Gun.” The partnership between Toronto jazz musicians and established hip-hop artist demonstrates A&R capacity to facilitate high-profile collaborations. Historical catalog includes Gnarls Barkley’s multi-platinum “St. Elsewhere” and track “Crazy” with 4× Platinum UK certification, establishing commercial foundation that enabled subsequent artist investment.

MF DOOM’s “Born Like This” debuted at #52 on Billboard 200 with 10,895 first-week sales, representing sustained 17-year artist partnership until DOOM’s death. The long-term commitment to experimental, underground-focused artists illustrates prioritization of artistic integrity over immediate commercial optimization.

Distribution Infrastructure

Digital distribution utilizes direct partnerships with streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, and Deezer. The label operates proprietary e-commerce system at checkout.lexrecords.com alongside Bandcamp storefront for direct-to-consumer sales, suggesting either independent distribution or selective non-exclusive partnerships rather than reliance on major aggregators. This infrastructure enables revenue retention and direct customer relationships.

Physical distribution operates through Rough Trade Records partnership for UK and international retail. The label received comprehensive “Label Focus” feature from Rough Trade, indicating sustained retail collaboration. Vinyl manufacturing utilizes UK-based pressing plants with emphasis on specialty editions including colored vinyl and deluxe packaging. Bandcamp storefront handles merchandise and physical music sales with integrated shipping via Royal Mail First Class domestically and International Priority for exports.

The absence of identified major distributor dependency suggests either in-house distribution capabilities or multiple smaller partnerships rather than single aggregator reliance, providing operational flexibility and potentially higher revenue retention compared to standard distribution deals.

Artist Development Approach

The label’s investment model emphasizes production budgets and touring support from early career stages. Fly Anakin’s testimony regarding Pink Siifu collaboration confirms provision of capital for idea implementation, travel expenses, and logistical support. This financial backing enables artists to execute creative visions without self-funding limitations common among independent labels. The sustained relationship with Eyedress through four album cycles despite modest initial commercial performance demonstrates commitment to long-term development over short-term profit maximization.

Tom Brown’s stated philosophy emphasizes hands-on involvement: “work on growing individual artists” through “investing in them for a long term deal” and “working on the production side.” This approach requires smaller roster size to maintain individual attention, with approximately 30-40 artist relationships spanning active, semi-active, and catalog stages. The A&R team’s involvement in production and creative guidance distinguishes operational model from passive distribution-focused labels.

Historical partnerships demonstrate patience with artist development timelines. MF DOOM maintained 17-year relationship despite modest sales figures, while Eyedress received multi-album support before breakthrough success. This development model assumes financial capacity to sustain artist investment during non-profitable periods, indicating either strong catalog revenue or owner willingness to prioritize artistic vision over immediate returns.

Film Production Division

Lex Films produces narrative and documentary projects through partnership with writer Alan Moore and director Mitch Jenkins. “Show Pieces” short film anthology spanning 2012-2014 received funding through label investment, Vice partnership, and Kickstarter for final episode. Feature film “The Show” premiered in festivals and secured Starz distribution, representing successful transition from short-form to theatrical production.

The film division operates with distinct revenue model from recorded music, generating income through theatrical distribution, streaming licensing, and home video sales. Alan Moore’s involvement as writer and occasional actor provides intellectual property value and marketing differentiation. Productions utilize original music compositions, creating publishing revenue opportunities and creative synergies between label divisions.

“A Million Days” documentary represents continued film production investment beyond initial projects, indicating sustained commitment to multi-media operations rather than experimental one-off ventures. This diversification provides revenue source independence from streaming royalty fluctuations while expanding creative output beyond traditional label activities.