On this episode I’m joined by Geoff Travis and Jeannette Lee of Rough Trade Records to discuss the iconic label’s 50th anniversary, the Irish artists on the label (both past and present) and a whole lot more.

2026 is the 50th anniversary of Geoff Travis opening the Rough Trade record shop in London. Two years later he established the record label with the release of a single for French punk band Metal Urbain.

Singles followed by Rockers Allstars and Cabaret Voltaire but it was the fourth single, ‘Alternative Ulster’ by Stiff Little Fingers, that really put the label on the map.

My own record collection is full of albums released on the Rough Trade label, records by The Smiths, The Slits, Scritti Politti, The Fall, The Go-Betweens, Aztec Camera, The Woodentops, Young Marble Giants, Galaxie 500, The Sundays, Mazzy Star, Arthur Russell, The Decemberists, Belle and Sebastian, Antony and the Johnsons, ANOHNI, Low, Life Without Buildings and many, many more.

The record shop and label became separate entities in 1982.

In 1987 Jeannette Lee joined Travis at Rough Trade. She had been a member of Public Image Limited before managing the band. For almost 40 years now she has been Travis’s business partner and co-owner in Rough Trade. Together they’ve experienced many ups and downs.

The distribution arm of the company, Rough Trade Distribution, collapsed in 1991. Travis and Lee continued running Blanco Y Negro and managing artists including Pulp and The Cranberries and Rough Trade continued in various guises.

In 2001 they got the right to the Rough Trade name back and with backing from Sanctuary relaunched the label with The Strokes, The Libertines, Jeffrey Lewis and others.

When Sanctuary collapsed they became part of the Beggars group of labels alongside 4AD, XL Recordings and others.

In the last few years Rough Trade has given us incredible records by Sleaford Mods, Amyl and the Sniffers, Caroline and many more.

Last year the label scored a No. 1 album in the UK with Pulp’s More.    

1979’s Inflammable Material by Stiff Little Fingers was the first album released by Rough Trade and the Belfast band were the first of 21 Irish artists who have released music on Rough Trade or its sub labels Tugboat and River Lea.

After Stiff Little Fingers came Virgin Prunes and Microdisney and more recently Rough Trade and River Lea have been at the forefront of a reimagining of Irish folk music releasing records by Lankum, Lisa O’Neill, John Francis Flynn and others.

In a forward to a new edition of Document and Eyewitness: An Intimate History of Rough Trade (2026, White Rabbit Publishing), Neil Taylor’s Rough Trade oral history, Morrissey describes Geoff Travis as:

“The figurehead of the ship; Ahab in search of that white whale. He never once paused to wonder whether continued effort was worth it. His deep commitment was only satisfied by the deep commitment of others.”

Later Moz writes:

“Hatful of Hollow became the very first Platinum disc for Rough Trade, The World Won’t Listen entered a majors-driven Top 100 at number two, and Louder Than Bombs quickly hit 500,000 sales in the USA. Suddenly Rough Trade became a label that the majors discussed with sly admiration and mumbles of worry. Whatever the suggestion, Geoff’s immediate response was ‘OK!’.”

Travis and Lee haven’t stopped looking for their white whale.

Why would they, they love what they’re doing and as they explain:

“The music has always been our priority, the most exciting record is always the one you’re about to work on with an artist, because until the recording process is finished, it can really be anything. To be able to help bring something totally brand new into existence, to turn someone’s artistic vision into something tangible, is what a record label is all about.”

The pair have brought so many amazing records into existence and here’s to many more.

Tracklisting for Episode 62:

The Stars of Heaven – ‘Sacred Heart Hotel’
Poor Creature – ‘Adieu Lovely Erin’
Lankum – ‘Go Dig My Grave’
Radie Peat – ‘The Moon and Stars’
Stiff Little Fingers – ‘Suspect Device’
Virgin Prunes – ‘Baby Turns Blue’
Microdisney – ‘Dolly’
Daniel Figgis – ‘Foghorn’
Princess Tinymeat – ‘Angels in Pain’
Butterfly Child – ‘Young Virgins Call for Mutiny’
Puppy Love Bomb – ‘Not Listening’
My Bloody Valentine – ‘We Have All The Time In The World’
David Kitt – ‘Headphones’
Cara Dillon – ‘Black Is the Colour’
HAL – ‘Play the Hits’
Lisa O’Neill – ‘The Factory Girl’
Soak – ‘Decembers’
John Francis Flynn – ‘The Zoological Gardens’
Ye Vagabonds – ‘On Yonder Hill’
Desert Hearts – ‘No More Art’
Protex – ‘Don’t Ring Me Up’
Gilla Band – ‘Alogia’

For further listening/viewing…

The following episodes focus on Irish albums released on Rough Trade Records…

Jeffrey Lewis’s A History of Rough Trade Records…