Music Venue Properties: Sunbird Records, Darwen

The Music Venue Properties scheme is a new initiative set up to help independent venues who are struggling financially after the pandemic. Set up by the Music Venue Trust, they aim to raise enough money to buy out the freeholds from the landlords in order to rent them back to the venues at a lower cost. It'll help these independent venues last for so much longer.

There's a crowdfunder that they've set up here where you can find out more information about which venues they're helping and why. We're going through each of these venues and highlighting just how important they are to their local scenes and why they're in need of a helping hand, this week we're looking at Sunbird Records.

The Sunbird Records building, located in the middle of Darwen is a former bank that has been converted into a venue. Opening in 2016, it quickly became a vital creative hub nestled in the rolling hills of Lancashire. The very ethos behind the venue was that it was built by local musicians for musicians.

Image credit: Sunbird Records (Facebook)

Spearheaded by Jonathan Lindley who sadly passed away earlier this year, it means that Sunbird Records is kitted out to support local artists as best as possible. If you take a trip down to the basement, which was formerly the bank vault, you'll find a recording studio. It provides the perfect acoustics for recording new music.

They also support artists with their podcast series, where they discuss the local scene, wider industry issues and the art of live music. When it comes to special guests, they've had a wide range of artists perform DJ sets. Danielle Moore of Crazy P, Mr C and Bez from Happy Mondays have all graced the stage.

Sunbird Records is also a record label, providing a launchpad for those who are looking for an opportunity in a hectic industry. The label itself was started in 1999 and they offer musicians a 50/50 contract, which is a much fairer deal than the industry standard. You quickly get the picture of just how vital Sunbird Records is for its community.

This is all without mentioning the fantastic bar and social space that they have, with plenty of food and drink on offer. This is a venue, where the whole message is about supporting the local music scene as much as they possibly can, whilst drawing in artists from everywhere to come and play their stage.

This is why venues like Sunbird Records need saving. It serves the musicians in Darwen and the surrounding areas so well and it contributes massively to the local culture. The Music Venue Properties scheme is one way that we can help out these kinds of venues and ensure their future in an uncertain climate. You can keep up with what's happening at Sunbird Records here.

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.