Some of you are going to send stuff anyway. We're fully aware of that. Here's a great way to get us to throw yr demo in the recycle pile right off the bat: send us a CD with a photocopied sheet of press quotes. WTF??? Do you even know who you're hitting up for a release? Something specifically written to Catsup Plate (we're pretty good at spotting mail merges by the way) is going to get you furthest. But it still probably won't get you very far.

Can I get a promo copy for my radio show/webzine/etc?
Probably not. Honestly, we're not really into playing that game. We send out promo copies occasionally, but in small quantities and certainly not for every release. While all this runs the risk of being willfully obscure, radio airplay and web reviews don't really figure into what we're about. We prefer if you have to work a little bit to find out about Catsup Plate -- it's more fun that way. Besides, we usually only press a very limited number of copies of something, so by the time you write your review or get around to playing it on your weekly radio show, the record's probably already out of print. Or well on its way there.

I know you're busy and/or cash strapped. Can I pay for my own record to come out on Catsup Plate?
Oh dear God.... This one always bums us out in any number of ways.

There are so many reasons why this is a bad idea, but the biggest one is this: Catsup Plate is a creative endeavor. In some way the label is like an art project (or at least a curatorial project) for us. Everything on the label fits in with a pretty clearly defined set of aesthetic parameters (in out minds at least). What we put out and what we don't put out is one of the most essential aspects of the project. To be honest, that's probably why you want to be on the label -- you like what we've released. If we start doing a pay-to-play A&R policy the whole project pretty much goes out the window for us.

Besides, what the hell happened to DIY? it's not that difficult to get people to listen to something. Press up a seven inch yourself -- it's not that expensive. And goofy collectors will probably pay outlandish prices in 20 years for whatever copies you don't sell. Think of it as a (partial) retirement plan.

When will I get my order?
To borrow our pal Keith Fullerton Whitman's response, we're not amazon.com around here, people. We are a small operation and try our best to get stuff out in a timely fashion, but there are limitations to what we can do. Here's how things work: we get to the post office at least twice a week, sometimes more. But minimum of twice a week.

If you're in the USA and ordered a CD, it goes first class mail and should arrive within two weeks of your order being placed. If you order an LP, it usually goes media mail, which takes longer.

If you are overseas, we send things airmail. Hopefully your order will arrive in a timely fashion, but shipping internationally can mean a pretty wide range of delivery times. We've sent stuff to the UK that arrived the next day (!), but more often than not, it'll take two weeks or so to get your order.

Bottom line: if you get in touch with us asking about your order the day after you place it, it'll probably rub us the wrong way. Best to have some patience and wait for about two weeks before griping. It'll make everyone feel better.

Is record X really out of print? Is there any way I can still get a copy?
If the catalog says out of print, it truly is. While we might have held onto a copy or two to give to our grandchildren, there are no more copies for sale. Many distributors and mail order types often have things in stock even when we here at C-Plate HQ don’t, so we’d advise you to visit a few of the places in the links section is you’re desperate. Otherwise, keep your eyes peeled next time you’re at the used record store. Things pop up from time to time, you know?

Didn't Catsup Plate use to be a cassette only label? Can you dub me a copy of old cassette X?
Yes, Catsup Plate used to be a tape-only label 'round about 1993 until around 1997. All that stuff is out of print at this point for a number of reasons: 1) some of it is embarrassingly terrible, 2) some of it has or will be re-released on a more appreciated format, 3) nobody buys tapes any more (sadly), 4) our trusty dubbing deck has just about given up the ghost, 5) we're just not equipped to do it any more. So, all those releases, in their Catsup Plate form, are out of print. If you poke around, you might find a few copies available on the Internet, so that's probably your best bet.

Why do you press things in such small quantities?
Money and space. Pressing up a record requires a lot of money and since most C-Plate releases lose money in the end, we’d rather not be using rent money to pay for a few more copies of something. Plus we’ve no interest in warehousing boxes and boxes of unsold copies in the living room. Also, its kind of fun to do a small run of something, let it sell out, and move on.

Do you have lyrics for record X that you could send me?
No. If they aren’t on the album, then we don’t have them. For the most part, your guess is as good as mine as to how some of the lyrics go.