chemical wire records

Chemical Wire Records
6 Apr 2004

If you missed out on the last decade or so of Columbus music, a tiny record label in, of all places, Oklahoma is giving you a chance to play catch up.

Chemical Wire Records started a low volume run CD series entitled Please Don’t Sue Me. The CDs are free for the asking, via the label’s website.

“I was accumulating all this great Columbus rock vinyl and realizing that a lot of the bands had music unavailable on CD on only in these vinyl releases,” Chemical Wire founder Trey Livingston commented in an e-mail interview. “Since I have all of this equipment available, I decided that I wanted to do something to help more people realize how cool this early Ohio scene was.”

Livingston, along with a couple of other Oklahoma transplants, lived in Columbus between 1998 and 2002, playing in such well remembered bands as 60 Watt Jackass and Fashionetta and running their own FSU record label.

“It was great for us because we were from Oklahoma, where no town has any scene,” Livingston added. “We couldn’t believe all the great bands that were playing out and were interested in having us play with them.”

After returning to Oklahoma, Livingston took more than memories of the scene with him.

“I started buying up all kinds of Columbus rock,” he recalled. “The scene that was going on in Columbus in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s has to be one of the best ever.”

Livingston and Chemical Wire have put their money where their mouth is, releasing records by Ohio acts Swearing at Motorists, Fostoria, 3 Dream Bag and the Altered Statesmen, as well as the Please Don’t Sue Me series.

The third volume, a Greenhorn compilation, is due to be released today. The first two volumes, Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments and Gaunt, are unfortunately out of print.

However, don’t expect to get a heads up about the next volume.

“We have already made an exception to the rule by telling you who is on #3 before people get it,” Livingston noted.

“We like the idea of it being a complete surprise to both the bands and the fans.”