Heist or Hit Records

Heist or Hit Records is an independent record label and music-publishing business established in Manchester in 2007 by Mick Scholefield. The label operates outside the major-label system and has developed a roster spanning multiple strands of alternative, indie, pop, electronic, and guitar-oriented music. Its activities include artist signing and development, recorded-music releases, promotion, and publishing-related support. The label’s identity is closely associated with Manchester’s independent music ecosystem, although its roster has included artists from a range of locations and musical backgrounds. Rather than presenting itself as a narrowly defined genre imprint, Heist or Hit has worked with acts whose music includes indie pop, alternative rock, lo-fi and experimental pop, electronic music, and related styles. Artists associated with the label have included The Answering Machine, Simian Ghost, Her’s, Westside Cowboy, Nature TV, Cruush, Cutscene, Georgian, Ladylike, Makeshift Art Bar, Mleko, Pyncher, The Slow Country, and Two Blinks I Love You, among many others. The label received external recognition in the United Kingdom during its early development. In 2010, BBC Radio 1 presenter Huw Stephens selected Heist or Hit as DIY Label of the Week. In November 2011, BBC and Amazing Radio presenter Bethan Elfyn chose the label for her Label it Up feature on Amazing Radio. These acknowledgements reflected the label’s visibility within the UK independent-music and discovery-radio community. Publicly described personnel have included founder Mick Scholefield, label manager Martin Colclough, social media manager Pat Fogarty, and a wider team of six. The available reference material does not establish a complete corporate ownership structure, financial profile, or detailed release catalogue. Accordingly, Heist or Hit is best characterized as a privately operated independent music company whose principal public-facing role is the discovery, development, release, and promotion of artists rather than as a large diversified entertainment group.

Heist or Hit Records was founded in Manchester in 2007 by Mick Scholefield. It emerged as an independent record label and music publisher, operating in the artist-discovery and alternative-music space rather than as a major-label division. The label has been described as multi-genre, and its roster demonstrates an interest in a broad range of independent music, including indie pop, alternative rock, electronic music, lo-fi, and experimental material. The label's early history is connected to the wider Manchester independent-music scene, but its artist roster has not been limited to one city or one sound. Acts associated with Heist or Hit have included The Answering Machine, Simian Ghost, Her’s, Westside Cowboy, The Crookes, Pizzagirl, I Am Oak, Letting Up Despite Great Faults, Eades, Nature TV, Cruush, Cutscene, Georgian, Ladylike, Makeshift Art Bar, Mleko, Pyncher, The Slow Country, and Two Blinks I Love You. Some of these artists are identified as current acts in the available reference material, while others are listed as former artists. The label received notable UK radio recognition in 2010, when Huw Stephens selected it as DIY Label of the Week on his BBC Radio 1 programme. This distinction placed the company within a national discovery-radio context and recognized its role in supporting independent artists. In November 2011, Bethan Elfyn selected Heist or Hit for the Label it Up feature on Amazing Radio, providing a further point of exposure for the label and its approach to independent music. Public descriptions of the organization identify Scholefield as founder, Martin Colclough as label manager, and Pat Fogarty as social media manager, supported by a broader team. The available sources do not provide a full chronology of ownership changes, acquisitions, corporate restructuring, revenue, or release-level sales. They also do not establish a definitive current catalogue beyond the artist roster. On the available evidence, Heist or Hit remains best understood as a privately run Manchester independent label and music publisher focused on signing, developing, releasing, and promoting artists across several related contemporary music genres.

• 2011

  Featured by Amazing Radio

  [1]Heist or Hit Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Bethan Elfyn chose the label for the Label it Up feature on Amazing Radio in November.

• 2010

  Named DIY Label of the Week

  [1]Heist or Hit Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Huw Stephens selected Heist or Hit for the DIY Label of the Week feature on BBC Radio 1.

• 2007

  Heist or Hit Records founded

  [1]Heist or Hit Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Mick Scholefield founded Heist or Hit Records in Manchester as an independent record label and music publisher.

A Manchester-based independent label positioned around artist discovery, multi-genre alternative music, and hands-on support for emerging and established independent acts.

• Music releases

  Recorded music catalogue

  Heist or Hit's core output consists of recorded-music releases by artists signed to or associated with the label. The available sources identify a broad roster but do not provide a complete release-by-release catalogue, formats, or sales figures. The catalogue is therefore best described generally as a multi-genre independent music programme.

• Publishing

  Music publishing

  The company is described as both a record label and music publisher. Its publishing activity forms part of the broader support offered to its artists, although the available reference material does not specify its publishing administration arrangements, repertoire size, or individual publishing deals.

• 2011Label it Up

  United Kingdom

  Bethan Elfyn selected Heist or Hit for the Label it Up feature on Amazing Radio in November 2011.

  Outcome. The feature gave the label further exposure within UK independent-music media; no audience or sales figures are reported.

  Source
• 2010DIY Label of the Week

  United Kingdom

  Heist or Hit was selected by Huw Stephens for the DIY Label of the Week feature on BBC Radio 1, bringing national radio attention to the independent label.

  Outcome. The feature provided public recognition and discovery-radio exposure; the source does not quantify any commercial result.

  Source

1. 1Heist or Hit Recordsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Heist or Hit Records official websiteheistorhitrecords.com