Label | Merch | Booking | Promotion | Grants
The Side Stare Story
The origin story of Side Stare Music began as a pseudonym for our founder Mitch to book solo shows way back in 2014. He never got around to booking those solo shows; instead he found himself figuring out how to run an independent record label, first with the bands he played in, then with friends’ bands, and swiftly moving on to represent local acts – a year Side Stare record label was born.
In 2016, Side Stare Music helped release The Pretty Littles' 4th album, Soft Rock for the Anxious – an eye-opening experience which set his sights into a higher tier of the industry. With another year came a new addition to the label, Mitch’s new band Tug, which would go on to include some members of the recent label – Enter: The Stained Daisies.
Jack’s first taste of the music industry was in 2013 as the wide-eyed young bassist for the Grafton-based band The Stained Daisies. As the band grew, so did his involvement in the band’s management as well as show and tour booking. The band relocated to Melbourne in 2016 to be immersed in the most vibrant music scene in the country, where they would meet Mitch at one of The Pretty Littles' shows.
Both bands (The Stained Daisies and Tug), along with soon-to-be interstate label mates - Gardens, toured the East Coast in 2018 off the back of The Stained Daisies' venue contacts. More touring would ensue surrounding every significant release for these bands, expanding their network and booking acumen with every repetition.
To say 2020 was a disruptive year would be an understatement...
Living in the most locked-down city in the world, the Side Stare crew was kicked out of their warehouse and headquarters, losing their studio and live space, due to a building regulation oversight. With tours cancelled and their creative space dismantled, their momentum was destroyed within a month.
By 2021, Side Stare Music was once again turning industry heads and was approached by Gaga Music for a joint venture partnership where Gaga would take care of the label's digital distribution and synchronisation for a modest royalty cut.
A new era of Side Stare was born amongst some band breakups & Mitch’s newborn...
Since 2023, Suneden, the band at the forefront of the label, has toured the East Coast on multiple occasions with Jack as a member and booker. They’ve been on the lineups at Bluesfest, Party in The Padock, and Queenscliff MF, and have grown their Instagram following to 8.7k.
This year, the boys became busy reimagining what Side Stare could become, restructuring the label from the ground up with all the cumulative knowledge they gained over the last 13 years in the industry as artists who understand the ins-and-outs of the business.
Side Stare re-emerged for Bigsound '25 with a new brand and deepened focus....
Passionate about creating offers designed for win-win-win relationships between artist, label/agency (Side Stare), and distributor/sync agent (Gaga).
Side Stare now offers a unique artist-first business model that sees all the royalties
that Side Stare collects from streaming be reinvested into the label’s signed artists,
while more broadly offering services such
as commission-based booking, grant writing, and promotional strategies.
The Honour Board:
SEAN DWYER
Side Stare wouldn't be where it is today without the inspired help in the early days from Sean's photography, graphic design, and infectious ambition. @seanxdwyer
BRAD DADSON
Our DIY spirit relied on people who knew a few things about recording. From day one brad was our guy, always buying and selling gear and experimenting with sounds - nothing was off the table! @braddadson
AIDAN BATEMAN:
Carrying on the DIY spirit, Aidan recorded and mixed several albums in the Side Stare Catalogue and played a big role in tour booking. @frank_falcon_and_the_road_dogs
