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Idee Fixe: Toronto’s songwriters’ record label

IDEE FIXE 5TH ANNIVERSARY: JENNIFER CASTLE, BRY WEBB, FIVER AND ALEX LUKASHEVSKY at the Horseshoe (370 Queen West), Thursday (February 25) and HIGHEST ORDER, BART, DOC DUNN & CO. and MAUNO at the Garrison (1197 Dundas West), Friday (February 26). Both shows 9 pm, $12 each. ideefixerecords.com. See listing.

“The coolest part about this label is that it doesn’t try to be anything other than a way to put out music,” Simone Schmidt says at the end of a phone call about Toronto’s Idee Fixe.

The imprint celebrates its fifth anniversary – a period that saw them release excellent records by the Luyas, Alex Lukashevsky, Bry Webb, Jennifer Castle and Schmidt’s work in the Highest Order (and, later this year, Fiver), among others – with two shows this week, at the Horseshoe and Garrison respectively.

For Schmidt, whose former band, One Hundred Dollars, worked with a number of labels, Idee Fixe founders Alex Durlak and Jeff McMurrich stand out for their unassuming, unwavering faith in the musicians they love.

“The funny part of Idee Fixe celebrating anything about itself is that that’s the opposite of what it does,” she says. “It’s really nice that it’s not trying to emblazon itself on every element of the performers. It’s so rare.”

McMurrich is a seasoned and respected recording engineer/producer who owns and operates the studio 6 Nassau St. His credits include albums by Constantines, Alvvays, Bruce Cockburn, Rockets Red Glare, Fucked Up and many more. Durlak is a musician/designer who founded Standard Form, a print shop and occasional label and publisher. The pair met years ago and bonded over music but also recognized a mutual entrepreneurial spirit.

“When I hear people complaining about streaming or Spotify or see think pieces about these things, I’m like, ‘Y’know what? Just make a good record,'” McMurrich says, sitting on a couch in Durlak’s loft apartment. “‘That’s all that matters. People will come to you.'”

Until recently, the duo primarily worked with friends and clients of McMurrich’s who didn’t know what to do with the great records he helped them make. But in the coming months Idee Fixe leaves that comfort zone to release albums by Toronto prog-rock band Bart and Halifax’s Mauno.

“We recognize that what we built our reputation on is the sound of singer/songwriters,” Durlak explains. “But what we’re really after is a calibre of songwriting. It’s less an aesthetic than it is people really pushing the boundaries of songwriting.

“Going forward, we’re excited to meet new artists,” he adds. “I don’t want the aesthetic to be ‘indie rock,’ by any means. So I’m very open to seeing what happens, but the thing that does coalesce what we do is the calibre of songwriting.”

music@nowtoronto.com | @vishkhanna

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