Jim Carroll joined Sean Rocks on Tuesday night's Arena with the next instalment of his series on the history of record labels, this time flying the flag for indie rock.  Since 1978, Jeff Travis' label Rough Trade has been the gold standard of independent record labels, albeit with few rocky patches along the way, and the story of its founder is as kooky as the history of the label itself.

Cambridge-educated Travis found his calling while hitchhiking across America and witnessing the culture of like-minded people hanging out in San Francisco record shops.

"He came back from the United States with two things – a physical set of records, four hundred albums he picked up at various thrift stores and car boot sales along the way, and also a burning desire to set up in London."

Set up he did.  Kensington Park Road became the location for the first Rough Trade shop and it wasn't long before it spawned an indie empire.  In 1978, French band Métal Urbain asked for Travis' help in putting a record together and the result was the foundation of the label.  Growth was immediate and impressive and the label became home to a host of influential bands including The Smiths and Northern Ireland's Stiff Little Fingers.

For Travis, ethos was everything.  He was deeply influenced by his time spent in an Israeli kibbutz and everyone involved in Rough Trade pitched in to lend a hand with the creative process, whether on the shop floor or wherever it was needed.

"He liked this idea of a worker –led collective…  There was a consensus process of governing decision on new signings, album art… even lyrics" 

Travis' ideals contrasted dramatically with the hard-nosed business models he was in competition with and disaster struck in the early 90s. Mismanagement on the distribution end of things brought Rough Trade to a standstill.  During this time, Travis ventured very successfully into band management, with artists such as Pulp and The Cranberries under his care.  Rough Trade the label made a comeback in the next few years and with such names as The Strokes and the Libertines on the books, Indie was alive and well and business was once again booming.

Travis continues to rock on.  With multiple shops in London and New York and with the record label still populating playlists worldwide, Rough Trade is nearly forty years old and still going strong.

Click here for the full interview.