Welcome to our End of Year Newsletter

As 2024 closes and a new year comes in, all at av8records would like to thank you for the invaluable support. The year has brought us Ian Skelly's Lotus & the Butterfly, Martin Carr, THROAT, Mark McKowski & Nick Powers wonderful project and more. Finishing off with Sunstack Jones and their incredible album Luminous Hands.

We're super grateful to be working with such awesome, passionate artists and will continue to bring quality. 2025 promises to bring some incredible stuff, projects that we've not done before and our 10th Anniversary so look out for something special.

Once again, thank you from our collective heart, be safe , be kind and keep an eye out for those who look a little unsure this time of year. It can be tricky for some and just a 'Hi how are you!' can mean a lot ..

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Love Wilko, Nick G, Russ & Nick P.

And so following the great tradition of end of year polls here are our high spots of the year.

PETE WILKINSON

Top 5 or more Albums

• The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World
• Bill Ryder-Jones  - Iechyd Da
• Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future
• Nick Cave & TBS  - Wild Gods
• Aphex Twin -  Selected Ambient Works II
• Sunstack Jones - Luminous Hands
• Grandaddy - Blu Wav
• McKowski & Nick Power - THROAT
• Micheal Head & The Red Elastic Band - Loophole
• Fontaines DC - Romance

Best Single : The Cure - Fragile Thing - Bill Ryder - Jones - This Can't Go On

Best Gig : Anohni - Sings Lou Reed -  Dark Blue at Southbank

Best Book :

Highlight of the Year : Playing Merry go round with Mick Head and The Red Elastic Band

What Does 2025 Mean To Me - Hopefully my first solo release under Pete Wilkinson. Working title is 'Call to the Void! Also loads goin on with av8records and our 10th anniversary so watch this space, And also for Sunstack Jones to become massive ... Luminous Hands is the Don ...

NICK GRAFF

Top 5 Albums

• Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band - Loophole
• Electrafixion - Eleactrafixion
• The Hanging Stars - On A Golden Shore
• Bill Ryder - Jones - Iechyd Da
• Erland Cooper - Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence

Best Single : Ian Skelly - Sweet Love

Best Gig : Sunstack Jones

Best Book : Lawrence - Street Level Superstar

Highlight of the Year : Every AV8 release (sorry to have such a boring answer)

What Does 2025 Mean To Me - The year we finaly get to release an Edgar Jones vinyl

NICK POWER

Top 5 Albums

• NSB Archive - The Hollow Mountain
• The Iguanas - The Iguanas
• The Fall - Dragnet
• Adrienne Lenker - Bright Future
• Ian Skelly - Lotus and the Butterfly

Favourite Film : The Wanderers (1979) - Funny Pages (2022) - Strange Darling (2024)

Favourite Documentary : The Menendez Brothers

Best Book : Richard Price - Lush Life and Helen Garner - Monkey Grip
High(low)Light of the Year : Getting a job

What Does 2025 Mean To Me - looking forward to making music with my mates, creating things that I love, working with AV8 and associated bands, chasing the muse.

CHRISSY SUNSTACK

Top 5 Albums

• Aoushka Shankar - How Dark It Is Before Dawn
• Lucy Rose - This Ain’t The Way You Go Out
• Beachwood Sparks - Across The River Of Stars
• Past Lives - Soundtrack
• Chet Baker - Sings (Blue Note Tone Poet Reissue)

Best Single : Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us

Best Gig : SAY SHE SHE (Hangar 34, Liverpool)

Best Book : Giant Robot: 30 years (Erik Nakamura)

Highlight of thr Year - Finally getting out new LP out and meeting the great and good of AV8 x

RUSS THE WEBMASTER

Top 5 Albums

• Sunstack Jones – Luminous Hands
• Bill Ryder - Jones - Iechyd Da
• The Cure - Songs of A Lost World
• Deadletter - Hysterical Strength
• Idles - Tangk

Reissue : Better Than Ezra - Deluxe

Best Single : Balaam & The Angel - Forces of Evil EP

Best Gig : Idles - Deadletter

Best Book : Paul Simpson - Revolutionary Spirit

Highlight of the Year : Every single gig i've been to!

What Does 2025 Mean To Me - More gigs, more music and more places to visit

Sunstack Jones Live on the Wirral 30/11/2024

Well what's next for AV8

We will be releasing new albums by Will Sergeant, Edgar Jones and our very own Pete Wilkinson and we might squeeze in some others you never know!

Thanks for signing up and being part of the AV8 family

Pete, Nick Graff, Nick Power and Russ the Webmaster