The vinyl industry has seen a tumultuous few years. Between backups at pressing plants and a rise in prices, collectors are attempting to navigate the ever-changing world of vinyl. The side of vinyl that is arguably hit the worse by this changing field is the pressing plants, the true middleman between you and your favorite album on vinyl. These factories run on the passion of the people who run them and recently one of the biggest bands in history teamed up with a pressing plant in an attempt to smooth the pressing process out.
It was announced that Metallica is now the majority owner of Furnace Record Pressing, a company that has had a relationship with the band for years. If you have a large record collection, it is more than likely you have at least one vinyl from Furnace. The pressing plant has worked with a colorful collection of acts and their new business partners are some of their best customers. They have been working together for years so this new acquisition from Metallica comes as no surprise.
Artists using their platform to aid hard-working companies like Furnace is a trend we hope to see more of in the future. Glide had the pleasure of speaking with Eric Astor, president and CEO of Furnace Record Pressing about Metallica, the history of the company, and the future of vinyl. Check out our full conversation below:
How did Metallica first connect with Furnace and how did the relationship evolve to the point where they now have a controlling stake?
Furnace was pressing Metallica records for Warner Brothers since 2008. When the band got their masters back and formed their own record label (Blackened), we started pressing for them directly. So we’ve been working with Metallica for a long time and have always considered them to be more of a partner than a customer.
Ten months ago, we were talking with their management company (QPrime) about how we could better serve the band. We were still in the middle of Covid and demand for vinyl was spiking but the industry couldn’t keep up. Furnace wanted to expand so we, kind of jokingly, asked if they thought the band would want to invest to help us grow. A week later we started having serious conversations and, ultimately, led to the deal we just closed.
What sort of changes can people expect now that Metallica has stepped up? What is the band’s technical role in the company as of now?
Nothing except some legal paperwork. From the outset, the band said that they weren’t looking at changing the way we do things at Furnace. With their help, we’ll be able to grow faster and use some of their connections to drum up new business but the day-to-day will continue as it was.
Jack White has been calling for partnerships like this for a while, you guys are really setting a standard with this new acquisition. How would the vinyl industry benefit from involving more local pressing plants like yourself?
It seems like all of the pressing plants are doing pretty well right now. There is a lot of growth in the industry and we are starting to catch up with demand. Furnace was very fortunate to have a thriving business and a decent runway when we started our new pressing plant in 2018. It gave us the time to build our systems, educate our staff and dial in the quality before we shipped our first records to our customers. Investments in existing pressing plants, in my opinion, should focus improving the quality and service that is offered in addition to growth.
Who were Furnace’s biggest clients prior and was there any type of genre or scene that you were most assimilated with or none at all?
Metallica is one of our top three customers for sure. We work with all of the major labels and A LOT of independent labels and bands. I come from the punk scene so working with independents is very important to me.
As far as music genres that we press, if you asked me 10 years ago I would have said it was mainly rock, jazz, and indie. Now we press equal amounts of everything including a lot of pop, country, and hip-hop.
What are some aspects of the vinyl pressing process that most people don’t know about? Are there any parts of the process you find satisfying that the regular vinyl buyer might not experience?
Based on forum and social media comments, it seems like most people are a bit fuzzy on the true mechanics of pressing a record. The fact is, vinyl manufacturing is more of a craft than traditional manufacturing methods. Just because someone buys a new machine doesn’t mean they can press a good-sounding and flat record. There is a lot of science and know-how required to maintain consistency and quality.
I find the interplay of all the systems working together to be fascinating. There’s a boiler creating steam, chiller making cold water, air, and vacuum needing to be at the right pressure, labels need to be dried at just the right temperature and the operators need to be alert and at their best to tame all of these elements into making a high-quality piece of vinyl.
How involved is the artist during the development period of the vinyl? Do you guys have a lot of creative liberty and how do you balance it with the artist’s wants/needs?
For their releases, Metallica is 100% involved in every aspect of the process. We chime in on the feasibility of manufacturing what they come up with creatively, but usually, their projects come to us fully formed and ready to press.
You guys have an impressive track record, are there any bands you think people would be surprised to get their LPs pressed up through Furnace?
A lot of people were surprised that we pressed all of the Metallica records when this story broke so it’s all a matter of perspective I suppose.
I see that you guys do color variants as well, do you have a favorite record you guys pressed up that you think turned out even better than you planned?
I like all of the custom records that are done on our manual machines. Anything splatter or with special effects is our favorite. Currently, we are playing with special types of PVC materials that make super cool effects. We can’t wait to show people what we’ve been working on.
You guys have some top-notch logos for Furnace, who designs your company logos?
I grew up loving Shepard Fairey’s art so when we were just starting out, I asked him if he’d design a logo for us and he said yes. We totally lucked out because now he’s super famous.
How have you seen the vinyl industry change since Furnace opened in 1996? What are some of the most memorable moments from the company’s early days?
When I started Furnace, vinyl was at a low point. Major labels had pulled out of the format and the only people buying vinyl were audiophiles, collectors, and indie customers. In the mid-2000s vinyl started creeping back into the mainstream and by the time the first Record Store Day started in 2008, it was in full swing. It’s grown double digits every year since and is now outselling CDs. I never thought that would happen.
The most memorable job we did is in 2008 when we pressed the Metallica Black album for the first time. It was the largest job we had done to that point and it was exciting to work with the biggest band in the world.
Speaking of, you guys just celebrated 25 years in the business. What has been the biggest change the company has faced and was said change for the better?
Building our new pressing plant in 2017 was the biggest change and a huge challenge. The mechanical and logistical hurdles almost killed us but we learned a lot and it made us much better at our craft.
If you could change one thing about the vinyl industry as a whole, what would it be?
I wish the retail prices were lower so more people could afford new records.
Was the Furnace affected by the recent backup that most manufacturers like yours faced? How do you feel this problem could be avoided in the future?
Everyone in the industry was affected, including Furnace. As an industry, we need to grow to meet demand, we need to be able to find and retain good talent and the supply chain that broke during the pandemic has to become predictable and reliable again.
Can you give us a brief history of Furnace? How did you originally get involved in the company?
In the early 1990s, I was running a small record distribution company called Lumberjack. We distributed over 200 small record labels and many of them struggled getting products manufactured. After helping labels with their design and consulting them on where to get things pressed, I decided to turn that service into a side business. Within a few months, it was doing so well that I decided to sell the distribution company and run Furnace full time.
Where do you see the future of vinyl going next?
By all indices, vinyl will continue to grow well into the future. We are working on sustainability initiatives to make vinyl a greener industry which is long overdue.
Finally, what is your personal record set up like now? What are some of your favorite records from your personal collection?
As far as equipment goes, I have a Shinola Runwell turntable with a Sprout 100 amp and B&W Nautilus bookshelf speakers. Very bare-bones setup but it works for me.
Favorite records in my collection are early punk records. The original pressings of the Minor Threat 7”s are probably my favorite.
