Give Praise To The Holy Rollers
A person asked me a little while ago “are you still pressing records?” Yes, yes I am.
Give Praise started (as many of you know) in a ‘84 Honda Accord with no passenger brakes. I would drive to the Orleans Juice Bar pretty much every weekend to sell cassettes, CDs and shirts out of the trunk. I was only about 21 then, I had this idea in my brain that I would get a warehouse and/or store front, a small staff and this would be my life. I was really excited and really looking forward to the future. A few years of this and I started going on tour with various bands. The idea building in my head that in a few years, I would take Give Praise on the road and that is how I would make my living.
A lot of stuff changes in life, and I’ll be honest, I really wasn’t 100% sure what I was doing. I was working as hard as I could, staying up until 2-3 in the morning packing records and organizing releases.
Then my life took a full turn. I meant my future wife, Heather and was very happy. We ended up moving in together and I kept the ‘office’ in my parents basement and would go back and fourth packing records and doing label work until the wee hours of the morning and then head home.
Then another change - I had a son. Greatest thing ever. I had a very radical little family. I also realized that I couldn’t be out at night to pack records, as I was up all night with a screaming baby and trying to rock him to sleep while Jerry Springer kept me company on the tv.
I had planned to take a break with the label, I just couldn’t keep it together, with a ‘regular’ job, the label and a family. My priorities shifted in a massive way.
I wasn’t mad about it, I was so happy for this new experience. Very nervous, but excited.
The break ended up lasting a little longer with Covid and I was falling behind on normal life stuff, nevermind trying to keep up with the label.
My son is 9 now and these past few years - I have jumped head first into the label again. Working with amazing bands: BENT SEA, SATANIC THREAT, CHRONIC PISSED, TRAVOLTA to name a few.
Music has changed. The label is changing and adapting.
All the music ‘magazines’ out now are really ‘pay to play.’ You don’t advertise, they don’t read your emails. The press releases go right to the bottom of the pile.
I’ve always been one to do all the PR myself and I’ll still keep on pushing. I do get help and I’m super grateful to the people and PR places who are willing to take a look at Give Praise.
But, as I said the music industry changes every day.
I also don’t get to many shows these days. There is a short window of time where your kid wants to hang out with you. After a while, they want to head out with their buddies. It’s a fact of life. I’m taking all the time I can to spend time with my son, wife, brother and parents.
I did have a great experience seeing EYE FLYS in New Bedford and eating dinner with them and my son. He loved it and thought it was like eating with royalty. So if any bands come to New Bedford, let me know!
Give Praise turned 20 years old in 2025 and we aren’t going anywhere. We will be here for another 20 years and maybe I will end up getting a warehouse and shop. I seriously hope so.
I have a whole batch of releases in the works and 2026-2027 may be our best years ever. Who knows.
I know I have been kind of slow on getting some releases out, this is for 2 reasons. I don’t like doing stuff without going all in, so I had to slow down and focus on what is in front of me. I am also having to change the way I run the label a bit, with the addition of press, release dates, bigger distributors, etc. I really want all of the bands I work with too succeed. One of my favorite things on tour was watching the bands I did releases for. I was always so proud of what we had accomplished. Thank you to all the bands for hanging in there.
I have had people tell me that Give Praise is important to them, which is really cool and I really appreciate it. My family does also.
With all that being said, we aren’t leaving. We’ll be doing a lot as the years come and go.
Thank you so much.
Join the Holy Rollers.
And as Robotic Empire always said ‘Jah Bless.’
- Paul 'Praise' Sunderland
Ps sorry about the grammatical errors!