Delivered by STACK February, 2010: ‘SUP
With its offices in New York and London, its limited distribution in selected shops in major cities and its dedication to covering the best and coolest contemporary music, ‘SUP could easily have become a self-referential piece of hipster publishing. So it’s to the magazine’s credit that it seems as happy interviewing mainstream stars as it is speaking to up and coming artists, and always with an open, conversational tone that includes its readers rather than alienating them. Add in some beautiful original photography and simple but clever graphic design and you’ve got a music magazine that seems ready to take the next step into wider distribution and greater recognition.
The Stack interview
Name
Marisa Brickman
Job title
Editor and Publisher
What is ’SUP?
First and foremost, ’SUP is a labor of love made by people who are passionate about music. ’SUP is an independent magazine that intimately documents contemporary music culture. Each issue is a digest of what’s up in new music from around the world.
What makes it different to the rest?
We only write about bands we like and we take pride in the way we portray the artists we feature – always honest and personal. We’re big fans of the Q&A interview format, which lets artists speak for themselves and gives the reader the sensation of eavesdropping on a conversation. The subject matter is a mix of new undiscovered bands and iconic/cult musicians who continue to inspire a new generation of artists and fans.
Who makes ’SUP?
We have two editors in the US (Cameron and Abbey) and two in the UK (Josh and Laura). An Art Service make up the creative team. And we have a big extended crew of writers and photographers all over the world. Everyone is really busy with day jobs and side-projects. We all have different taste as well, so it’s nice to have all of that diversity when we approach each issue. We are always looking for more contributors!
Who reads it?
We’ve been publishing since 1998 and the whole thing is very DIY, so I’d like to think we have a pretty solid fan base by now, but since we’ve recently been spending more time working on the website, people are emailing us from all over. It reinforces why we do what we do when we hear from our readers. The print issue can be found for free in shops in LA, NYC, London, Paris, Berlin and Brussels. The distribution is pretty exclusive, so we decided to start selling them online – just to make sure that everyone who wants one can get it.
Why do you work in magazines?
I think I speak for the entire ’SUP team when I say that we just simply have an insatiable desire to create and put products of quality out in the universe. Print is not dead.
Aside from the print magazine, what else are you involved in?
SUPMAG.com is the online home and we’ve been slogging away trying to get everything updated and working properly. Watch that space because we’re adding new content and functionality every day. We’re planning more of our own events and are looking to sponsor other people’s events. ’SUP is also doing more and more projects for brands – last year we started a magazine for Nike in the UK called 1948 and created a big music site for Fox Searchlight called 500 Days of ’SUP.
What would you change about ’SUP if you could?
I’d love to do be able to pay everyone what they deserve for all of their hard work. And of course turn it into something I could do full-time.
Can you pick a favourite issue of ’SUP?
I honestly think that each issue is better than the last, so ’SUP 21! But, I’m not sure you can beat a bright yellow issue with legendary Carl Craig on the cover eating a banana… I also particularly love that issue for all the doom coverage because those bands are amazing and don’t tend to get a ton of press.
Where do you see ’SUP in five years?
Still publishing, printing more issues, curating exhibitions, releasing music, and doing more custom publishing and creative consulting.
Tags: 'SUP, Marisa Brickman
