Todays interview is with David Ellis of Never Surrender records previously Skinflint records. He pretty sweet dude and helps me find bands to interview... i hope you enjoy it!

1 tell me who you are and how you got started?

Hi, first off, thanks for the interview. I started out, doing shows back in 2008, and I eventually got talked into doing the label by friends.So I started up Skinflint Music. On Jan 1 2015, I rebranded everything and now we are never surrender records. I rebranded the label/distro because i wasnt fond of the name Skinflint Music, and i got the name of a friend of mine at the beginning of starting the label. Plus skinflint means a cheap miser, who the hell wants to buy stuff of off someone who calls himself a cheap miser? Plus Never Surrender Records describes us better and I took a different direction with Never Surrender also.. I sell everything from oi, punk, metal, rac and hardcore. I decided to do this cause I am a lover of all music, and get burnt out easily just listening to one genre.


2 how did you get introduced into the skinhead scene

jeez, OK, Im OLD! lol, OK, I first got into the American hardcore scene back in like 81-82. It was fresh, new and those years can never be replaced, You either lived it, or you didnt, then I heard bands like 4 skins, last resort, skrewdriver, etc etc. and the rest is history. Around 92, I went on a couple year "vacation" and when i got out, i hung out in the scene for a couple years, then i settled down, got married, had a family and dropped totally out of the scene for like 8 years. Something was missing in my life, and that was music. so in around 2005, I started doing stuff for the scene again, mostly web development stuff for some really well known hardcore bands. and then I started booking bands in 2008, and that brings us to today and where never surrender records is..
One thing though I need to mention is, I swear the whole skinhead scene has gone nuts. When i get back into it, all these new leftist and commies are calling themselves skinheads.. its wierd, I feel like i woke up in the twilight zone. gash, rash, antifa, blah blah blah, When i got into the scene, Skinheads were always patriotic and right wing, some were just more extreme right than others.. BUT ALL SKINHEADS WORE THEIR COUNTRIESS FLAGS ON THEIR FLIGHTS PROUDLY..


3 whats your favorite bands

jeez, to many to mention... IC1, Para Elite, Total Annihilation, Ubertones, major disappointment - on the OI and Rac Scene, Agnostic front on the hardcore scene, Sacred Reich and no remorse no retreat on the metal scene


4 whats the newest band on your label?

A few...Major Disappointment, Barking Irons, Para Elite, Total Annihilation, Skinfull, Wits Dead End (which is a one man band by roy of FW, Powerhaus, Tri City, etc), and the ubertones
The above bands are all worth checking out and you can pick up the vinyl or cds at neversurrenderrecords.com
these bands sing from the heart without caring if people get butthurt. ALL TOP NOTCH BANDS IN MY BOOK


5 is there any bands you really want to work with?

Thats a No Brainer - IC1 (they friggin rule), queensbury rule, no quarter oh and BFA (Bigfoot accelerator) - they are just one hell of a great working class rock n roll band, that really doesnt fit into one genre cause each song of theirs has a different style


6 is there other label that you work closely with?

Yes plenty, Im all over the place.. LOL, I support the following labels as of right now - Streetrock records, rebellion (they have some classic rereleases), HC Streetwear, 100% british oi productions,and american defense records (they are just getting their stuff up and functional, oh and hostile class production. another top notch label etc etc.. we support those who support us.. thats the bottom line.


7 what seems to be the hottest seller lately

Para Elite/Total Annihilation split with included patch and cd on vinyl, and also skinfull - good intentions, bad ideas in gatefold with patch..


8 how can a band get in touch with you if they play in a band?

You can email us at info@neversurrenderrecords.com


9 any thing really cool that's up coming this year?

lots of things planned, you will be hearing a lot from us this year.
Right now we have the
old souls - rock n roll curse coming out on vinyl
ubertones - mad vendetta coming out on vinyl
New Baker Dozen called villified
Evil Inside - those bastards will destroy you LP
Oh and one really cool thing. We are part of the admin team of the SOCA organization (Stomp Out Child Abuse) we are releasing a benefit comp on cd for this organization. All proceeds after the cost of mfg will be going to safe haven, a place that takes care of abused children..


10 is their any concert you want to see your bands play in or with?

The american based bands that i work with, would love to get them overseas like Para Elite, Total Annihilation, and major disappointment

11 thing you for helping out my blog and thank you for letting me interview you... any last words?

Yes, thank you for the interview, we need as much support as we can get to keep this going. our facebook is here - https://www.facebook.com/neversurrenderrecords and our actual site is here - http://neversurrenderrecords.com
We have a small scene, Ive made some enemies along the way, Made some great friends, had people turn on me in an instant all over this scene, Some times i feel there is no longer any hope, but as the record label states - NEVER SURRENDER
If you or anyone reading this, wants to start a label, be prepared for a bunch of bullshit but at the end of the day its still worth it to me, cause i feel i release great products and people are gonna talk no matter what.. it used to be us against them, now its just us against us. WE NEED TO WAKE UP AND FIGHT THE REAL ENEMY, LABELS SHOULDNT FIGHT EACH OTHER, CAUSE THAT ONLY HURTS THE BANDS IN THE END. SUPPORT THE LABELS, THE BANDS, DONT ILLEGAL DOWNLOAD CAUSE THAT REALLY DOES HURT THE BANDS AND LABELS. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY SUPPORT EACH OTHER.