Editing 4AD (section)

== History ==
[[Ivo Watts-Russell]] and Peter Kent, employees of the Beggars Banquet record store and label, founded Axis Records (named after the [[Jimi Hendrix]] album ''[[Axis: Bold as Love]]''<ref>{{cite book |last=Aston |first=Martin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rp2Hwxr48jAC&pg=PT33 |title=Facing the Other Way: The Story of 4AD |date=26 September 2013 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |isbn=9780007522019 |page=33}}</ref>) in late 1979 as a property of Beggars Banquet, that was run by the two of them.<ref name="Larkinindie">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-579-4|pages=115/6}}</ref> After the first four Axis singles in early 1980,<ref name="Larkinindie"/> it became apparent that the name Axis was already being used by another music company<ref>{{cite news|title=4AD: the 'pure' label behind Pixies and Cocteau Twins |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/10/4ad-label-behind-pixies-cocteau-twins |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=15 January 2021 |date=10 October 2013}}</ref> and the name was changed to 4AD, an abbreviation of the word forward.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.evo.org/4ad-faq/otherQs.html |title=4AD-L Frequently Asked Questions: Other Questions |publisher=evo.org}}</ref> Other names which they had considered included 1980AD, 4WD and 1984.<ref>{{cite news|title=Label of love: 4AD |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/mar/17/label-love-4ad |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=15 January 2021 |date=17 March 2010}}</ref>

An initial idea for the label was that it would be a "testing ground" for Beggars Banquet; successful acts would graduate up to Beggars Banquet after a year at 4AD. The only band to follow this path would be [[Bauhaus (band)|Bauhaus]], who were signed to Beggars Banquet in late 1980, before Watts-Russell and Kent purchased the label outright.<ref name="Larkinindie"/>

The two were the sole owners for about a year. Kent sold his share to Watts-Russell at the end of 1981, and started a new Beggars Banquet subsidiary, [[Situation Two Records]].<ref name="Larkinindie"/> Watts-Russell would maintain ownership of the label, and act as its president, until the late 1990s.

Watts-Russell invited the graphic designer [[Vaughan Oliver]] and the photographer Nigel Grierson to create sleeve art for the label, and as a result, 4AD acquired a visually distinctive identity. Its artists, such as [[Cocteau Twins]] and [[Dead Can Dance]], developed cult followings in the mid-1980s,<ref name="Larkinindie"/> but 4AD continued to evolve, and, after signing [[Throwing Muses]] and [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]], the label increasingly concentrated on underground American rock music. In 1983, 4AD had a minor hit in America with the [[Modern English (band)|Modern English]] single "[[I Melt With You]]". In 1987, 4AD had a UK number-one hit with the [[sound collage|collaged]] "[[Pump up the Volume (song)|Pump up the Volume]]" by [[MARRS|M{{pipe}}A{{pipe}}R{{pipe}}R{{pipe}}S]]<ref name="Larkinindie"/> (licensed to [[4th & B'way Records|4th & B'Way]]/Island Records in the US).

In the 1990s, 4AD established an office in Los Angeles and had success with bands such as [[The Breeders]], [[Belly (band)|Belly]], [[Red House Painters]], [[Unrest (band)|Unrest]] and [[His Name Is Alive]], as well as solo material by [[Black Francis|Frank Black]] and [[Kristin Hersh]].<ref name="Larkinindie"/>

The label's deal with [[Warner Bros. Records]] in the United States in 1992 would start the beginning of a new phase in 4AD history. New signings that year included American underground acts [[Kendra Smith]], [[Tarnation (band)|Tarnation]], [[Air Miami (band)|Air Miami]] and [[The Amps]]. The following year Watts-Russell started a sub-label, '''Guernica''', which would release records by [[Unrest (band)|Unrest]], [[That Dog]], and [[Bettie Serveert]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=King|first=Richard|title=How Soon is Now?: The Madmen and Mavericks who made Independent Music 1975–2005|publisher=Faber & Faber|year=2012}}</ref>

In 1999, Watts-Russell sold his share in 4AD back to the Beggars Group (as it had by then become), but the label continued to release music and add new artists to its roster.<ref>{{cite web|title=6 Music – 1980 Forward – 25 Years of 4AD|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/events/1980/guide.shtml|date=2005-11-21|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=2017-01-14}}</ref> Simon Halliday took control of the label at the end of 2007. Immediate successes were [[Bon Iver]]'s critically lauded debut ''[[For Emma, Forever Ago]]'' (CAD 2809) and ''[[Dear Science]]'' by Brooklyn's [[TV on the Radio]] (CAD 2821). In 2008, the Beggars Group re-aligned itself so that several labels, including Beggars Banquet itself, were folded up on to the 4AD label.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2008/apr/30/afarewelltobeggarsbanquets|title=A farewell to Beggars Banquet's indie charm|last=Swash|first=Rosie|date=2008-04-30|department=Music Blog|website=[[The Guardian]]|publisher=Guardian News & Media|access-date=2017-01-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/50320-label-shuffle-4ad-absorbs-too-pure-beggars-banquet|title=Label Shuffle: 4AD Absorbs Too Pure, Beggars Banquet |last=Solarski|first=Matthew|date=2008-04-29|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|publisher=Pitchfork Media|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219062324/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/50320-label-shuffle-4ad-absorbs-too-pure-beggars-banquet|archive-date=2008-12-19|url-status=dead|access-date=2017-01-14}}</ref> Bands including [[The National (band)|The National]] were moved to 4AD as a part of this merger. In 2009, the label released, amongst others, [[St. Vincent (musician)|St. Vincent]]'s second record ''[[Actor (album)|Actor]]'' (CAD 2919) and [[Camera Obscura (band)|Camera Obscura]]'s ''[[My Maudlin Career]].'' The following year, 4AD saw the release of [[The National (band)|The National]]'s ''[[High Violet]]'' and acclaimed albums from [[Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti]], [[Blonde Redhead]] and [[Deerhunter (band)|Deerhunter]].

In the next three years, 4AD oversaw new releases from [[Scott Walker (singer)|Scott Walker]], [[Bon Iver]], [[Iron & Wine]], and [[Tune-Yards]], whilst also expanded its roster with a number of beats and electronic acts<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.factmag.com/2012/08/07/4ad-boss-simon-halliday-on-living-with-the-labels-past-and-building-its-future/| title=4AD boss Simon Halliday on living with the label's past, and his vision for its future| first=Joe | last=Muggs | date=2012-08-07| publisher=[[Fact (UK magazine)|FACT]]| access-date=2017-01-14}}</ref> in the shape of acts including [[Purity Ring (band)|Purity Ring]] and [[Grimes (musician)|Grimes]], with the latter releasing one of the best received albums of 2012. Additional signings to the label include bEEdEEgEE, of [[Gang Gang Dance]], [[Lo-Fang]], and British producer [[Sohn (musician)|SOHN]]. At the start of 2014, the label also announced the additions of [[Future Islands]] and Merchandise, followed by D.D Dumbo.

In 2015, the label released critically lauded albums by Deerhunter and Grimes, amongst others. The following year, the label and The National landed their first UK No. 1 record with ''[[Sleep Well Beast]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Official Albums Chart Top 100 {{!}} Official Charts Company|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-chart/20170915/7502/|access-date=2021-07-29|website=www.officialcharts.com}}</ref> Latest signings to the roster include Aldous Harding and British band Dry Cleaning.

In April 2021, the label released ''[[Bills & Aches & Blues]]'', a compilation album featuring bands from 4AD covering songs the label had released over its 40 years.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Scolforo|first=Carli|date=10 March 2021|title=4AD Celebrates 40 Years With Bills & Aches & Blues|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/4ad/4-ad-40-years-compilation-album/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-29|website=Paste|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311081324/https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/4ad/4-ad-40-years-compilation-album/ |archive-date=11 March 2021 }}</ref>