Traffic Stops , were recorded at home using a hired Neumann." How many albums have you sold, and what selling methods would you recommend? "I've sold about 4,000 copies, which is great for a very DIY effort. The main thing that's so good right now is that in terms of distribution, independent artists are on a level playing field with major labels. It has never been easier to get your music out there. I have used TuneCore -- a very cheap and easy service -- to get on iTunes, Napster and so on. Then you have Amazon -- you can set up an account with them, and they will take stock of physical copies of your releases. You should also sell through your website, and an easy way to do this is to set up an account and use the instructions to create PayPal buttons on your page. "Finally, there is physical distribution to record shops. There's really only one major record shop left now (sadly), which is HMV (which in turn owns Fopp), and to get your CDs stocked there you're going to need a distribution deal. I have a deal with Shellshock, who are fantastic." Why did you set up your own label rather than chasing a deal with an established one? "For years I was sending out demos, doing showcases and trying to get a deal through the usual channels. It wasn't getting me anywhere, so I decided to just do an album and put it out