# Paper Bag Records

Paper Bag Records is a Canadian independent record label, artist management company, and music publishing company founded in 2002 and based in Toronto.

## History

The label was created to focus on the Toronto-area indie rock music scene. Initial signings were Broken Social Scene and Stars with their breakthrough albums, You Forgot It in People and Heart. The label helped launch the careers of controller. controller, Tokyo Police Club, and Austra, amongst many others.
For two years, Paper Bag Records was given the title of 'Best Label' from Toronto's Now Magazine in Now's 2008 and 2009 issues. In the August 2007 issue of U.S. publication XLR8R, Paper Bag Records was voted #14 for "Best Indie Label".
Paper Bag Records launched their "Paper Bag Digital" online store in June 2008, which features their entire catalog for purchase and download in mp3 and FLAC formats.
In 2009, Trevor Larocque made significant changes to the label's identity and image. In 2011, The Toronto Star is quoted with a mention that the label is "having one of the best years of its existence" and in early 2012, Toronto's weekly paper The Grid recognized the label as a "cornerstone of Canadian music." In September 2012, CBC Radio said the Paper Bag Records "could be the most influential label in Canada". New bands joined the label including Elliott Brood, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Born Ruffians, Young Galaxy, Cuff the Duke, and PS I Love You. In 2012, the label announced that Montreal artists Tim Hecker, Moonface (Spencer Krug), Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, and The Luyas were joining its roster. Larocque would sell and leave the label in 2023 after 22 years of being involved.
The Paper Bag Records series of vinyl releases were produced in very limited quantities, each being between 300–500 copies. They were released on colored 180-gram vinyl with silk-screened artwork.
Paper Bag Records played host to the first Independent Label Market event in Canada during the NXNE 2013.

## Awards and nominations

Juno Award
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2003 | Broken Social Scene You Forgot It in People | Alternative Album of the Year | Won |
| 2004 | Stars Heart | Alternative Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2008 | Tokyo Police Club Cheer It On | Video of the Year | Nominated |
| 2012 | Austra Feel It Break | Electronic Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2012 | Cuff The Duke Morning Comes | Adult Alternative Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2012 | The Rural Alberta Advantage Stamp | Video of the Year | Nominated |
| 2012 | The Rural Alberta Advantage | New Group of the Year | Nominated |
| 2013 | Elliott BROOD Days Into Years | Roots & Traditional Album of the Year | Won |
| 2014 | Born Ruffians | Breakthrough Group of the Year | Nominated |
| 2014 | Yamantaka//Sonic Titan UZU | Alternative Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2015 | Elliott BROOD Work And Love | Roots & Traditional Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2017 | Sarah Neufeld The Ridge | Instrumental Album of the Year | Nominated |
Polaris Music Prize
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2006 | The Deadly Snakes Porcella | Polaris Music Prize | Nominated |
| 2011 | Austra Feel It Break | Polaris Music Prize | Nominated |
| 2012 | Yamantaka // Sonic Titan Yamantaka // Sonic Titan | Polaris Music Prize | Nominated |
| 2013 | Young Galaxy Ultramarine | Polaris Music Prize | Nominated |
| 2014 | Yamantaka // Sonic Titan UZU | Polaris Music Prize | Nominated |
MuchMusic Video Award
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2007 | Tokyo Police Club Cheer It On | Best Independent Video | Won |
| 2011 | You Say Party Lonely's Lunch | Best Independent Video | Nominated |
| 2011 | You Say Party Lonely's Lunch | Director of the Year - Sean Wainsteim | Won |
Plug Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2007 | Tokyo Police Club Nature of the Experiment | Song of the Year | Nominated |
| 2007 | Tokyo Police Club | New Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| 2008 | Sally Shapiro Disco Romance | Dance/Electronic Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2008 | Sally Shapiro | Female Artist of the Year | Nominated |
Western Canadian Music Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2010 | You Say Party XXXX | Rock Recording Of The Year | Won |

## Discography

| ARTIST | TITLE | FORMAT | CATALOGUE | YEAR |
| Broken Social Scene | You Forgot It in People | CD | PAPER001 | 2002 |
| Stars | Dead Child Stars | CD | PAPER002 | 2002 |
| Stars | Heart | CD | PAPER003 | 2003 |
| Matthew Barber | Means and Ends | CD | PAPER004 | 2003 |
| Hawaii | Hawaii | CD | PAPER005 | 2003 |
| The FemBots | Small Town Murder Scene | CD | PAPER006 | 2003 |
| Plastikman | Closer | CD | PAPER007 | 2003 |
| Various Artists | Paper Bag Records Sampler 2004/06/07/08/09 | CD / Digital | PAPER008-2/3/4/5 | 200- |
| controller.controller | History | CD / LP | PAPER009 | 2004 |
| Uncut | Those Who Were Hung Hang Here | CD | PAPER010 | 2004 |
| The FemBots | Mucho Cuidado | CD | PAPER011 | 2004 |
| Jake Fairley | Touch Not The Cat | CD | PAPER012 | 2004 |
| Memphis | I Dreamed We Fell Apart | CD | PAPER013 | 2004 |
| Magneta Lane | The Constant Lover | CD | PAPER014 | 2005 |
| controller.controller | x-amounts | CD / LP | PAPER015 | 2005 |
| The FemBots | The City | CD | PAPER016 | 2005 |
| The Deadly Snakes | Porcella | CD | PAPER017 | 2005 |
| Various Artists | See You on the Moon! | CD | PAPER018 | 2005 |
| Magneta Lane | Dancing with Daggers | CD | PAPER019 | 2006 |
| Tokyo Police Club | A Lesson in Crime | CD / LP | PAPER020 / PAPER020LP | 2006 |
| Tokyo Police Club | The Soho Sessions (iTunes Exclusive) | Digital | PBRD1008 | 2006 |
| Cities in Dust | Night Creatures | CD | PAPER021 | 2006 |
| Andre Ethier | Secondathallam | CD | PAPER022 | 2006 |
| Andre Ethier | Live at The Verge | CD | PBRD1009 | 2006 |
| Uncut | Modern Currencies | CD | PAPER023 | 2006 |
| Under Byen | Samme stof som stof | CD | PAPER024 | 2006 |
| You Say Party! We Say Die! | Lose All Time | CD / LP (600 copies) | PAPER025 / PAPER025LP | 2006 |
| You Say Party! We Say Die! | Remik's Cube | CD | PBRD1022 | 2008 |
| The Acorn | Tin Fist | CD | PAPER026 | 2006 |
| The Acorn | Glory Hope Mountain | CD / 2xLP (300 copies) | PAPER027 / PAPER027LP | 2007 |
| The Acorn | Heron Act | CD | PBRD1020 | 2008 |
| Figurines | When the Deer Wore Blue | CD | PAPER028 | 2007 |
| Sally Shapiro | Disco Romance | CD | PAPER029 | 2007 |
| Tokyo Police Club | Smith EP | CD | PAPER030 | 2007 |
| Laura Barrett | Earth Sciences EP | CD | PAPER031 | 2007 |
| Under Byen | Siamesisk | CD | PAPER032 | 2007 |
| Slim Twig | Derelict Dialect EP | CD / LP (300 copies) | PAPER033 / PAPER038LP | 2008 |
| Sally Shapiro | Remix Romance Vol. 1 | CD | PAPER034 | 2008 |
| Sally Shapiro | Remix Romance Vol. 2 | Digital | PAPER035 | 2008 |
| Woodhands | Heart Attack | CD / 2xLP (300 copies) | PAPER036 / PAPER036LP | 2008 |
| Woodhands | I Wasn't Made For Fighting EP | Digital | PBRD1021 | 2008 |
| Woodhands | Live Session (iTunes Exclusive)- EP | Digital | PBRD1026 | 2009 |
| Woodhands | Dancer EP | Digital | PBRD1028 | 2009 |
| Montag | Hibernation | Digital | PBRD1027 | 2009 |
| Winter Gloves | Let Me Drive EP | Digital | PBRD1024 | 2008 |
| Winter Gloves | About a Girl | CD / LP (300 copies) | PAPER037 / PAPER37LP | 2008 |
| Winter Gloves | A Way to Celebrate | CD (1000 copies) | PBRD1040 | 2009 |
| Slim Twig | Vernacular Violence | CD / LP (300 copies) | PAPER038 / PAPER038LP | 2008 |
| Laura Barrett | Victory Garden | CD | PAPER039 | 2008 |
| Two Fingers | Two Fingers | CD | PAPER040 | 2009 |
| Two Fingers | What You Know (single) | Digital | PBRD1029 | 2009 |
| Two Fingers | That Girl (single) | Digital | PBRD1030 | 2009 |
| Two Fingers | Bad Girl (single) | Digital | PBRD1038 | 2009 |
| Josh Reichmann Oracle Band | Life is Legal EP | CD / LP (300 copies) | PBRD1025 / PBRD1025LP | 2009 |
| Josh Reichmann Oracle Band | Crazy Power | CD / LP (300 copies) | PAPER041 / PAPER041LP | 2009 |
| Josh Reichmann Oracle Band | Shivering Black EP | Digital | PBRD1031 | 2009 |
| Monogrenade | La Saveur des Fruits EP | Digital | PBRD1034 | 2009 |
| Slim Twig | Contempt! | CD / LP (300 copies) | PAPER042 / PAPER042LP | 2009 |
| Sally Shapiro | Miracle (single) | Digital | PBRD1032 | 2009 |
| Sally Shapiro | Love in July (single) | Digital | PBRD1035 | 2009 |
| Sally Shapiro | My Guilty Pleasure | CD / LP (300 copies) | PAPER043 / PAPER043LP | 2009 |
| Rock Plaza Central | ...at the moment of our most needing | CD / LP (300 copies) | PAPER044 / PAPER044LP | 2009 |
| Rock Plaza Central | Are We Not Horses | LP (300 copies) | PAPER044LP2 | 2009 |
| You Say Party! We Say Die! | XXXX | CD / LP (300 copies) | PAPER045 / PAPER045LP | 2009 |
| Woodhands | Remorsecapade | CD / LP (300 copies) | PAPER046 / PAPER046LP | 2010 |
| Little Girls | Tambourine EP | Digital | PBRD1033 | 2009 |
| Little Girls | Concepts | CD / LP (300 copies) | PAPER047 / PAPER047LP | 2009 |
| Two Fingers | Instrumentals | CD | PAPER048 | 2009 |
| CFCF | Panesian Nights | Digital | PBRD1023 | 2009 |
| CFCF | The Explorers EP (feat. Sally Shapiro) | Digital | PBRD1037 | 2009 |
| CFCF | Continent | CD / 2xLP (500 copies) | PAPER049 / PAPER049LP | 2009 |
| Under Byen | Alt er tabt | CD | PAPER050 | 2010 |
| Young Galaxy | Invisible Republic | CD/LP | PAPER051 | 2010 |
| Born Ruffians | Say It | CD/LP | PAPER052 | 2010 |
| The Acorn | No Ghosts | CD/LP | PAPER053 | 2010 |
| The Rural Alberta Advantage | Hometowns | CD/LP | PAPER054 | 2010 |
| PS I Love You | Meet Me At The Muster Station | CD/LP | PAPER055 | 2010 |
| Winter Gloves | All Red | CD/LP | PAPER056 | 2010 |
| Johan Agebjörn | Casablanca Nights | CD | PAPER057 | 2010 |
| Austra | Feel It Break | CD/LP | PAPER058 | 2010 |
| Young Galaxy | Shapeshifting | CD/LP | PAPER059 | 2011 |
| The Rural Alberta Advantage | Departing | CD/LP | PAPER060 | 2011 |
| Elliott Brood | Days Into Years | CD/LP | PAPER061 | 2011 |
| Cuff The Duke | Morning Comes | CD/LP | PAPER062 | 2011 |
| CFCF | Exercises | CD/LP | PAPER063 | 2012 |
| PS I Love You | Death Dreams | CD/LP | PAPER064 | 2012 |
| Slim Twig | Sof' Sike | CD/LP | PAPER065 | 2012 |
| The Luyas | Animator | CD/LP | PAPER066 | 2012 |
| Cuff The Duke | Union | CD/LP | PAPER067 | 2012 |
| Yamantaka // Sonic Titan | YT//ST | CD/LP | PAPER068 | 2012 |
| Cuff The Duke | Life Stories for Minimum Wage | LP | PAPER069 | 2012 |
| Sally Shapiro | Somewhere Else | CD/LP | PAPER070 | 2013 |
| Luke Lalonde | Rhythymnals | CD/LP | PAPER071 | 2012 |
| Born Ruffians | Birthmarks | CD/LP | PAPER072 | 2013 |
| Young Galaxy | Ultramarine | CD/LP | PAPER073 | 2013 |
| Rachel Zeffira | The Deserters | CD/LP | PAPER074 | 2013 |
| CFCF | Music For Objects | CD/LP | PAPER075 | 2013 |
| CFCF | Outside | CD/LP | PAPER076 | 2013 |
| DIANA | Perpetual Surrender | CD/LP | PAPER077 | 2013 |
| Austra | Olympia | CD/LP | PAPER078 | 2013 |
| Tim Hecker | Virgins | CD/LP | PAPER079 | 2013 |
| Moonface | Julia With Blue Jeans On | CD/LP | PAPER080 | 2013 |
| Yamantaka // Sonic Titan | UZU | CD/LP | PAPER081 | 2013 |
| Sam Roberts Band | Lo-Fantasy | CD/LP | PAPER082 | 2014 |
| Frog Eyes | Carey's Cold Spring | CD/LP | PAPER083 | 2014 |
| Mozart's Sister | Being | CD/LP | PAPER084 | 2014 |
| PS I Love You | For Those Who Stay | CD/LP | PAPER085 | 2014 |
| Grey Lands | Songs By Other People | CD/LP | PAPER086 | 2014 |
| Elliott Brood | Work And Love | CD/LP | PAPER087 | 2014 |
| The Rural Alberta Advantage | Mended with Gold | CD/LP | PAPER088 | 2014 |
| My Brightest Diamond | This Is My Hand | CD/LP | PAPER089 | 2014 |
| Johan Agebjörn | Notes | CD/LP | PAPER090 | 2015 |
| Teen Daze | Morning World | CD/LP | PAPER091 | 2015 |
| Hey Mother Death | Highway | CD/LP | PAPER092 | 2015 |
| The Acorn | Vieux Loup | CD/LP | PAPER093 | 2015 |
| Young Rival | Interior Light | CD/LP | PAPER094 | 2015 |
| Princess Century | Progress | CD/LP | PAPER095 | 2015 |
| Alana Yorke | Dream Magic | CD/LP | PAPER096 | 2015 |
| Grey Lands | Right Arm | CD/LP | PAPER097 | 2015 |
| Frog Eyes | Pickpocket's Locket | CD/LP | PAPER098 | 2015 |
| Born Ruffians | RUFF | CD/LP | PAPER099 | 2015 |
| Young Galaxy | Falsework | CD/LP | PAPER101 | 2015 |
| You Say Party | You Say Party | CD/LP | PAPER102 | 2016 |
| Sarah Neufeld | The Ridge | CD/LP | PAPER103 | 2016 |
| Tim Hecker | Love Streams | CD/LP | PAPER104 | 2016 |
| The Luyas | Human Voicing | CD/LP | PAPER105 | 2017 |
| Sam Roberts Band | TerraForm | CD/LP | PAPER106 | 2016 |
| Lou Canon | Suspicious | CD/LP | PAPER107 | 2017 |
| Mappe Of | A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone | CD/LP | PAPER108 | 2017 |
| Yamantaka // Sonic Titan | Dirt | CD/LP | PAPER109 | 2017 |
| The Dears | Times Infinity, Vol. 2 | CD/LP | PAPER110 | 2017 |
| Aron D'Alesio | Aron D'Alesio | CD/LP | PAPER111 | 2017 |
| Jonathan Kawchuk | North | CD/LP | PAPER112 | 2017 |
| The Rural Alberta Advantage | The Wild | CD/LP | PAPER113 | 2017 |
| Elliott Brood | Ghost Gardens | CD/LP | PAPER114 | 2017 |
| Born Ruffians | Uncle, Duke and the Chief | CD/LP | PAPER115 | 2018 |
| Postdata | Let's Be Wilderness | CD/LP | PAPER117 | 2018 |
| Frog Eyes | Violet Psalms | CD/LP | PAPER118 | 2018 |
| Chad Valley | Imaginary Music | CD/LP | PAPER121 | 2018 |
| Art d'Ecco | Trespasser | CD/LP | PAPER122 | 2018 |
| Royal Canoe | Waver | CD/LP | PAPER123 | 2019 |
| Luke Lalonde | The Perpetual Optimist | CD/LP | | 2019 |
| Mappe Of | The Isle of Ailynn | CD/LP | | 2019 |
| Lou Canon | Audomatic Body | CD/LP | | 2020 |
| Postdata | Twin Flames | CD/LP | | 2020 |
| Zoon | Bleached Waves | CD/LP | | 2020 |
| Art d'Ecco | In Standard Definition - Vol. 2 | CD/LP | PAPER133 | 2021 |
| Sarah Neufeld | Detritus | CD/LP | | 2021 |
| Royal Canoe | Sidelining | CD/LP | | 2021 |