I like to think of it as an alternative for self-releasing. The band does a lot of the work themselves, but being on a label gives more credibility. For example, one person will call critics for everyone. Our incentive is just to release bands that we want to work with. The latest releases on the Roll Music roster include December's Architects, the Lentils and the Early Americans.
Some musicians find that their goals change over time.
After playing around town for years, they are more interested in ways to make a living as a musician than in that elusive record deal. Although they still want to create music, it may be a different style than they ever imagined. I played in bands that played all original music and went for the recording contract, metal bands that had exploding flashpots and wore silver outfits, country rock bands and everything in between. You know - the guy who signed us is leaving the record company, we're not happy with them, etc. When the real story is they weren't cute enough, they didn't have a good enough song, they didn't have a good enough singer.