Sara: State your name and what you do.
Ryan: My name is Ryan Omark, and I am one of the three owners of Inner Voice Records.

Sara: Why did you decide to start a record label?
Ryan: I've always really been into music, ever since I was in middle school. I played in a band all throughout high school, but when I got to college that kind of fell apart. Throughout my freshmen year at college I learned a lot about the business side of music, and it really opened my eyes about what really goes on. It's such a corrupt industry and I was like, 'Wow. I gotta do something about this.' So, I enlisted the help of two of my friends that I have known all throughout high school, Joe Micali, and Scott Nalick, and we were like, 'Let's start a record label!' And it was born.

Sara: Wow, that's awesome! Are you happy with your choice of running a label or would you rather be doing something else?
Ryan: Um, yea. I mean, of course everyone's, including my goal, was, to you know, become a rock star or something haha. I loved playing music when I was younger but then I would just be another band getting ripped off. I'm glad that I gave myself the chance to do something about it, rather than just blending into the industry.
Sara: Yeah, kind of helping other bands so that they don't get ripped off.
Ryan: Exactly.

Sara: How did you come up with the name Inner Voice Records?
Ryan: Well, that was probably the toughest part. We had a bunch of names, but we didn't want to just have another meaningless name, you know? So at first we were all into the soul thing. I think our first name we thought of was Intersoul Records, but we thought that people might think it was like an R&B label or something, so we went through a few more names and then finnaly stuck with the Inner/Inter thing and changed soul to voice, and we dug it haha.

Sara: Do you hope to evenutally become a major label or stick with the independent label thing?
Ryan: Well, I mean we are never going to sell our label to a bigger one so we will always be Indie. It will pretty much always be me and the other two financing everything out of our own pocket. So yea, Indie.
Sara: that's good
Ryan: Yea, Major Labels suck.
Sara: Yeah pretty much.
Ryan: Wanna hear something fucked up?
Sara: Sure!
Ryan: Back in the day when vinyl was the main format for music, record companies usually took out fifteen percent of the bands royalties for "Breakage (The actualy record breaking during the manufacturing of the record)" When compact disc's became the popular format for music, the amount of records breaking significantly went down, but most major labels still take out the fifteen percent for it.
Sara: That is really fucked up why would you want to steal money like that from people who are just doing something that they love?
Ryan: That question will forever keep me up at night,

Sara: So I guess this brings us to my next question. What do you think is the main thing wrong with the music industry right now? The stealing of money from bands?
Ryan: I wouldn't call it stealing. I mean the bands read the contract, so they should know exactly what is going to happen. I just think it's really unfair, and that there isn't alot of alternatives. I mean, for example, if you had a band, and you guys got an offer from a major label, and an offer from me, obviously the chance of you getting more exposure is with the major label. However, what alot of people don't realize is that only five to ten percent of bands on major labels make any money from their recordings. Bands are the ones paying for everything. Everything is recouped, or paid back, to the label. For example, if Major Label X gives Band Y $100,000 to record, and the band is getting the average royalty rate of around 9 percent, which will equate to about a dollar per record sold, the label is taking all of their royalties until that $100,000 is "recouped" by the label. So until the band sells 100,000 records, they aren't making a dime off of recordings. That was probably a huge run on sentence, sorry.
Sara: Don't worry about it. Do you happen to like math a lot though?
Ryan: I fucking hate math [Laughs] I think it's funny
Sara: I hate geometry
Ryan: I hate everything about math. I want to kill it.

Sara: I like algerbra. Anyways, what do you see as one of the best things in the music industry
Ryan: But anyway, the best thing about the music industry has got to be the music. Especially in a place like New Jersey, where I live, there is so many bands, and they're all really really good. I mean, in another sense though it almost hurts bands, because a band here that would be huge anywhere else has so much competition. I know it's a lame answer but it's true

Sara: No, it's not at all I like it. I hear the New Jersey scene is really good. Do you plan to stick to a specific genre of music or sign anything worth getting signed? Like maybe an hip-hop artist?
Ryan: Definitely, we are completely open to all kinds of music. One of the bands we have been talking to is best described as a mix between hip-hip and bright eyes. It's pretty amazing stuff. But yea, I mean I listen to so much different music. I love rock music. Anything that has a legitimate point or story I totally dig. I'm also really into metal and hardcore too, and I like hip-hop and one of my favorite albums is the Cirque Du Soleis soundtrack. So yea, I'm very musically diverse and I think that will also make our label more diverse.
Sara: Yeah that is always good. I'm not a huge fan of hip hop but I heard the new Kayne West CD is really good.
Ryan: It's amazing.
Sara: I'll listen to it. Evenutally.
Ryan: [Laughs] Awesome.
Sara: Alright, fun questions now
Ryan: Yay!

Sara: What's your favorite color?
Ryan: My favorite color most of the year is blue but from September to Febuary they are green and white. I'm really into the New York Jets.

Sara: [Laughs] That is the coolest thing ever. Real World or Road Rules?
Ryan: I've never watched Road Rules so I'm going to have to say Real World. But right now I'll go on the record and say that I hate MTV, and most TV in general. Minus the Daily Show. I love it.
Sara: I don't watch much MTV either or TV.. I sit on the computer all day.
Ryan: Haha yea, the internet is my life.

Sara: Yeah mine too. What's your favorite old school Nickelodeon show?
Ryan: Wow, so many to pick from. Um, I think by default I have to pick Doug because I saw every single episode of it. But ever since it left Nickelodeon, it has been sub-par. So post-Doug on Nickelodeon I would have to say What Would You Do?
Sara: I love those shows! I miss those days S
Ryan: Yea, me too.

Sara: Alright any last words for the world wide web?
Ryan: We signed our first band last Saturday, Hollywood Ave., and they are the coolest men I have ever met in my life. So check them out.
Sara: They are pretty darn awesome from what I heard on their myspace page.
Ryan: Yes ma'am.
Sara: Alright thank you very much.
Ryan: Your very welcome!