Independence days - Alex Ogg

Collating more than 150 interviews, Independence Days traces the story of the UK independent record label boom from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, a period which saw a new generation of independent spirits take up the baton and revolutionise the course of popular music. Covers the era's most celebrated labels including Rough Trade, Beggars Banquet/4AD, Factory, Cherry Red and Mute - and covers releases by such notable acts as The Smiths, Joy Division, The Buzzcocks, Elvis Costello, Gary Numan, Teardrop Explodes and Nick Cave.