Posted by Alex Barber on June 16, 2010
Sydney-based Lisa Lerkenfeldt and Hayley Morgan are New Planes, a collection and distribution service for independent publications and vinyl. This multifaceted business was inspired by the duo’s interest in, and passion for, indie fodder. Recently they took their mobile cart to the Even Books’ Readers’ Festival and Creative Sydney to find out what people want to read. There is something about New Planes that reminds us of the city fruit and vegetable vendors. That is, prior to the pre-Olympic mandatory stall upgrade (read: gentrification). They’re getting out amongst it all, bringing the people what they need and setting up shop and within walking distance.
Covered: the resurgence of independent publications, why everyone loves the Moroccan Hash Cookbook and their publishing experiment, New Planes Public Press.
Alex Barber: What made you start reading and collecting independent material?
New Planes: We collect two things – publications and vinyl. When it comes to printed matter we like zines, books, broadsheets, the lot. We're writers and we dig independent publications. The freedom writers and publishers have when working outside the system makes for interesting material. Heaps of friends, writers, artists and bands that we're inspired by publish things. They're social documents of our generation and it's easy to drop $2, $10 or $30 to have a permanent slice of their work.
AB: What is the motivation behind New Planes?
NP: New Planes fills neglected spaces and open minds with native ideas and independent businesses. The New Planes Book and Record Service is a mobile cart initiative aimed to connect curious humans with alternative stimulus. New Planes Public Press Pilot Issue (an A3 full colour newspaper) is fresh back from the printer, so we're now dealing in publishing too. We're an infinite model.
AB: You were recently at Creative Sydney and the Even Books’ Readers' Festival. What was the response to your book and record service?
NP: Each time we have a stall we get a mixed response to the spectrum of goods. We carry many things from art periodicals and cult pamphlets to punk recipe zines and vinyl, so it depends on the crowd. Generally it's refreshing how interested people are in supporting independent things. We have a sign up sheet that says 'Join our cult? Join our cult? Join our cult!' and sometimes we get funny responses to that. Especially from the more conservative crowd. The 1966 reprint of a Moroccan Hash Cookbook (complete with colouring in centerfold) is loved on some level by every single person!
AB: Can you explain the New Planes Public Press model and how it works?
NP: New Planes Public Press is an open model for writers and artists to experiment with text and images in print format. As an outlet for liberal thinking, critical news and alternative transmissions, the broadsheet blurs boundaries, overlaps interests and explores the relationship between a generation and its press.
AB: Where can our readers find New Planes in the future?
NP: We're planning a series of interventions on street corners through out Sydney's Inner West that will be listed on our blog. We'd like to see the general public's response - work from the ground up. It's all an experiment to find out what people want to read. We're working on the NPPP pilot issue launch ceremony and the mobile cart's next major event right now, so stand by for that and join our cult.
new planes, lisa lerkenfeldt, hayley morgan, even books, creative sydney, new planes public press model, moroccan hash cookbook