Established in Sheffield, July 4th, 1985.

Native went on to become one of the premier independent labels in the UK.

In 2018, the catalogue was acquired by Cherry Red Records.

For a full list of releases visit

Kevin Donoghue had been central to Sheffield’s independent music scene since punk – and eventually committed to his own label Native Records in 1985.

Signings weren’t restricted to local acts – indeed, Native’s most successful act were The Darling Buds from South Wales, who enjoyed indie hits with ‘Shame On You’ and ‘It’s All Up To You’.

The label adopted a broad musical policy across its lifespan, from electronica and indie pop to industrial rock and dance and developed a catalogue of 240 releases.

Other notable Native acts included: Sheffield’s own Treebound Story, featuring guitarist Richard Hawley, Cabaret Voltaire’s Richard H Kirk with Peter Hope, They Must Be Russians, Junk, The Emotionals, The Snapdragons, Fatal Charm, Screaming Trees, Smashing Orange and Raintree County among others.

Native signed Nine Inch Nails in late1988 but at the request of Trent Reznor, they released them from the contract before the planned Christmas Sheffield recording session; thus enabling them to sign for TVT. Kevin has a framed letter from CBS turning down an offer for them to become involved with the band.