We are Jane and Tom, started as and so far staying best friends, united in our love for soulful pop music, fiercely competing record collectors, exchanging tapes with our current favourite tunes every two months or so and then becoming DJs out of sheer frustation with the usual nights out, where the music leaves so much to be desired. We called ourselves The Happy Couple, contemplated making music ourselves, just for a try.

And then there was this cold winter evening, January 2002, on a trip to Berlin, where the smalltown girl and boy suddenly had an idea. The perfectly natural consequence of it all, really - to take the adventure a little further: why not start our own label? We could call it Félicité - almost like the Orange Juice song with "él" in it, the catalogue numbers would be cité 01 and so on. Just a Singles Club at first - we love those 7inches so much, stylishly packaged with great tunes. There should be more of them around.

On the magic that lies in opening parcels full of fresh records in a kitchen, the thrill to get out of looking at them, revelling in dreams based on the term "collector's item".

"Big town dreams that won't come true?"

Well... what is happiness made of? (And Félicité?)

Basically, one might say: love - and luck.

In regard to a little independent label (though with modest ambitions), it's first and most important, the aforementioned love for the music. With it comes the desire to see that it's nicely presented.

We certainly feel that love strongly.

Being now ready, most willing and - hopefully - able, through lucky circumstances we met some people who not only share our enthusiasm for jingle jangle guitars, a driving beat, for the odd dots and loops, even strings and brass sections, for melodies with irresistible singalongability etc. - but come equipped with the gift of producing just the songs and sounds we're looking for to love. And to release.

There is this comic strip:

A boy takes a girl home after a date. He escorts her to the front door and then tells her: "I'm not going to try to kiss you. I would like to very much, but I know you're a nice girl and won't let me on our first date." He turns to go and when he's halfway down the garden path, she yells after him: "The least you could do is try!" - Wouldn't it be lovely if she had whispered it, and kissed him then?

Félicité: We try. There's always hope for a happy ending.

(something to show our grandchildren)