Christina Bulbenko: Making Music...Keeping the Books

Christina Bulbenko and Rex Broome had already formed the Burbank-based band The Armoires when they realized there was an opportunity to do more. They believed they could cultivate a whole new music scene, not just in L.A. but internationally. The idea germinated when Christina and Rex created the Big Stir: Power Pop & More concert series. The series spread from L.A. to Northern California and the U.K. The response by bands and audiences alike was so great that when one prominent musician (Steven Wilson of Plasticsoul) announced he was putting out his band’s third album on Big Stir Records, Christina and Rex immediately turned their attention to getting a record label off the ground. In May of 2017,  Big Star Records released the long-awaited Plasticsoul album, Therapy. Big Stir Records became an LLC in March of 2018. Christina handles the financial aspects of the business, while Rex works at promoting the label. The label now represents six bands and is looking to add more. “We’ve got five other bands interested in being on our label that we’re over the moon about!” says Christina. Starting a business hasn’t been easy for this energetic duo. “We spend a lot of money on promotions without a lot of return so far,” says Christina. “The challenge is in sticking with it – perseverance and persistence.” Meanwhile, to supplement income from concerts and CD sales, Christina teaches music to budding musicians in the local area. At the outset, one of Christina’s biggest business challenges was in keeping the books. Then she made the smart decision to hire 1-800Accountant. “We’re all artists, we’re all musicians,” says Christina. “We don’t know what we’re doing in terms of accounting or bookkeeping. 1-800Accountant actually took the time to lead me through the entire process, showed me what I needed to do. It lifted a giant weight off my shoulders.” The future looks bright for Big Stir Records. The concert series continues. A new Armoires album will be out soon. What makes all the work worthwhile? “Community,” says Christina. “It’s really that simple. The singular yet subconscious idea that there are people out there who want the same things we do, and we’re finding them in droves. We’re all very, very grateful for what we do.”