Set up by Conor Oberst and run by Robb Nansel and Jason Kulbel, the Saddle Creek label, based in Omaha, Nebraska, has become one of the most talked-about and respected indies in the US.

Their big three acts are Bright Eyes, Cursive and The Faint, but they also were the first label to spot and sign the fantastically good Rilo Kiley, who have since moved on to a major.

The label's first real success was The Faint's Danse Macabre album in 2001 - a 1980s new wave-sounding affair that sold 100,000 copies. That figure has now been dwarfed by the sales of the two Bright Eyes albums. The label has a unique A&R approach - in that they don't have one. There's no one out there sourcing bands. Because the label is largely populated by acts who are all friends, the label hears about new bands from their existing bands. A Saddle Creek band may come across a new act by dint of touring with them or chancing upon one of their shows. There is no identifiable Saddle Creek sound - the label puts out what it thinks is good, regardless of the genre.

Staffed by just seven people, it was widely believed they would buckle under the pressure of simply getting enough Bright Eyes records into the shops on the week of release but the label came through.

Saddle Creek artists are not radio-friendly, in that they don't play the game of playing radio station-sponsored gigs. Criticised by some for being "indie purist", the label is one of the few challenging the traditional rock promotion route. As such, it is now taking its place alongside Sub-Pop as an indie that matters. It is also further proof that multi-platinum sales can be achieved without the clout of a global corporation.