Delaware Music Labels You Should Support!
Although Delaware is nestled between several music hubs, it can often be overlooked as a musical destination. It might not feel like a bustling entertainment town, but just below the surface is a plethora of uber talented musicians, producers, and music labels just waiting for you to discover. With humble beginnings, a lot of collaboration, and not too much help from mainstream press, these labels have been keeping the music scene alive and well. Here’s a list of some established and new music labels from the first state to support.
Label Name: Impetus Records
Owner(s): Diego Romero-Aros and Mike Clark
Start Date: 2016
Roster: Think Machine, Moonflower, and Kobika. Past bands include Merger, Naff, Driver's Ed, The Subterraneans, and Paint The Sun.
Origin Story: “We started up in 2016 after my band Paint The Sun had broken up, around the same time as another band in the scene, The Subterraneans. We were teenagers, and no one in the older scene took us very seriously, and the lack of all-ages/youth-friendly spaces made our scene feel very insular. So I started up this label to document the bands that were coming out of the Wilmington punk scene. It took us about a year to get the money to put out a 7" and figure out how to work with pressing plants etc. By that time Mike had started helping out with the label, and newer bands had started up, like Mike's band Kobika, Think Machine, and my own band Merger. We also started to connect with some other like-minded folks in other parts of the area, like the house show scene in Newark, and Moonflower in Dover. It became clear to us that it would be nice for a label to keep working with these bands, and since we had already started one up and done a lot of the legwork to get it going, we felt obligated to keep it active.”
-Diego Romero-Aros
(Diego Romero-Aros and Mike Clark)
What sets you apart from other music labels? We are committed to documenting Delaware bands and keeping their music in stock (ie: not letting their records go out of print) and have been doing it for a few years now. Because of this, we have a nice little niche for being known as the "Delaware label." Thankfully, there are plenty of other labels and bands not on Impetus that help keep the scene healthy. We try to help them out too by offering their records to our distributors/fans as well. We're really just interested in promoting DE bands, by any means necessary.
What can we look forward to? “Several newer bands have been popping up, and we're potentially getting some new releases from them in the next year or so. Merger has a 7" coming out early next year. Over the next few months, we'll see some releases/re-releases from Kobika, Think Machine and maybe others.”
Label Name: Lonely Bird Records
Owner(s): David Anderson
Start Date: 2020
Roster: Accumula Town, Cleven, Graver's Lane, Klaus & the Cider Sippers', Moonflower, Rookie, Social Smoker, The Jolly Melancholy
Origin Story: “Sometime around June or July of 2020, I was on the phone with Diego from Impetus, another local Delaware label, talking about the vinyl my band Graver's Lane was putting out at the time for our EP. At some point in the conversation, he suggested that I also start a label, as I had already gotten accustomed to some of the processes involved in running one, and since more local labels often makes it easier for the local scene to communicate and access each other, so after some thought, I figured why not? After running it for a little over a year now, with the help of Diego & Impetus, my bandmate Jason Diehl, and many, many others, I've been able to make a label that really prides itself on helping small artists get their work out there in an easier fashion.”
-David Anderson
David Anderson
What sets you apart from other music labels? “Lonely Bird is a label dedicated to working and heavily communicating with musical artists towards a common goal. We pride ourselves on distributing physical and streaming profits 50/50 with the artist, and running a label that overall helps to support the small music scene, no matter really the genre. I personally love every single artist that we've worked with, and am overall really glad with what music we've been able to show people they might not have otherwise gotten a chance to hear.”
What can we look forward to? “A little bit earlier this year, we released our first 7" vinyl record in the form of Moonflower's "Feel It Too," alongside Impetus Records on Black and Blue variants. Currently, we're gearing up for the release of Graver's Lane’s debut album "Philophobia" in November, which is being put out digitally, as well as on Purple Tinted Cassette Tapes, CDs, and Neon Green and Transparent w/ Purple and Red Splatter vinyl variants, our biggest release to date! We also distribute our releases through Impetus' website, and you might even catch us tabling with them at future events!”
Label Name: Circa 68
Owner(s): Dave Spencer
Start Date: 2014
Roster: Bad Smidgen, Kyle Cowlick, Nah Man, Scars Like These, Cthulhu Martini, Twitching Witches, They Psychedelic Puppets, Arsonist Choir, Young Dizzy and The Unicorns, S.H.O.T.
Origin Story: “I just wanted to document what my friends were doing. Bands and projects would come and go and that was it.“
-Dave Spencer
What sets you apart from other music labels? “Circa 68 records is an independent record label based out of Wilmington, Delaware with a focus on punk rock, alternative, hip-hop, and anything strange and weird. Our goal is to musically document all the awesome things that have been brewing in the tri-state area. We are welcoming to all, environmentally friendly and always politically incorrect.”
What can we look forward to? “Since starting we have been growing as a digital label. but supporters can look forward to physicals and higher quality projects. Our site is actually being worked on and we will have a store and just a cleaner look soon!”
(Dave Spencer)
Label Name: Rosemary Tone Records
Owner(s): Austen Morgan
Start Date: 2020
Roster: Tyler Morgan, GNARCAT, Delpa Collective, Losing N3mo
Origin Story: “I have been recording my own records since I was 16, using whatever tools I could get my hands on to capture the sound and atmosphere of my music. During the first COVID-19 lockdown I looked inward and decided I wanted to have a place for myself and other musicians to express ourselves honestly, and Rosemary Tone was born, named for the sound of my 1965 Gibson ES-335.”
-Austen Morgan
What sets you apart from other music labels? “With Rosemary Tone I want to pursue the vision of our artists by subverting expectations and pushing boundaries.”
What can we look forward to? “My band Bayrides has a single out Nov 5th, “Mandala Reflection '', it’s an upbeat jam about finding myself. GNARCAT has their first brutal single “Oil/HW'' out November 19th, a fuzzed out cinema-psych ride, based on the film “There Will Be Blood.” Delpa collective has their latest EP “Summer Sessions Vol I '' out Dec 5th featuring a genre bending mix of metal, rap and psych that was born of the band’s quarantine anxiety.
One of the many projects in the works I’m very stoked about is a collaborative record, featuring some mega talented local musicians I have been lucky enough to work with, such as Sug Daniels, Russell Que, Kirby Moore, Jeffrey Attakorah and Connor Morgan, to name a few. Watch for a release announcement on our socials!”
(Austen Morgan)
Label Name: Goodweather Records
Owner(s): Hayden Chance and Gabriel Spadaccini
Start Date: 2021
Roster: Chvnce, Gage Rhodes, The Sun Daze
Origin Story: “Good Weather Records is based in Richmond, Virginia. However, the label's roots can be traced back to a friendship that began in Delaware about 10 years ago. Co-founders Gabriel and Hayden frequently saw their respective bands on stage and playing shows together throughout the early 2010s. They instantly bonded over shared musical interests and worldviews. Years later, having played numerous shows together including east and west coast tours, a new shared vision for their musical adventures was found. That vision includes creating, finding, and sharing the best music possible.”
(Hayden Chance)
What sets you apart from other music labels? “This label is dedicated to supporting artists that believe in themselves, the art they create, and the captivating power of music.”
What can we look forward to?
One of our artists Gage Rhodes is releasing a new single “Caroline” on November 12th on all streaming platforms. We’re also announcing some new artist signings in the coming months. Keep a lookout!
(Gabriel Spadaccini)
