The late John Prine (L) and Jody Whelan of Oh Boy Records (photo: Neilson Hubbard)
Today, Secretly Distribution (SD) announces a worldwide distribution deal with Oh Boy Records. The storied independent label, founded in 1981 by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and icon John Prine, started as Prine's vehicle to become an independent artist after his major-label record deal had expired. Winner of the A2IM Libera Award in 2022 for small record label of the year, Oh Boy continues to be run by the Prine family.
Secretly Distribution and Oh Boy will be co-presenting "Independents' Day," an AmericanaFest day party at Vinyl Tap on September 18, which will feature performances by artists from Oh Boy and other SD labels.
Oh Boy's catalog features albums from Prine, including 2018's The Tree of Forgiveness, as well as Kelsey Waldon, Swamp Dogg, Alice Randall's My Black Country (the companion to the award winning author and songwriter's book of the same name), Arlo McKinley, Emily Scott Robinson, and Tré Burt. Upcoming releases from core Oh Boy artist Dan Reeder, whose new album Smithereens will be out in October, and recent signing Palmyra (one of NPR's Best New Artists of 2024), will be among the first new Oh Boy titles to be handled by SD's global team and distribution network.
"Oh Boy is thrilled to be able to join Secretly Distribution at this time of growth and expansion for both companies. We've long been fans of the artists they work with, but in getting to know their team it also quickly became clear that Secretly holds dear the same independent values; the values that have fueled Oh Boy since its inception in 1981, and have seen Secretly Distribution build a truly independent global distribution network. We are honored to be represented by this excellent company and are excited to celebrate our collaboration in Nashville in September during AmericanaFest."- Jody Whelan, Managing Partner, Oh Boy Records
With the addition of this iconic Nashville label, SD continues its roster's expansion in not only size but also geographical breadth and genre diversity. In addition to Oh Boy, other recent label additions include Finland's Timmion (Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators, Franka Oroza); Italy's Record Kicks (Seun Kuti & Egypt '80, Michelle David & the True-Tones); Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad's Jazz is Dead and Linear Labs (Lonnie Liston Smith, Ghostface Killah); Dear Life (MJ Lenderman, Kath Bloom); with new label services clients including Andrew Bird and Guster.
"SD has been fans of Oh Boy for so long - I have John Prine LPs that I swiped from my mom's collection decades ago. They are a truly iconic American independent label - founded by artists, for artists looking for a sustainable way to release music outside of the major label system - and when I met Jody and Fiona it was clear immediately that their ethos perfectly aligns with what we strive for at SD.
Oh Boy is a cornerstone of the vibrant Nashville scene, and we could not be more thrilled to work with them on both their incredible catalog and their current roster of next generation folk, country and blues artists."- Josh Madell, Director of Artist & Label Strategy, Secretly Distribution
