Date Signed: April 2023
Label: Sign From The Universe Entertainment
Band Members: Paige MacKinnon, vocals; Connor McCourt, drums; Ethan Waggoner, guitar; Stephen Sobolewski, bass
Type of Music: Indie, Punk Rock, Alternative
Management: R+D Artist Group
Booking: Reliant Talent Agency
Legal: James Zumwalt - Shackleford Law
Publicity: Gomi Zhou - Big Feat PR - [email protected]
Web: gloomgirlmfg.com
No matter what your business happens to be, networking is important. This includes those forging a career in music. Take Gloom Girl MFG. The buzzy punk rockers were playing a gig at Nashville’s The 5 Spot on Halloween of 2022. After finishing their set, a fellow artist approached lead singer Paige MacKinnon and expressed how much she’d enjoyed the show. As they chatted, the admirer revealed she was signed to indie label Sign From The Universe.
“We connected on social media and that kind of thing,” elaborates the vocalist, who doesn’t like to pigeonhole her band’s sound. Before long, a message on Instagram appeared from this kindred spirit. She wanted to introduce the act with Stacy Ray, CEO of SFTU. She’d already sent the Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker a selection of Gloom Girl’s videos, and the reception was positive.
MacKinnon claims drummer Connor McCourt is the most business-savvy of the group. “It’s what he does in his normal job, and he’s able to translate a lot of those skills over,” proclaims the front woman. Therefore, McCourt was the one who flew to L.A. to meet with Ray. There, he presented her with Gloom Girl’s plans and goals. Surmises MacKinnon, “I think Stacy was impressed by that.”
Even though they weren’t actively looking for a label, the young players had been taking, and are still taking, the quest to succeed quite seriously. Playing 27 gigs that year maximized the odds they’d forge a fruitful connection. They were also savvy enough to have their attorney review the label’s offer before signing. Though they negotiated for the best deal possible, their lawyer’s insistence that what they had was more than fair gave them the reassurance to accept.
Another factor that imbued the band with confidence in SFTU is creative control. “They don’t, for the most part, tell us what kind of art to make,” reports MacKinnon. “I would add that as one of the reasons we felt they were a good partner.”
Gloom Girl MFG’s shiny new EP, Polycrisis, comes out this year.
