Manager Mike Polans began working with bluegrass/Americana quintet Horseshoes & Hand Grenades last August. As luck would have it, the company Polans works for, 7S Management, also handles The Infamous Stringdusters, a likeminded outfit 12 years into their career. As the groups toured together, they formed an intimate bond. “There’s a real friendship between us,” insists Adam Greuel, guitarist for the newcomers from Wisconsin regarding the relationship between them and their Grammy-nominated brethren.
Having recorded an album over five days in January of 2017 with Trampled By Turtles singer-songwriter Dan Simonett, they found themselves pondering how to release it. (Their first three studio albums had been released independently.) There’d been an offer from Nashville’s Thirty Tigers, but personnel changes meant that deal would never blossom.
Fortuitously, the Stringdusters had been contemplating creating their own label. Fast forward to Feb. 16 and The Ode is Tape Time’s inaugural release. The concept behind Tape Time is simple––a home for artists, by artists. The situation allows them to talk frankly about goals and concerns. Says Polans, “We were able to jump in and really approach the label thing from an artist’s standpoint.”
“Like any positive relationship,” reveals Greuel, “there are candid conversations we’re able to have that keep things running smoothly.” He insists any deal be based around positive relationships. “It’s easy to get excited about signing with a label, but diving into things blindly is rarely the best route.”
Date Signed: Jan. 25, 2018
Label: Tape Time Records
Type of Music: Bluegrass/Americana
Band Members: David C Lynch, harmonica, accordion, spoons, vocals; Collin Mettelka, fiddle, mandolin, vocals; Russell Pedersen, banjo, fiddle, vocals; Adam Greuel, guitar, dobro, vocals; Samual Odin, bass.
Management: Mike Polans - 7S Management; Scott Leslie - Majestic Music Management, [email protected]
Booking: Jason Kupperman - Paradigm Talent Agency, jkupperman@ paradigmagency.com
Legal: Collin Mettelka
Publicity: Todd Brodginski, [email protected]
Web: hhgmusic.com
A&R: Phil Einsohn - Time Tape Records, [email protected]
