FRE Records
Encyclopedia
FRE Records was a Toronto, Ontario based independent
record label
in the 1990s. It was originally formed by former employees of Enigma Records
after that label's Canadian operations folded.
The best-known bands on FRE were April Wine
and Skydiggers
.
In 1996, FRE filed for bankruptcy, and many of the records that had been released on the label, including Skydiggers' Restless
(one of the bestselling Canadian indie records of the 1990s), ceased to be available in record stores.
In 1999, the Skydiggers recorded a new version of Restless, titled Still Restless: The Lost Tapes
, since they still could not obtain their original master tapes from the label.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
in the 1990s. It was originally formed by former employees of Enigma Records
Enigma Records
Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s. It was initially a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/distributor, which it split-off from in 1985 to become its own company...
after that label's Canadian operations folded.
The best-known bands on FRE were April Wine
April Wine
April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969. According to the band, they chose the name 'April Wine' simply because members thought the two words sounded good together...
and Skydiggers
Skydiggers
Skydiggers are a Canadian roots rock band from Toronto, Ontario.-Biography:Formed in 1987 by singer Andy Maize and lead guitarist Josh Finlayson, the band soon added rhythm guitarist Peter Cash, drummer Wayne Stokes and bassist Ron Macey to their lineup...
.
In 1996, FRE filed for bankruptcy, and many of the records that had been released on the label, including Skydiggers' Restless
Restless (Skydiggers album)
Restless is a 1992 album by Skydiggers. It was the band's most commercially successful release, and produced their biggest chart hit, "A Penny More"....
(one of the bestselling Canadian indie records of the 1990s), ceased to be available in record stores.
In 1999, the Skydiggers recorded a new version of Restless, titled Still Restless: The Lost Tapes
Still Restless: The Lost Tapes
Still Restless: The Lost Tapes is a 1999 album by Skydiggers.The album is a different recording of the band's 1992 disc Restless. The 1996 bankruptcy of FRE Records had left the original album, the band's most popular, unavailable in record stores...
, since they still could not obtain their original master tapes from the label.