Fiddler Records
Encyclopedia
Fiddler Records was a small independent record label
serving as the launching pad for several artists seminal to the pop
, punk
and emo
genres. Starting as the brainchild of 16 year old entrepreneur Amy Fleisher in 1996, the label became well known for its early releases from marquee artists Dashboard Confessional
and New Found Glory
. Over the course of 10 years, Fiddler Records developed a steady roster of successful artists such as The Bled
, The Higher
, Recover
, Juliette & The Licks, Name Taken
and Classic Case
.
Currently, the Fiddler Records catalog is maintained by the small LA based label/distribution hybrid Hello My Name Is Records.
After saving $600 from promoting several shows over the course of several months at Cheers, Fleisher invested the money in a 7” by the band Vacant Andys (led by then unknown Chris Carrabba
of Dashboard Confessional
). The gold vinyl release was titled Anodyne, and marked the first release from both an artist and label showing signs of much bigger things on the horizon.
's It's All About the Girls
(1997), which assisted the band in breaking nationwide. It eventually sold more than 80,000 copies, as New Found Glory went on to pop-punk stardom earning multiple gold records for major labels. Fiddler began climbing the music industry ladder by signing to the Toledo, Ohio based small distribution outfit Lumberjack Distribution, helping to develop some of the roster’s core releases from such artists as Recover
, The Agency, and The Gray AM.
In March 2000, Fiddler released The Swiss Army Romance
, a solo record from Chris Carrabba
’s solo project titled Dashboard Confessional
. The record quickly garnered critical national acclaim, and within a few months the first pressing of CDs had sold out and Carrabba left his band Further Seems Forever
to pursue Dashboard Confessional full-time. In order to meet the swelling demand, The Swiss Army Romance was sold from Fiddler to the MCA Records
subsidiary Drive-Thru Records
.
. In March 2003, MCA folded into Geffen Records
, which inherited Fiddler's contract. While Fiddler’s agreement with MCA kept them bound to Geffen, during the three years under this arrangement, the now fully staffed label released records from The Bled
(who later went to Vagrant Records
), The Higher
, Poulain, and Salem.
In 2005, Fiddler parted ways with Geffen and signed a distribution agreement with RED Distribution
, where they released records from Name Taken
, The Higher, Juliette & The Licks and a release from At All Cost under Fiddler’s sub-label “The Imprint.”
Former Fiddler owner, Fleisher, has re-entered the music business with the first single on her new label, Jackie Darling, also partnered with Hello My Name Is Records. Jackie Darling's first artist is XO
, a side project of Say Anything
members Jeff and Jake Turner.
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
serving as the launching pad for several artists seminal to the pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
genres. Starting as the brainchild of 16 year old entrepreneur Amy Fleisher in 1996, the label became well known for its early releases from marquee artists Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, led by singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" from the debut album The Swiss Army Romance....
and New Found Glory
New Found Glory
New Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...
. Over the course of 10 years, Fiddler Records developed a steady roster of successful artists such as The Bled
The Bled
The Bled is a hardcore band from Tucson, Arizona. The group formed in 2001, originally under the name "The Radiation Defiance Theory", but changed it because of its length...
, The Higher
The Higher
The Higher is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. They were originally known as "September Star". They have released two full length albums named On Fire, Histrionics and EPs named "Pace Yourself" and "Star is Dead"...
, Recover
Recover (band)
-History:Recover comprised Dan Keyes , Robert Mann , Ross Tweedy , and Santiago "Jimmy" Vela . The four first started playing together while in high school, but didn't officially form Recover until 2000. The band recorded a four-song demo in the spring of 2000...
, Juliette & The Licks, Name Taken
Name Taken
Name Taken was a rock band from Orange, California. They were originally known as All That's Left in October 1999 until they discovered that the name was already taken; thus the name "Name Taken". The band started in the eighth grade where they would play shows in their amphitheatre at lunch...
and Classic Case
Classic Case
Classic Case was an American rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina formed in 2002.-Biography:Vocalist/guitarist Jared Draughon and guitarist Mitchell Marlow formed the band in the early months of 2002 in their hometown of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They had played in a punk band together...
.
Currently, the Fiddler Records catalog is maintained by the small LA based label/distribution hybrid Hello My Name Is Records.
The Origin
Fiddler Records started in 1996 by Amy Fleisher at age 16. What started as Fleisher passing out photocopies of her fanzine, Fiddler Jones, in the parking lot of Miami punk venue Cheers, became one of the most historic pop-punk labels of the late 90’s and early 00’s.After saving $600 from promoting several shows over the course of several months at Cheers, Fleisher invested the money in a 7” by the band Vacant Andys (led by then unknown Chris Carrabba
Chris Carrabba
Christopher Ender Carrabba is the lead singer and guitarist of the band Dashboard Confessional, and is the vocalist for the American emo/indie rock band Further Seems Forever.-Biography:...
of Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, led by singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" from the debut album The Swiss Army Romance....
). The gold vinyl release was titled Anodyne, and marked the first release from both an artist and label showing signs of much bigger things on the horizon.
Getting Off The Ground
Fiddler began building a roster with several records, including the label's forth release, New Found GloryNew Found Glory
New Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...
's It's All About the Girls
It's All About the Girls
It's All About the Girls is the debut EP by A New Found Glory released on December 20, 1997 by Fiddler Records. It is the only release with their original drummer Joe Moreno...
(1997), which assisted the band in breaking nationwide. It eventually sold more than 80,000 copies, as New Found Glory went on to pop-punk stardom earning multiple gold records for major labels. Fiddler began climbing the music industry ladder by signing to the Toledo, Ohio based small distribution outfit Lumberjack Distribution, helping to develop some of the roster’s core releases from such artists as Recover
Recover (band)
-History:Recover comprised Dan Keyes , Robert Mann , Ross Tweedy , and Santiago "Jimmy" Vela . The four first started playing together while in high school, but didn't officially form Recover until 2000. The band recorded a four-song demo in the spring of 2000...
, The Agency, and The Gray AM.
In March 2000, Fiddler released The Swiss Army Romance
The Swiss Army Romance
The Swiss Army Romance is the first full-length album by Dashboard Confessional. It had an original short release on Fiddler Records, but soon a decision was made to sell the album to Drive-Thru Records. Drive-Thru released the album on November 14, 2000...
, a solo record from Chris Carrabba
Chris Carrabba
Christopher Ender Carrabba is the lead singer and guitarist of the band Dashboard Confessional, and is the vocalist for the American emo/indie rock band Further Seems Forever.-Biography:...
’s solo project titled Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, led by singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" from the debut album The Swiss Army Romance....
. The record quickly garnered critical national acclaim, and within a few months the first pressing of CDs had sold out and Carrabba left his band Further Seems Forever
Further Seems Forever
Further Seems Forever is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Pompano Beach, Florida and disbanded in 2006. Over the course of their career the band experienced several lineup changes, resulting in a different lead vocalist performing on each of their three studio albums...
to pursue Dashboard Confessional full-time. In order to meet the swelling demand, The Swiss Army Romance was sold from Fiddler to the MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
subsidiary Drive-Thru Records
Drive-Thru Records
Drive-Thru Records, established in 1996, was a California-based record label owned by siblings Richard and Stefanie Reines. It has produced various pop punk bands, many with a distinct SoCal sound....
.
15 Seconds
In November 2002, Fiddler signed a label/distribution deal with MCA RecordsMCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. In March 2003, MCA folded into Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, which inherited Fiddler's contract. While Fiddler’s agreement with MCA kept them bound to Geffen, during the three years under this arrangement, the now fully staffed label released records from The Bled
The Bled
The Bled is a hardcore band from Tucson, Arizona. The group formed in 2001, originally under the name "The Radiation Defiance Theory", but changed it because of its length...
(who later went to Vagrant Records
Vagrant Records
Vagrant Records is an indie rock label based in Los Angeles, California and is home to such artists as The Hold Steady, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Active Child, PJ Harvey, Reptar, School of Seven Bells, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Thrice, James Vincent McMorrow, Placebo, and many...
), The Higher
The Higher
The Higher is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. They were originally known as "September Star". They have released two full length albums named On Fire, Histrionics and EPs named "Pace Yourself" and "Star is Dead"...
, Poulain, and Salem.
In 2005, Fiddler parted ways with Geffen and signed a distribution agreement with RED Distribution
RED Distribution
RED - An Artist Development Company is a Sony Music Entertainment-owned sales and marketing division that handles releases for over sixty independent record labels....
, where they released records from Name Taken
Name Taken
Name Taken was a rock band from Orange, California. They were originally known as All That's Left in October 1999 until they discovered that the name was already taken; thus the name "Name Taken". The band started in the eighth grade where they would play shows in their amphitheatre at lunch...
, The Higher, Juliette & The Licks and a release from At All Cost under Fiddler’s sub-label “The Imprint.”
Winding Down
After many staff changes, office spaces and band break-ups, Fiddler was dismantled in 2006. Once again solely operated by Fleisher, Fiddler closed and left the label website with only the words “Gone fission' Fiddler no longer exists in the physical nor the metaphysical world. Thanks for the postcards. We're all out of cats.”Life After Death
In late 2008, a small LA based label/distribution hybrid named Hello My Name Is Records resurrected the historic label’s catalog, assisting it back into the physical and metaphysical world once again, ensuring the legacy of Fiddler live on.Former Fiddler owner, Fleisher, has re-entered the music business with the first single on her new label, Jackie Darling, also partnered with Hello My Name Is Records. Jackie Darling's first artist is XO
XO
XO may refer to:* Executive officer in the military* Executive order, an edict by a member of the executive branch of a government* Xanthine oxidase, an enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of hypoxanthine to xanthine...
, a side project of Say Anything
Say Anything (band)
Say Anything is an American indie-punk band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Max Bemis. The band was formed in 2000 with Bemis and four of his friends. Within two years, they self-released two EPs, Junior Varsity and In Your Dreams, and the full-length Baseball: An Album by Sayanything.In...
members Jeff and Jake Turner.
Discography
- FR001 - Vacant Andys - Anodyne (1996, 7")
- FR002 - The Skalidays - We Outgrew the Water Fountain (1996, 7")
- FR003 - The Skalidays - Late Again (1997)
- FR004 - New Found GloryNew Found GloryNew Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...
- "It's All About The Girls" - (1997, CDEP) - FR005 - Milkshed - "Time" (1997)
- FR006 - The Agency - "Fork, Knife and Spoon" (1998, CDEP)
- FR007 - Poopy Pants - "Anal Devastation" (1998, CDEP)
- FR008 - Various Artists - "The Shortest Distance: A South Florida Compilation" (1999, CD)
- FR009 - The Grey A.M. - "Move the Monuments East (1999, CD)
- FR010 - The Agency - "Engines" (2000)
- FR011 - Dashboard ConfessionalDashboard ConfessionalDashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, led by singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" from the debut album The Swiss Army Romance....
- "The Swiss Army RomanceThe Swiss Army RomanceThe Swiss Army Romance is the first full-length album by Dashboard Confessional. It had an original short release on Fiddler Records, but soon a decision was made to sell the album to Drive-Thru Records. Drive-Thru released the album on November 14, 2000...
" (2000, CD) - FR012 - Dashboard ConfessionalDashboard ConfessionalDashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, led by singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" from the debut album The Swiss Army Romance....
- The DrowningThe Drowning EPThe Drowning EP is Dashboard Confessional's first EP recorded by the band's founding member Chris Carrabba. It was released on February 27, 2001 through Fiddler Records...
(2001, CDEP) - FR013 - SevilleSeville (band)Seville is a rock group formed in the winter of 2001, by Mike Marsh of the Agency and Dan Bonebrake of The Vacant Andys, joined the now-well-known Dashboard Confessional...
- "Waiting in Seville (2001, CDEP) - FR014 - RecoverRecover (band)-History:Recover comprised Dan Keyes , Robert Mann , Ross Tweedy , and Santiago "Jimmy" Vela . The four first started playing together while in high school, but didn't officially form Recover until 2000. The band recorded a four-song demo in the spring of 2000...
- "Ceci N'est Pas Recover" (2002, CDEP) - FR015 - Poulain - "For Passengers" (2003, CDEP)
- FR016 - The BledThe BledThe Bled is a hardcore band from Tucson, Arizona. The group formed in 2001, originally under the name "The Radiation Defiance Theory", but changed it because of its length...
- "Pass the Flask" (2003) - FR017 - The HigherThe HigherThe Higher is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. They were originally known as "September Star". They have released two full length albums named On Fire, Histrionics and EPs named "Pace Yourself" and "Star is Dead"...
- "Star Is Dead" (2004, CDEP) - FR018 - SalemSalem (US band)Salem was formed in Gainesville, FL, August 2002 by former members of the post-hardcore band As Friends Rust. Shortly after forming, the band had managed to tour worldwide as well as appear on the Warped Tour before signing in 2003 to Fiddler Records...
- "Love It or Leave MeLove It or Leave MeLove It or Leave Me was Salem's sole release. Most of these songs were played live at shows before the EP was recorded.-Track listing:# "Smoke and Mirrors" # "Cancel the Sun" # "Confession" # "Aphrodite's Tears"...
" (2003, CDEP) - FR019 - Name TakenName TakenName Taken was a rock band from Orange, California. They were originally known as All That's Left in October 1999 until they discovered that the name was already taken; thus the name "Name Taken". The band started in the eighth grade where they would play shows in their amphitheatre at lunch...
- "Hold On" (2004, CD) - FR020 - Juliette & The Licks - "...Like a Bolt of Lightning" (2004, CDEP)
- FR021 - The HigherThe HigherThe Higher is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. They were originally known as "September Star". They have released two full length albums named On Fire, Histrionics and EPs named "Pace Yourself" and "Star is Dead"...
- "Histrionics" (2005, CD) - FR022 - Juliette & The Licks - "You're Speaking My Language" (2005, CD)
- FR023 -
- FR024 - Maida - "Renaissance In Reverse (2005, CD)
- FR025 - Classic CaseClassic CaseClassic Case was an American rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina formed in 2002.-Biography:Vocalist/guitarist Jared Draughon and guitarist Mitchell Marlow formed the band in the early months of 2002 in their hometown of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They had played in a punk band together...
- "Dress to Depress" (2005) - IMP001 - At All Cost - "Shattered Dreams and Bourgeois Schemes" (2004, CDEP)
- IMP002 - Maida - "Remove the Funeral Attire" (2004, CDEP)