Undertow Music
Encyclopedia
Undertow began in 1996 as a collective
of independent artist
s, musicians, filmmakers
, designer
s and creative managers
sharing resources, ideas, and a love of music
. Undertow Music operates offices in St. Louis, Champaign, Seattle, and Portland
.
Undertow has released records for artists such as Jay Bennett
(of Wilco
fame), Will Johnson
(of Centro-Matic
), Amazing Pilots, Artificial Hearts, The Redwalls
, The Cush, Nadine, Magnolia Summer, Glossary, Dreadful Yawns, Waterloo, Anna Fermin
, Steve Dawson, Dolly Varden
, J. Tillman
, South San Gabriel
., Centro-matic
, Via Audio.
in 1996 after he joined forces with Mark Ray's record label for the release of Nadine's debut album. The original roster was Nadine, Centro-matic, and Dolly Varden
. Andrews split his time between the label and management until 2002 when he started focusing solely on artist management while expanding the roster to include Pedro the Lion
, Grammy Award winner Jesse Harris
and American Music Club
.
The management roster expanded and new managers joined the collective in 2004, 2006 and 2008.
Managers at Undertow include; Bob Andrews, Adam Klavohn, Caleb Palma, Christine Sanley, Jefferson Macklin, and Chris Grabau.
Undertow's current management roster includes:
and Europe
, billed as The Undertow Orchestra
. Members of the touring group included David Bazan
(of Pedro the Lion
and Headphones
), Mark Eitzel
(of American Music Club
), Will Johnson
and Scott Danbom (of Centro-Matic
), and Vic Chesnutt
.
Collective
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together on a specific project to achieve a common objective...
of independent artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s, musicians, filmmakers
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
s and creative managers
Talent manager
A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
sharing resources, ideas, and a love of music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. Undertow Music operates offices in St. Louis, Champaign, Seattle, and Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
.
Record Label
Undertow Records was started in 1996 by Mark Ray when he released albums by his band, Waterloo and a band they shared a studio space with, Nadine. Undertow serves as a conduit for artists to release their albums to a wider audience through digital, retail, and direct sales outlets. The artists retain ownership and control of their music at all times. No formal contracts are drawn up between artists and Undertow.Undertow has released records for artists such as Jay Bennett
Jay Bennett
Jay Walter Bennett was an American guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, engineer, producer, and singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band Wilco.-Early life and work with Wilco:...
(of Wilco
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
fame), Will Johnson
Will Johnson (musician)
Will Johnson is the leader of Texas indie rock band Centro-matic. He also fronts South San Gabriel and releases albums and tours as a solo artist. He was also a founding member of the Undertow Orchestra and Baboon and joined Monsters of Folk in 2010....
(of Centro-Matic
Centro-Matic
Centro-Matic is an alternative country band based in Denton, Texas. It started in 1995 as a side-project for Will Johnson. It released a few singles that year and grew into a full-fledged group in 1997. The initial 60 songs recorded in a Millstadt, Illinois studio supplied the material for the...
), Amazing Pilots, Artificial Hearts, The Redwalls
The Redwalls
The Redwalls are a two-member rock band from Deerfield, Illinois, in suburban Chicago.-History:Nearly two years after Universal Blues the band would release their second studio album , titled De Nova, on June 21, 2005...
, The Cush, Nadine, Magnolia Summer, Glossary, Dreadful Yawns, Waterloo, Anna Fermin
Anna Fermin
Anna Fermin is an American folk/country singer and songwriter.Fermin was born in the Philippines but moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin with her family when she was a small child. Fermin attended art school in Chicago from 1989 and began playing acoustic guitar there. She has cited Steve Earle's song...
, Steve Dawson, Dolly Varden
Dolly Varden
Dolly Varden may refer to:* Dolly Varden , a character in the novel Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens. The original usage.* Dolly Vardens , a group of Black women baseball players that comprised the first professional baseball team* Dolly Varden , a musical group from Chicago, Illinois* Dolly Varden...
, J. Tillman
J. Tillman
Joshua Tillman is an American folk singer, guitarist and songwriter. He is also the current drummer for the Seattle-based band Fleet Foxes...
, South San Gabriel
South San Gabriel (band)
South San Gabriel is an alternative country band based in Denton, Texas.The band is named after the San Gabriel river fork north of Austin, Texas. The group consists of the same players from Centro-matic with the inclusion of guests, but focuses on more introspective and subdued offerings from...
., Centro-matic
Centro-Matic
Centro-Matic is an alternative country band based in Denton, Texas. It started in 1995 as a side-project for Will Johnson. It released a few singles that year and grew into a full-fledged group in 1997. The initial 60 songs recorded in a Millstadt, Illinois studio supplied the material for the...
, Via Audio.
Artist Management
Undertow artist management was started by Bob AndrewsBob Andrews (artist manager)
Bob Andrews is a founding member of the Undertow Music Collective and an artist manager.Andrews got his start in the music business in 1991 managing the drum department at the historic in downtown Nashville. In 1993 he took a job as tour manager for Uncle Tupelo and worked with them until their...
in 1996 after he joined forces with Mark Ray's record label for the release of Nadine's debut album. The original roster was Nadine, Centro-matic, and Dolly Varden
Dolly Varden
Dolly Varden may refer to:* Dolly Varden , a character in the novel Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens. The original usage.* Dolly Vardens , a group of Black women baseball players that comprised the first professional baseball team* Dolly Varden , a musical group from Chicago, Illinois* Dolly Varden...
. Andrews split his time between the label and management until 2002 when he started focusing solely on artist management while expanding the roster to include Pedro the Lion
Pedro the Lion
Pedro the Lion was an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. Singer-songwriter David Bazan formed the band in 1995 and represented its main creative force, backed by a varying rotation of collaborating musicians. T. W. Walsh is considered to be the sole official band member besides Bazan. In...
, Grammy Award winner Jesse Harris
Jesse Harris
Jesse Harris is a Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter. He has collaborated with several musical artists including Norah Jones, Melody Gardot, Madeleine Peyroux, Nikki Yanofsky, and Lizz Wright.-Early life and education:...
and American Music Club
American Music Club
American Music Club is a San Francisco-based alternative rock band led by singer-songwriter Mark Eitzel.-History:Although born in California, Eitzel spent his formative years in Okinawa, Taiwan, Great Britain and Ohio before returning to the Bay Area in 1981...
.
The management roster expanded and new managers joined the collective in 2004, 2006 and 2008.
Managers at Undertow include; Bob Andrews, Adam Klavohn, Caleb Palma, Christine Sanley, Jefferson Macklin, and Chris Grabau.
Undertow's current management roster includes:
- The Bottle RocketsThe Bottle RocketsThe Bottle Rockets are an American rock band formed in 1992, currently based in St. Louis, Missouri. The founding members are Brian Henneman , Mark Ortmann , Tom Parr and Tom Ray . Current members are Henneman, Ortmann, John Horton and Keith Voegele...
- Centro-MaticCentro-MaticCentro-Matic is an alternative country band based in Denton, Texas. It started in 1995 as a side-project for Will Johnson. It released a few singles that year and grew into a full-fledged group in 1997. The initial 60 songs recorded in a Millstadt, Illinois studio supplied the material for the...
- Cotton Jones
- David BazanDavid BazanDavid Bazan is an indie rock singer-songwriter from Seattle, Washington. Bazan was the lead singer and creative force behind the now-defunct band Pedro the Lion and was the lead singer of Headphones, a band he formed out of his interest in synthesizers...
- HeadlightsHeadlights (band)Headlights is an American indie rock band from Champaign, Illinois on Polyvinyl Records. The band was formed following the dissolution of Absinthe Blind, when members Erin Fein, Seth Fein and Brett Sanderson formed a band named Orphans...
- HeadphonesHeadphones (band)Headphones was an American indie rock-synth band with members David Bazan , Frank Lenz of Starflyer 59, and T. W. Walsh...
- Jesse HarrisJesse HarrisJesse Harris is a Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter. He has collaborated with several musical artists including Norah Jones, Melody Gardot, Madeleine Peyroux, Nikki Yanofsky, and Lizz Wright.-Early life and education:...
- Pedro the LionPedro the LionPedro the Lion was an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. Singer-songwriter David Bazan formed the band in 1995 and represented its main creative force, backed by a varying rotation of collaborating musicians. T. W. Walsh is considered to be the sole official band member besides Bazan. In...
- South San GabrielSouth San GabrielSouth San Gabriel may refer to:* South San Gabriel, California* South San Gabriel...
- Steve DawsonSteve DawsonSteven "Dobby" Dawson , is an English bass guitarist, founder of Saxon.Dawson was the inspiration for Harry Shearer's Spinal Tap character Derek Smalls.-Saxon:*Saxon *Wheels of Steel...
- Dolly VardenDolly VardenDolly Varden may refer to:* Dolly Varden , a character in the novel Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens. The original usage.* Dolly Vardens , a group of Black women baseball players that comprised the first professional baseball team* Dolly Varden , a musical group from Chicago, Illinois* Dolly Varden...
- Will JohnsonWill Johnson (musician)Will Johnson is the leader of Texas indie rock band Centro-matic. He also fronts South San Gabriel and releases albums and tours as a solo artist. He was also a founding member of the Undertow Orchestra and Baboon and joined Monsters of Folk in 2010....
- Rocky VotolatoRocky VotolatoRocky Votolato is an American singer-songwriter. He was born in Dallas, Texas on March 8, 1977. He was raised in a small town called Frost, roughly 50 miles south of Dallas, until the age of 13. After his parents were divorced, his mother remarried and moved the family to the Pacific Northwest...
- Via AudioVia AudioVia Audio is an American indie pop band from Brooklyn, New York. Their first full-length album Say Something, was released in 2007 by Sidecho Records, to glowing reviews from prominent independent music publications such as Pitchfork Media, Alternative Press, Spin Magazine, & Tiny Mix Tapes...
The Undertow Orchestra
In 2006, a group of Undertow artists toured the USUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, billed as The Undertow Orchestra
The Undertow Orchestra
The Undertow Orchestra was an indie rock "supergroup" organized by Bob Andrews of Undertow Music Collective. The band existed only as a touring ensemble and consisted of "four of today’s most under the radar, yet prolific singer-songwriters," David Bazan , Mark Eitzel , Will Johnson , and Vic...
. Members of the touring group included David Bazan
David Bazan
David Bazan is an indie rock singer-songwriter from Seattle, Washington. Bazan was the lead singer and creative force behind the now-defunct band Pedro the Lion and was the lead singer of Headphones, a band he formed out of his interest in synthesizers...
(of Pedro the Lion
Pedro the Lion
Pedro the Lion was an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. Singer-songwriter David Bazan formed the band in 1995 and represented its main creative force, backed by a varying rotation of collaborating musicians. T. W. Walsh is considered to be the sole official band member besides Bazan. In...
and Headphones
Headphones (band)
Headphones was an American indie rock-synth band with members David Bazan , Frank Lenz of Starflyer 59, and T. W. Walsh...
), Mark Eitzel
Mark Eitzel
Mark Eitzel is a musician, best known as a songwriter and lead singer of the San Francisco band American Music Club.-History:Eitzel spent his formative years in a military family living in Okinawa, Taiwan, Ohio and the United Kingdom. He moved to America in 1979.He started making music while he was...
(of American Music Club
American Music Club
American Music Club is a San Francisco-based alternative rock band led by singer-songwriter Mark Eitzel.-History:Although born in California, Eitzel spent his formative years in Okinawa, Taiwan, Great Britain and Ohio before returning to the Bay Area in 1981...
), Will Johnson
Will Johnson (musician)
Will Johnson is the leader of Texas indie rock band Centro-matic. He also fronts South San Gabriel and releases albums and tours as a solo artist. He was also a founding member of the Undertow Orchestra and Baboon and joined Monsters of Folk in 2010....
and Scott Danbom (of Centro-Matic
Centro-Matic
Centro-Matic is an alternative country band based in Denton, Texas. It started in 1995 as a side-project for Will Johnson. It released a few singles that year and grew into a full-fledged group in 1997. The initial 60 songs recorded in a Millstadt, Illinois studio supplied the material for the...
), and Vic Chesnutt
Vic Chesnutt
James Victor "Vic" Chesnutt was an American singer-songwriter from Athens, Georgia. His first album, Little, was released in 1990, but his breakthrough to commercial success didn't come until 1996 with the release of Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation, a tribute album of mainstream artists...
.