Artist director Bruce Kalmyk has launched independent label Wyatt Road Records in partnership with Firebird, which will provide distribution and label services.
The new label, which is wholly owned by Austin, Texas-based Kalmick, will target what he calls “modern Western rock and roll artists.” He coined the term, he explains, as he tried to “capture what this new explosion of country music should be called to the everyday listener. I think it accurately captures country, southern rock, alternative, folk, indie, and the bad presence of that very obscure genre.”
The label's initial artists include several of WHY & HOW's management clients, including Whiskey Myers, Angel White and Southall, with plans to also sign artists not affiliated with the management company. Artist promotion and development veteran Laura Bender will oversee the day-to-day operations of the label out of Nashville.
The majority of artists at Wyatt Road will retain partial ownership of their teachers with levers for full ownership. “The more experienced and successful an artist is, the more we believe they should own their bosses,” says Kalmick Bulletin board. “A band like Whiskey Myers has always had its masters and that won't change with Wyatt Road. But young up-and-coming artists like Angel White will start their careers with a more traditional setup, but with more upside and an easier path to full ownership.”
Bruce Kalmyk
Frank Dipinto
Artists on the roster will also have the opportunity to take advantage of a share of the streaming rights once they reach certain milestones, Kalmick says. “The goal is to ensure that all Wyatt Road artists have at least a 50/50 partnership, but we will look toward more artist-friendly splits. We want to push for nothing less than the vast blue sky when it comes to what artists can gain from consuming their work.”
Kalmick, whose management roster also includes Chase Rice, Danielle Bradbery and Echosmith, says he created the label because he feels “the current record label system is broken, where the shareholders are more important than the artists and the music they put out world”. he says. “This conflict of interest has effectively taken away the essential work required to truly develop artists and nurture new acts. With a pioneering approach and partnership with Firebird, we are able to put artists first every step of the way.”
WHY & HOW was already working with Firebird. In 2022, Firebird acquired a stake in Coran Capshaw's Red Light Management. Then, in May 2023, WHY&HOW partnered with Red Light, with WHY&HOW's 20 marketing, creative and branding staff joining Red Light Management's operations.
“Deciding to partner with Firebird was an easy decision because we both share the same ideology that artists need to regain their independence and that creates a stronger link to their streaming success and bank accounts,” says Kalmick. “We believe the extra revenue will be used to further build their careers down the road. The cost to break a band around the world is higher than ever, so we're finding ways to put profits back into their accounts and push them to break in new territories like New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and beyond. »
“Firebird Music is thrilled to expand our relationship with Bruce Kalmick by partnering with Wyatt Road Records.” Kenny WeaglyFirebird vp and head of artist & label services, said in a statement. “This gives us a greater opportunity to apply our free artist mentality, global distribution, recorded music and wide range of in-house resources through Firebird Label Services.”
The first release from Wyatt Road Records, White's Ghost of the West: Volume 1it's out now.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/pro/artist-manager-bruce-kalmick-founds-wyatt-road-records-whiskey-myers/
