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Dead Oceans

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Dead Oceans
Founded2007 (2007)
FounderChris Swanson
Ben Swanson
Darius Van Arman
Jonathan Cargill
Phil Waldorf
Distributor(s)Secretly Distribution
GenreVarious
Country of originUnited States
LocationBloomington, Indiana
Official websitewww.deadoceans.com

Dead Oceans is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin.[1] Dead Oceans is a label included in Secretly Group, which also includes Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar. Secretly Group includes the three record labels as well as a music publisher known as Secretly Publishing, representing artists, writers, filmmakers, producers, and comedians.[2]

History

In 2007, Phil Waldorf left Misra Records after nearly a decade of managing the label to form Dead Oceans with Chris Swanson, Ben Swanson, Darius Van Arman, and Jonathan Cargill of Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar.[3][4]

Before becoming the head of Dead Oceans, Waldorf was a Virginia native with a teenage love of skateboarding and punk rock seven-inches. He left home to go to college in Athens, Georgia, where he worked at the college radio station, WUOG, as their music director, and in the city's underground music scene.[5] While there, Waldorf came to know future indie bands Neutral Milk Hotel and Olivia Tremor Control in their formative years, going to early house shows before both bands rose to underground fame.[6][7]

In 1998, Waldorf moved to New York City when he was hired by the iconic record store, Other Music.[8] While working at Other Music, Waldorf also managed an indie label, Misra Records.[9][10] After some time, Chris Swanson and Waldorf became friends and began talking about the possibility of working together.[11]

After deciding to partner on a new label, Chris Swanson suggested the name Dead Oceans. The name is lifted from the lyrics of Bob Dylan's “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” (1962):[12][13]

“I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans

I’ve been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard

And it’s a hard, and it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard

And it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.” [14]

In 2007, Waldorf officially started Dead Oceans with the Swanson brothers, Van Arman, and Cargill. The addition of Dead Oceans to Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar's partnership led to the formation of Secretly Group.

As the label began, some of their earliest releases include titles such as Phosphorescent's Pride, Dirty Projectors’ Rise Above, and Akron/Family's Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free – ranging from folk to art punk to groove-y rock.[15] Since then, Dead Oceans has grown to include Julianna Barwick, Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers, Japanese Breakfast, Ryley Walker, The Tallest Man on Earth, Kevin Morby, Marlon Williams, and many others.[16]

In 2015, Secretly Group began a partnership with The Numero Group as well.

In 2017, the label released Nineties shoegaze band Slowdive’s return to the industry with their first album after a 22 year hiatus.[17][18][19]

In 2018, Dead Oceans was listed as #7 on Paste Magazine's top 10 record labels of 2018. Jagjaguwar was listed as #4 and Secretly Canadian was listed as #8.[20]

Artists

Notable honors and awards

GRAMMY AWARDS (US/GLOBAL)

  • 2021, Phoebe Bridgers - Best New Artist (pending)
  • 2021, Phoebe Bridgers, ‘Punisher’ - Best Alternative Music Album (pending)
  • 2021, Phoebe Bridgers, ‘Kyoto’ - Best Rock Performance (pending)
  • 2021, Phoebe Bridgers, ‘Kyoto’ - Best Rock Song (pending)
  • 2019, Mitski, ‘Be The Cowboy’ - Best Recording Package (nominated)

A2IM LIBERA AWARDS

  • 2019, Dead Oceans – Label of the Year (finalist)
  • 2019, Phosphorescent, ‘C’est La Vie’ - Best Country/Americana Album (finalist)
  • 2019, Khruangbin, ‘Con Todo El Mundo’’ - Best Outlier Album (WON)
  • 2019, Mitski, ‘Be The Cowboy’ - Album of the Year (finalist)
  • 2019, Mitski – Best Live Act (finalist)
  • 2019, Mitski, ‘Be The Cowboy’ - Best Rock Album (finalist)
  • 2019, Shame, ‘Songs of Praise - Best Rock Album (finalist)
  • 2019, Durand Jones & The Indications, ‘Durand Jones & The Indications’ - Best R&B Album (finalist)
  • 2019, Mitski, ‘Be The Cowboy’ - Creative Packaging (finalist)
  • 2019, Khruangbin, ‘Con Todo El Mundo’ - Marketing Genius (finalist)
  • 2019, Mitski, ‘Nobody’ - Video of the Year (WON)
  • 2018, Dead Oceans – Label of the Year (WON)
  • 2018, Slowdive, ‘Slowdive’ - Album of the Year (WON)
  • 2018, Phoebe Bridgers, ‘Stranger in the Alps’ - Best American Roots & Folk Album (finalist)
  • 2018, Kevin Morby, ‘City Music’ - Best American Roots & Folk Album (finalist)
  • 2018, Slowdive – Marketing Genius (finalist)
  • 2017, Mitski, ‘Your Best American Girl’ - Video of the Year (finalist)
  • 2017, Ryley Walker, ‘Golden Sings That Have Been Sung’ - Best Country/Americana/Folk Album (finalist)
  • 2014, Phosphorescent, ‘Muchacho’ - Album of the Year (finalist)
  • 2013, Bear In Heaven, ‘I Love You, It’s Cool’ - Light Bulb Marketing Award (finalist)

AIM INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS (UK)

  • 2019, Better Oblivion Community Center, ‘s/t’ - Best Independent Album (nominated)
  • 2018, Dead Oceans – Independent Label of the Year (nominated)
  • 2018, Shame, ‘Songs of Praise’ - Album of the Year (nominated)
  • 2018, Phoebe Bridgers, ‘Stranger in the Alps’ - Album of the Year (nominated)
  • 2018, Shame, ‘One Rizia’ - Track of the Year (nominated)
  • 2018, Phoebe Bridgers, ‘Motion Sickness’ - Track of the Year (nominated)
  • 2018, Phoebe Bridgers – International Breakthrough (WON)
  • 2014, Secretly Group – Independent Label of the Year (nominated)

NME AWARDS (UK)

  • 2018, Shame – Best New Artist (nominated)

GRAMMIS AWARDS (SWEDEN)

  • 2011, Tallest Man on Earth – Male Artist of the Year (nominated)

VUT VIA AWARDS (GERMANY)

  • 2018, Slowdive – Best Album (nominated)

See also

References

  1. ^ "Secretly Group". secretlygroup.com. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  2. ^ "Secretly Publishing |". Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  3. ^ Austin Powell, "Dead Oceans Making Waves" Austin Chronicle, October 19, 2007.
  4. ^ Dave Maher, "Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar Birth Dead Oceans" Archived 2008-10-11 at the Wayback Machine Pitchfork Media, February 19, 2007.
  5. ^ "Phil Waldorf". RNZ. 2015-09-12. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  6. ^ Lynch, David; Fri.; Nov. 14; 2003. "Sheiks of Industry". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved 2019-11-11. {{cite web}}: |last4= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Haupt, Melanie; Fri.; July 23; 2004. "Manifesto Destiny". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved 2019-11-11. {{cite web}}: |last4= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Schroeder, Audra; Fri.; Aug. 4; 2006. "The Cult of Pitchfork". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved 2019-11-11. {{cite web}}: |last4= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ sjohnson@nuvo.net, Seth Johnson Music Editor. "Dan Bejar's Way With Words". NUVO. Retrieved 2019-11-11. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  10. ^ Powell, Austin; Fri.; Oct. 19; 2007. "Dead Oceans". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved 2019-11-11. {{cite web}}: |last4= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ "LIVE FROM THE BEEHIVE". Indiana Daily Student. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  12. ^ "About". deadoceans.com. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  13. ^ Shepler, Jack. "Record roundup of early 2007's Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar CDs". NUVO. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  14. ^ "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall | The Official Bob Dylan Site". www.bobdylan.com. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  15. ^ Media, Mood (2012-08-16). "Featured Label: Dead Oceans – DMX Music Blog". Mood Media Blog. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  16. ^ Fink, Matt. "Mitski – The Under the Radar Cover Story". undertheradarmag.com. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  17. ^ "Slowdive return with new song after 22 years (were savvy in naming themselves "slow" dive)". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  18. ^ "Slowdive on Reuniting for the Band's First Album in 22 Years". Observer. 2017-04-26. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  19. ^ "Slowdive on Their First Album in 22 Years and Why Shoegaze Came Back". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  20. ^ "The 10 Best Record Labels of 2018". pastemagazine.com. 2018-12-31. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
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