Free Dirt Records is an American

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

and label services company founded in 2006 by John Smith and Erica Haskell that releases folk and

roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

music. The label's releases have received two

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

nominations.

History

John Smith met Erica Haskell when Haskell interned at

Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was fou ...

in 2000. Later while Haskell was attending graduate school in ethnomusicology they collaborated on a box set of spoken word introductions paired with original songs by anarchist folk musician and storyteller

Utah Phillips Bruce Duncan "Utah" Phillips (May 15, 1935 – May 23, 2008)
, KVMR, Nevada City, California, May 24, 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2008 ...

before founding Free Dirt Records in 2006. The label's first official release was by the traditional Bosnian group

Mostar Sevdah Reunion Mostar Sevdah Reunion is a world-fusion musical ensemble from Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina playing almost exclusively sevdalinka fused with contemporary musical styles. The band is composed of experienced musicians and often collaborates with r ...

. Smith and Haskell ventured to create a label where they could work with young artists making traditionally rooted music and showcase often overlooked material like spoken word. Since 2006, the label has released music by

Pokey LaFarge Pokey LaFarge (born Andrew Heissler, June 26, 1983) is an American musician, writer, and actor. Early life LaFarge was born Andrew Heissler in Bloomington, Illinois. The nickname "Pokey" was coined by his mother, who would scold him to hurry ...

, Anna & Elizabeth,

Hackensaw Boys The Hackensaw Boys are a string band based in central Virginia that formed in 1999. The band has drawn on many musical influences and are " own best for rowdy, energetic live shows." They have performed at Bonnaroo, Lockn', FloydFest, and the Al ...

Julian Lage Julian Lage ( ; born December 25, 1987) is an American guitarist and composer. Career A child prodigy, Lage was the subject of the 1996 short documentary film ''Jules at Eight''. At 12, he performed at the 2000 Grammy Awards. Three years later ...

Chris Eldridge Chris Eldridge is an American guitarist and singer. He is a member of Punch Brothers and frequently performs in a duo with fellow guitarist Julian Lage. He is also the guitarist in the house band on Live From Here. He was a founding member of the ...

(Grammy-nominated), Cahalen Morrison, Che Apalache (Grammy-nominated), Dori Freeman, JP Harris, and The Two Man Gentlemen Band. Free Dirt also works with PM Press to co-release spoken word and folk music. Together they've put out lectures by

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is ...

and

Howard Zinn Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922January 27, 2010) was an American historian, playwright, philosopher, socialist thinker and World War II veteran. He was chair of the history and social sciences department at Spelman College, and a political scien ...

and music from

Chumbawamba Chumbawamba () were a British rock band formed in 1982 and disbanded in 2012. They are best known for their 1997 single "Tubthumping", which was nominated for Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. Other singles include "Amnesia", " Enou ...

Leon Rosselson Leon Rosselson (born 22 June 1934, Harrow, Middlesex, England) is an English songwriter and writer of children's books. After his early involvement in the folk music revival in Britain, he came to prominence, singing his own satirical songs, i ...

and

Robb Johnson Robb Jenner Johnson (born 25 December 1955) is a British musician and songwriter who has been called "one of the last genuinely political songwriters". He is known for his mix of political satire and wit. He has his own record label, Irregular ...

, among others. Free Dirt also distributes a number of independent roots record labels including Jalopy (Brooklyn), Big Muddy (St. Louis), Hi-Style (Nashville), Mashed Potato (New Orleans), and Gar Hole (Fayetteville). Free Dirt is based in

Takoma, Washington, D.C. Takoma, Washington, D.C., is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C. It is located in Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B, in the District's Fourth Ward, within the northwest quadrant. It borders the city of Takoma Park, Maryland. Overview Takom ...

and currently managed by Jonathan Een Newton.

Roster

References

External links

*
Free Dirt Records at Discogs.com
{{Authority control Folk record labels Bluegrass record labels American country music record labels World music record labels American independent record labels American record labels Reissue record labels Record labels established in 2006 Ethnomusicology Companies based in Washington, D.C. Takoma (Washington, D.C.)

History

Roster

See also

References

External links