Anthem Records is an

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 ...

based in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada. The company was formed in May 1977 by

Ray Danniels Ray Danniels is a Canadian music executive, record producer, and talent manager. He's the founder of SRO (Standing Room Only) Management group, as well as independent record labels Moon Records and Anthem Records. He first rose to prominence ...

and Vic Wilson with initial recording artists Rush,

Max Webster Max Webster was a Canadian hard rock band formed in Toronto in 1972. The band's founder, Kim Mitchell, enjoyed a long and successful solo career in their native Canada. Biography Initially a trio for their first gigs in December 1972, the ori ...

, Liverpool and

A Foot in Coldwater A Foot in Coldwater, also known as AFIC, was a Canadian rock band of the 1970s and 1980s. Its original lineup of musicians included Alex Machin (vocals), Bob Horne (keyboard), Paul Naumann (guitar), Danny Taylor (drums), and Hughie Leggat (bass ...

. The three members of Rush,

Geddy Lee Geddy Lee (born Gary Lee Weinrib; July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. Lee joined the band in September 1968, at the re ...

Neil Peart Neil Ellwood Peart OC (; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian-American musician, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush. Peart earned numerous awards for his musical performances, including an ...

and

Alex Lifeson Aleksandar Živojinović, (born 27 August 1953), known professionally as Alex Lifeson (), is a Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist and backing vocalist of the progressive rock band Rush. In 1968, Lifeson co-founded the band that wo ...

became associate directors of Anthem.

Background

The label's predecessor was Moon Records. Anthem was formed so that Rush would have more control of their work at home in Canada (their international deal with

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...

initially included Canada), and so other Canadian bands would have a home, as they could not get signed by the major labels' offices in Toronto or Montreal. Anthem's sister company is SRO Management, also run by Danniels and Wilson, overseeing flagship act Rush and other bands, on and off Anthem.

Lawrence Gowan Lawrence Henry Gowan (born 22 November 1956) is a Scottish born Canadian singer and keyboardist. He was born in Glasgow and raised in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario. Gowan has been both a solo artist and lead vocalist and keyboard ...

had also recorded for the label before joining Styx in 1999. In November 2015, Anthem was acquired by Ole Media Management. In June 2019, Ole rebranded as Anthem.

Discography

References

External links

*
Informational essay (archived)
Canadian independent record labels Record labels established in 1977 Rock record labels Heavy metal record labels Rush (band) {{Canada-record-label-stub

Background

Discography

See also

References

External links