Secretly Canadian 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 and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...
based in
Bloomington, Indiana, part of the
Secretly Group. The Secretly Group includes record labels
Dead Oceans and
Jagjaguwar as well as a
music publisher
A music publisher is a type of publisher that specializes in distributing music. Music publishers originally published sheet music. When copyright became legally protected, music publishers began to play a role in the management of the intellectu ...
known as Secretly Publishing, representing artists, writers, film makers, producers, and comedians.
History
Secretly Canadian was founded in
1996 by Chris and Ben Swanson, Eric Weddle, and Jonathan Cargill while they attended
Indiana University. Before Secretly Canadian was founded, Chris Swanson and Eric Weddle met in 1995 in Indiana University's campus radio station,
WIUX. Then Chris met Jonathan Cargill through a job at the Collins Living-Learning Center cafeteria on campus. Soon after, Chris' younger brother Ben Swanson moved to Bloomington to earn his undergraduate degree from the
Jacobs School of Music in
musicology
Musicology is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, ...
.
In 1996, Secretly Canadian was founded. The label's first official release was a re-issue of an album by
June Panic from
Grand Forks, North Dakota; the ''Glory Hole'' CD. The second release in 1997 was
Jason Molina's, under the
Songs: Ohia moniker,
often referred to as "The Black Album". After the Swanson brothers tracked down Molina's email address and drove hours to Molina's in-store gig at Adult Crash in New York. After signing Molina, the record label became more popular in the indie music scene. Secretly Canadian then signed
Marmoset and
Swearing At Motorists. Weddle soon left to form label Family Vineyard – and later followed by Cargill as well. After that, Chris Swanson and Darius Van Arman became friends in 1999 and Secretly Canadian joined forces with Van Arman's
Jagjaguwar.
The early 2000s yielded reissues from
Swell Maps,
Nikki Sudden, and
Danielson.
Damien Jurado, the Seattle singer-songwriter, made his way to Secretly Canadian in 2002. Two years later,
Jens Lekman joined the label's roster.
Anohni also signed to the label in the 2000s. Formerly known as
Antony and the Johnsons earlier in her career, the Swanson brothers became enamored with
Antony and the Johnsons’ self-titled debut from 2000. Antony and the Johnsons’ first record with Secretly Canadian,
I Am a Bird Now, released in 2005, sold 100,000 copies in the first two months.
Secretly Canadian then signed
The War on Drugs, the Philadelphia-based band whose third record,
Lost in the Dream, struck as both a critical and commercial success in 2014. Secretly Canadian also began a partnership with Chimera Records in the form of
Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono (, usually spelled in katakana as ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.
Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York ...
's reissues beginning in 2016, and the debut release from
William Eggleston, in 2017. Secretly Canadian's roster also includes
Cherry Glazerr,
Whitney,
Alex Cameron,
Joey Dosik,
Stella Donnelly,
Faye Webster, and
serpentwithfeet
Jonathan Josiah Wise (born July 9, 1988), known professionally as serpentwithfeet, is an R&B singer based in Brooklyn, New York City. Wise signed with the English record label Tri Angle (record label), Tri Angle to release his debut extended pl ...
, among many others.
In 2007, the addition of
Dead Oceans to Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar's partnership led to the formation of
Secretly Group. In 2015, Secretly Group began a partnership with
The Numero Group as well.
In 2018, Secretly Canadian was listed as #8 on ''
Paste Magazine's'' top 10 record labels of 2018. Jagjaguwar was listed as #4 and
Dead Oceans was listed as #7.
Artists
*
Alasdair Roberts
*
Alex Cameron
*
Anohni
*
Anohni and the Johnsons
*
Ativin
*
Ben Abraham
*
BLK JKS
*
Bobb Trimble
*
Bodies of Water
A body of water or waterbody is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of Earth or another planet. The term most often refers to oceans, seas, and lakes, but it includes smaller pools of water such as ponds, wetlands, or more ra ...
*
Catfish Haven
*
Cayucas
*
Cherry Glazerr
*
Damien Jurado
*
Danielson
* Dave Fischoff
*
David Vandervelde
*
Don Lennon
*
Dungeonesse
*
Early Day Miners
*
Electric Youth
* Emily Angeles
*
Faye Webster
*
Foreign Born
*
Frida Hyvonen
*
Gardens & Villa
* Havergal
*
The Horns of Happiness
*
I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness
*
The Impossible Shapes
*
Instruments of Science & Technology
* Intro to Airlift
*
Jason Molina
* The Japonize Elephants
*
Jens Lekman
*
JJ
*
Joey Dosik
*
Jorma Whittaker
*
June Panic
*
Little Scream
*
Loren Kramar
*
Luke Temple
*
Magnolia Electric Co.
*
Major Lazer
* Makeness
*
Marmoset
*
Molina and Johnson
*
Music Go Music
*
Nightlands
* Nikki Sudden & The Jacobites
*
Nite Jewel
* Normanoak
* The Panoply Academy
*
Porcelain Raft
*
Porridge Radio
*
Racebannon
*
Richard Swift
*
Scout Niblett
*
serpentwithfeet
Jonathan Josiah Wise (born July 9, 1988), known professionally as serpentwithfeet, is an R&B singer based in Brooklyn, New York City. Wise signed with the English record label Tri Angle (record label), Tri Angle to release his debut extended pl ...
* She-Devils
*
Shura
Shura () is the term for collective decision-making in Islam. It can, for example, take the form of a council or a referendum. The Quran encourages Muslims to decide their affairs in consultation with each other.
Shura is mentioned as a praise ...
*
Simon Joyner
*
Songs: Ohia
*
Stella Donnelly
*
Steven A. Clark
*
Suuns
* Suzanne Langille & Loren MazzaCane Connors
*
Swearing at Motorists
*
Swell Maps
*
Taken By Trees
*
Throw Me The Statue
*
Tig Notaro
*
Tomas Barfod
* Tren Brothers
*
The War on Drugs
*
Whitney
*
Windsor for the Derby
*
Woman's Hour
*
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
*
Yeasayer
*
Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono (, usually spelled in katakana as ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.
Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York ...
* Zero Boys
Notable awards and honors
A2IM LIBERA AWARDS (US)
* 2015, Secretly Canadian, Label of the Year (finalist)
* 2014, Secretly Canadian, Label of the Year (finalist)
AIM INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS (UK)
* 2014, Secretly Group – Independent Label of the Year (nominated)
See also
*
Secretly Group
*
Dead Oceans
*
Jagjaguwar
References
External links
*
SC Distribution
{{Authority control
Record labels established in 1996
American independent record labels
Indie rock record labels
Bloomington, Indiana