Fearless 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 ...

that was founded in 1994. Fearless is based in

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...

, and is best known for its early

pop punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...

moments captured in the ''Fearless Flush Sampler'' and ''Punk Bites'' releases, as well as additional releases by bands such as Bigwig and Dynamite Boy; and later Sugarcult; Plain White T's; The Aquabats;

Amely Amely was an American rock band from Orlando, Florida, United States, formed in 2008. The band comprised four members; Petie Pizarro (Vocals/Guitar), Brandon Walden (Guitar), Patrick Ridgen (Bass) and Nate Parsell (Drums). The sound of the band ...

; and

post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has be ...

releases by At the Drive-In and

Anatomy of a Ghost Anatomy of a Ghost was an American emo band from Portland, Oregon, some of whose members originally hailed from Alaska. History Anatomy of a Ghost formed early in 2002 and gained popularity through live performances and through internet promoti ...

. However, the label has experimented with different styles in recent years. Acts such as Blessthefall,

The Word Alive The Word Alive is an American metalcore band formed in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2008. The band was signed to Fearless Records since their formation. In 2022, they changed their label and signed to Thriller Records. The band currently consists of ...

Ice Nine Kills Ice Nine Kills (sometimes stylized in all capital letters or abbreviated to INK, and formerly known as Ice Nine) is an American heavy metal band from Boston, Massachusetts, who are signed to Fearless Records. Best known for its horror-inspire ...

, Mayday Parade, Pierce The Veil, Starset, The Pretty Reckless,

Underoath Underoath (stylized as Underøath or UnderOath) is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton on November 30, 1997, in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional membe ...

and

The Color Morale The Color Morale is an American metalcore band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 2007. The band includes vocalist/keyboardist Garret Rapp, guitarists Devin King and Aaron Saunders, bassist Mike Honson, and drummer Steve Carey. Rapp and Carey are ...

have showcased post-hardcore,

metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use ...

, hard rock and alternative rock bands that have emerged in recent years. Fearless Records' releases were distributed in the US by RED Distribution, but after Concord Music Group's purchase of the label in 2015, it is now distributed by Universal Music Group worldwide.

History

Bob Becker started Fearless Records when he was selling his friends records at their shows. He would also go to record stores and put their records on consignment. The record label name came from Becker not knowing what he was doing at the time and "not being afraid to jump in head first." Fearless Records was officially formed in 1994. In 2000, Fearless Records released ''

Punk Goes Metal ''Punk Goes Metal'' was the first compilation album to be released as part of the '' Punk Goes...'' series created by Fearless Records. It features covers of hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typifi ...

,'' the first

compilation album A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for rel ...

from the '' Punk Goes...'' series. Since then the ''Punk Goes...'' series has expanded. It has included seven '' Punk Goes Pop'' releases, two '' Punk Goes Acoustic'' releases, ''

Punk Goes 80's ''Punk Goes 80's'' is the fourth in album in the '' Punk Goes...'' series created by Fearless Records. It contains covers of songs that were popular in the 1980s covered by various alternative rock, and pop punk bands. This is also the first albu ...

'' and '' 90's'', '' Punk Goes Crunk,'' '' Punk Goes Classic Rock,'' and

Punk Goes X ''Punk Goes X: Songs from the 2011 Winter X Games'' is the eleventh compilation album released from the '' Punk Goes...'' series created by Fearless Records. It was released on January 25, 2011, and features cover songs that were featured at the ...

which features cover songs that were featured at the 2011

Winter X Games Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures ...

. '' Punk Goes Pop 5'' was released on November 6, 2012. On January 1, 2014, Fearless Records released a video on their page on YouTube announcing bands that will be releasing albums in 2014 and also announced Fearless Records' compilation of Punk Goes 90's 2. In 2005, Fearless Records released the studio album ''

All That We Needed ''All That We Needed'' is the third studio album by American rock band Plain White T's, released on January 25, 2005. This is Plain White T's second album with Fearless Records. In July 2007, after the release of '' Every Second Counts'' (2006), ...

'' by Plain White T's, a thirteen-song collection that proved to be a breakthrough for both the label and the Illinois-based band. " Hey There Delilah", a single from that album, reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, became a success for the label and was certified as a

multi-platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

single. On November 8, 2010, Fearless announced the release of a Christmas-themed compilation album, titled 'Tis the Season to Be Fearless. It would feature eight of their signed artists recording original songs. The album was available for pre-ordering on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...

the same day, and was released on November 22, 2010. three years later, Fearless Records released Punk Goes Christmas featuring original & cover tracks from All Time Low, ISSUES, New Found Glory, and more. In 2011, Fearless Records released

Breathe Carolina Breathe Carolina are an American electronic music duo from Denver, Colorado, currently composed of David Schmitt and Tommy Cooperman. The band formed in 2007 and have released five albums, and nine EPs. Their latest studio album, '' Dead: The ...

's album ''

Hell Is What You Make It ''Hell Is What You Make It'' is the third studio album by electronic rock duo Breathe Carolina. It was released on July 12, 2011 through Fearless Records. Recording for the album took place in Los Angeles, California between 2010-2011 whilst p ...

''. " Blackout", a single from the album, became another success for the label. It debuted at No. 32 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was certified as a gold single. In October 2012, Fearless Records announced that they had launched a sister label called "Old Friends Records", which would sign more indie rock artists including Hellogoodbye. In November 2013, Fearless Records announced a second imprint label called " Outerloop Records", along with their first signing

. The label, with a back-catalog of about 150 albums, was acquired by Concord Bicycle Music in May 2015 for an estimated $10,000,000.

Artists

Current

* The Almost * American Teeth * As It Is * Archetypes Collide * Capstan * Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! * Chase Atlantic * Eat Your Heart Out * Grayscale * I Prevail *

I Dont Know How But They Found Me I Dont Know How But They Found Me (stylized in all caps), often shortened to IDKHow (stylized as iDKHOW), is an American musical duo based in Salt Lake City, Utah and formed in 2016. The band consists of lead vocalist and bassist Dallon Weekes a ...

* Locket * Movements * My Enemies & I * My Kid Brother * NOT A TOY * Kill the Lights * Oceans Ate Alaska * Parting Gift * Pierce the Veil * Plain White T's * The Plot in You * The Pretty Reckless * Set It Off * Starset *

* Until I Wake * Varials * Volumes * Windwaker * Wage War

Old Friends Records artists

* Carousel * Hellogoodbye * The Static Jacks * Wild Party

Former

30 Foot Fall 30 Foot Fall (stylized as 30footFALL) is an American punk rock band that began in Houston, Texas.30 Foot FallMyspace.com/ref> History The band played their first show on Mother's Day in 1993Fitzgeralds, "Fitzgerald's Christmas Show W/30 Foot ...

Alesana Alesana ( ) is an American post-hardcore band from Raleigh, North Carolina. The group was founded by Shawn Milke, Dennis Lee and Patrick Thompson during the fall of 2004, and is currently signed to Revival Recordings and Artery Recordings. Ale ...

* The Almighty Trigger Happy *

* The Aquabats *

Artist vs. Poet Artist vs. Poet was an American power pop band from Fort Worth, Texas, United States, formed in late 2007 by Jason Dean, Craig Calloway, Jeff Olsen, Patrick Rigden, Joe Kirkland, Joe Westbrook, and Tarcy Thomason. After many changes in the band, ...

August Burns Red August Burns Red is an American metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. The band's current lineup consists of lead guitarist John Benjamin "JB" Brubaker, rhythm guitarist Brent Rambler, drummer Matt Greiner, lead vocalist ...

A Skylit Drive A Skylit Drive is an American post-hardcore band from Lodi, California. The band has released one DVD, one EP and five studio albums: '' Wires...and the Concept of Breathing'' (2008), '' Adelphia'' (2009), '' Identity on Fire'' (2011), ''Ris ...

* A Static Lullaby * At the Drive-In * Bazookas Go Bang! * Beefcake *

Bickley Bickley is a district and a local government electoral ward in South East London, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located 10.4 miles (16.7 km) south east of Charing Cross, bordering Elmstead to the north, Chislehurst to the no ...

* Bigwig * Blessthefall * Blount *

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

* Brightwell * Chuck * Classic Case *

* Cruiserweight * Dead Lazlo's Place *

The Downtown Fiction The Downtown Fiction was an American rock band from Fairfax, Virginia. The band consisted of guitarist and lead vocalist Cameron Leahy, bassist and backing vocalist David Pavluk, guitarist and backing vocalist Wes Dimond, and drummer Kyle Rodg ...

* Drunk In Public * Dynamite Boy * Every Avenue * Eve 6 * Eye Alaska * Family Values * Fed Up * Follow My Lead * For All Those Sleeping * Forever the Sickest Kids *

The Fully Down The Fully Down was a Canadian rock band that was formed in Ottawa, Ontario in 1999, with the touring lineup coming together in 2003. History The band's original lineup recorded; but never released a record titled ''The Way of the Fully Down''. ...

* Gatsbys American Dream * Get Scared *

Glasseater Glasseater was a post-hardcore band from Miami, Florida. The band formed in 1998 as a duo, eventually expanding to a quintet. History The band signed to Matt Fox's record label Ides of March in 1999, releasing their debut album ''Miles Ahea ...

* Glue Gun * Gob *

Go Radio Go Radio is an American rock band from Tallahassee, Florida, formed by former Mayday Parade vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Jason Lancaster in April 2007. The band toured with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, A Day to Remember, as well as Mayday Pa ...

* Grabbers * Invisible Boss * Jason Lancaster *

Junction 18 Junction 18 was a punk rock band out of Abington, Massachusetts from 1995 – 2006 signed to Fearless Records. History Junction 18 toured all the United States and Canada with bands such as New Found Glory,MacNeil, JasonJunction 18 Biography, ...

* Jakiro * Keepsake * The Killing Moon *

The Kinison The Kinison is a rock band formed in Oblong, Illinois, in 1999. The band is named after American comedian Sam Kinison. History In late January 2002, the band headed to California in search of a new bass player and drummer. Initially, they hired ...

* Knockout * Let's Get It * Logan Square * Lonely Kings * Lostprophets * The Maine * Mayday Parade * Milestones *

The Morning Light The Morning Light was an American pop rock band based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The group was signed to Fearless Records. History The Morning Light formed in 2006 after the breakup of local group Transition. Transition's bassis ...

* Motionless in White * Motherfist * Near Miss * Nipdrivers * The Outline * Patton Thomas * Portugal. The Man * Real Friends * Red Fish *

Rock Kills Kid Rock Kills Kid was an American art punk/alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California that consisted of Jeff Tucker (guitar and vocals), Shawn Dailey (bass), Sean Stopnik (guitar), Reed Calhoun (keyboards/vocals), and Mike Balboa (drums) ...

* RPM * So They Say * Sparks the Rescue * Starset * The Starting Line *

Straight Faced Straight Faced was an American rock band formed in Huntington Beach, California, United States, in 1992. Origin Straight Faced began as a Huntington Beach, California hardcore band named "Above All" in 1991. The founding members were Eric Glenn ...

* Sugarcult * Superman Please Don't * The Summer Set *

Sworn In Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon ', also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to giv ...

(disbanded) *

Tonight Alive Tonight Alive are an Australian rock band from Sydney. As of 2018, the band consists of lead vocalist Jenna McDougall, guitarist Jake Hardy, bassist Cameron Adler, and drummer Matty Best. Formed in 2008 by Hardy, Adler and Whakaio Taahi, soon ...

Upon This Dawning Upon This Dawning was an Italian metalcore band from Brescia, founded in 2007. They have released one EP and three studio albums. Their final album '' We Are All Sinners '' was released in April 2014. History The group was founded in Brescia, ...

* The White Noise *

* Whitekaps (also known as White Caps) * Yesterdays Rising

Discography

References

External links

*
Punknews.org Entry on Fearless Records
{{Authority control Record labels established in 1994 1994 establishments in California Record labels based in California Companies based in Culver City, California Rock record labels Alternative rock record labels Punk record labels Pop record labels Heavy metal record labels Post-hardcore record labels