Civilians (record Label)
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Civilians is an independent record label based in
Melbourne, Australia Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung/ or ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most-populous city in Australia, after Sydney. The city's name generally refers to a metropolitan area also known ...
. Founded in 2013 by co-managing directors Leigh Grupetta and Stu Harvey in partnership with
Martin Goldschmidt Martin Goldschmidt is a British music executive. He's the co-founder and chairman of UK independent record label Cooking Vinyl and co-founder of Essential Music & Marketing. Early career Goldschmidt attended the Polytechnic of Wales (now the Un ...
, Civilians was originally known as
Cooking Vinyl Australia Civilians is an independent record label based in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 2013 by co-managing directors Leigh Grupetta and Stu Harvey in partnership with Martin Goldschmidt, Civilians was originally known as Cooking Vinyl Australia. A ...
. After eleven years operating as Cooking Vinyl Australia, they unveiled a new name in September 2024, one that removed any lingering confusion about their connection with Martin Goldschmidt's lauded U.K. label
Cooking Vinyl Cooking Vinyl is a British independent record label, based in Acton, London, England. It was founded in 1986 by former manager and booking agent Martin Goldschmidt and his business partner Pete Lawrence. Goldschmidt remains the current owner an ...
. Civilians boasts a diverse roster including the likes of
Fanny Lumsden Edwina Margaret Lumsden, (born 18 December 1986) professionally known as Fanny Lumsden, is an Australian country music singer and songwriter. She has released 4 albums and 3 EPs. Biography Lumsden was born in Tallimba, a tiny town in central Ne ...
,
Emma Donovan Emma Donovan (born 1981) is an Aboriginal Australian singer and songwriter. She is a member of the renowned musical Donovan family. She started her singing career at age seven with her uncle's band, the The Donovans, Donovans. In 2000, she became ...
, King Stingray, Eliza & The Delusionals, Windwaker and
Luca Brasi Luca Brasi is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather'', as well as its 1972 film adaptation. In the film, he was portrayed by Lenny Montana, an ex-wrestler and former bodyguard and enforcer for the Colombo crime fami ...
and supplies label services to various partners, including
Thirty Tigers Thirty Tigers is an American music marketing, distribution and management company for independent artists, based in Nashville. History The company was founded in 2002 by David Macias and Deb Markland and is distributed by The Orchard. In 20 ...
, Run For Cover,
Resist A resist, used in many areas of manufacturing and art, is something that is added to parts of an object to create a pattern by protecting these parts from being affected by a subsequent stage in the process. Often the resist is then removed. For ...
, Greyscale and Dine Alone.


History

After working together at Shock records, Leigh Gruppetta and Stu Harvey founded Civilians (formerly known as Cooking Vinyl Australia) in 2013, in a partnership with Martin Goldschmidt, the London-based Cooking Vinyl Group Founder & CEO. In 2016, Civilians launched a music publishing division based in Sydney, Australia. Reporting directly to Goldschmidt, Cooking Vinyl Publishing is a standalone company overseen by Matthew Donlevy, the former managing director of
Peermusic Peermusic is a United States–based independent Music publisher (popular music), music publisher. History Ralph Peer, a field recording engineer and Artists and repertoire, A&R representative for Victor Records, went on a scouting trip to Brist ...
. In 2018, Civilians partnered with
Sony Music Australia Sony Music Entertainment Australia is the predominant record label operated by American parent company Sony Music Entertainment in Australia. Prior to 1995, SMEA published and distributed video games in Australia & New Zealand on behalf of So ...
with Sony making "a significant investment" in the Indie label. As part of the arrangement, Cooking Vinyl Australia's recordings would be distributed globally through Sony's distributor and label services company The Orchard.
"We are thrilled about what the future holds as we enter this next phase of the business" - Leigh Gruppetta, ''The Music Network, 2018''
From 2022 - 2024 Civilians signed numerous Australian acts including the likes of Melbourne/Naarm based band
CIVIC Civic is something related to a city or municipality. It also can refer to multiple other things: Civic or CIVIC can also refer to: General *Honda Civic, a car produced by the Honda Motor Co. *Civics, the science of comparative government * Civic ...
, alternative rock band,
Jebediah Jebediah are an Australian alternative rock band formed in 1994 in Perth, Western Australia. They were formed by Chris Daymond on lead guitar, Bob Evans (musician), Kevin Mitchell (aka Bob Evans) on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, and Vanessa T ...
, and latest signing, The Southern River Band. After eleven years as Cooking Vinyl Australia, the Melbourne-based label launched a rebrand, unveiling a new name and look to remove any confusion regarding their association with Cooking Vinyl UK. Now known as Civilians, the independent label continues to grow with new signings said to be on the horizon. “It's a new name, a renewed focus but the same us,” says Gruppetta of Civilians, in a statement. “We remain committed to everything that has driven our growth over the past 11 years.”


Label partners

Civilians works with a variety of international and domestic label partners to release and promote music in Australia and New Zealand. These include: * Bargain Bin *
Dine Alone Records Dine Alone Records is a Canadian and American record label, founded in St. Catharines and Toronto by Joel Carriere. The label is now based in Toronto, Nashville and Los Angeles. History Dine Alone was born out of founder Joel Carriere's home ...
* Greyscale Records * Resist Records *
Run For Cover Records Run for Cover Records is an American independent record label based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 2004 by Jeff Casazza at the age of 17 with a $1,000 loan, the label functioned as a small one-person bedroom operation in Brighton, until Casa ...
*
Thirty Tigers Thirty Tigers is an American music marketing, distribution and management company for independent artists, based in Nashville. History The company was founded in 2002 by David Macias and Deb Markland and is distributed by The Orchard. In 20 ...


Artists


Current

* Baroness * Ceres *
Civic Civic is something related to a city or municipality. It also can refer to multiple other things: Civic or CIVIC can also refer to: General *Honda Civic, a car produced by the Honda Motor Co. *Civics, the science of comparative government * Civic ...
* Eliza & the Delusionals * Emma Donovan & the Putbacks *
Fanny Lumsden Edwina Margaret Lumsden, (born 18 December 1986) professionally known as Fanny Lumsden, is an Australian country music singer and songwriter. She has released 4 albums and 3 EPs. Biography Lumsden was born in Tallimba, a tiny town in central Ne ...
*
Hands Like Houses Hands Like Houses are an Australian rock band from Canberra. Formed in 2008, the group is currently signed to Hopeless Records and UNFD. Their debut album, '' Ground Dweller'', was released on 13 March 2012, charting at number 141 on the ''Bil ...
*
High Tension ''High Tension'' (French: ''Haute tension'', ; also known as ''Switchblade Romance'' in some English-speaking countries) is a 2003 French slasher film directed by Alexandre Aja, co-written with Grégory Levasseur, and starring Cécile de France ...
*
Jebediah Jebediah are an Australian alternative rock band formed in 1994 in Perth, Western Australia. They were formed by Chris Daymond on lead guitar, Bob Evans (musician), Kevin Mitchell (aka Bob Evans) on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, and Vanessa T ...
* Jenny Mitchell * King Stingray *
Luca Brasi Luca Brasi is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather'', as well as its 1972 film adaptation. In the film, he was portrayed by Lenny Montana, an ex-wrestler and former bodyguard and enforcer for the Colombo crime fami ...
*
Parkway Drive Parkway Drive are an Australian metalcore band from Byron Bay, New South Wales, formed in 2003. Parkway Drive have released seven studio albums, one EP, two DVDs, a split album and one book, titled ''Ten Years of Parkway Drive''. The band's la ...
* PUP * Stumps *
The Southern River Band The Southern River Band is musical band from Thornlie, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Formed in 2013, their fourth album, ''D.I.Y.'', became their first to enter the ARIA top 50. The group signed with Cooking Vinyl Australia in 2024. Me ...
* Tyler Richardson * Windwaker


Past

* Boydos * Calling All Cars * Elizabeth Fader * Endless Heights * Ivan Ooze * Johnny Hunter *
Kate Miller-Heidke Kate Melina Miller-Heidke ( ; born 16 November 1981) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Although classically trained, she has generally followed a career in alternative pop music. She signed to Sony Australia, Epic in the US and RCA in t ...
*
Mike Noga The Drones were an Australian rock band, formed in Perth by mainstay lead vocalist and guitarist Gareth Liddiard in 1997. Fiona Kitschin, his domestic partner, joined on bass guitar and vocals in 2002. Other long-term members include Rui Perei ...
* Sarah Wolfe *
The Chats The Chats are an Australian punk rock band that formed in 2016 in the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. They describe their sound as "shed rock". The current band lineup is composed of guitarist Josh Hardy, drummer Matt Boggis, and bassist and vocali ...
* Tracy McNeil & the Goodlife {{col-end


See also

* Cooking Vinyl UK (UK, 1986–); founded by former manager and booking agent
Martin Goldschmidt Martin Goldschmidt is a British music executive. He's the co-founder and chairman of UK independent record label Cooking Vinyl and co-founder of Essential Music & Marketing. Early career Goldschmidt attended the Polytechnic of Wales (now the Un ...
and business partner Pete Lawrence in
Acton, London Acton () is a town in West London, England, within the London Borough of Ealing. It is west of Charing Cross. At the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census, its four Wards of the United Kingdom, wards, East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton ...
, England in 1986. *
List of record labels File:Alvinoreyguitarboogie.jpg File:AmMusicBunk78.jpg File:Bingola1011b.jpg Lists of record labels cover record labels, brands or trademarks associated with marketing of music recordings and music videos. The lists are organized alphabetically, ...
*
Sony Music Australia Sony Music Entertainment Australia is the predominant record label operated by American parent company Sony Music Entertainment in Australia. Prior to 1995, SMEA published and distributed video games in Australia & New Zealand on behalf of So ...
(Australia, 2004–); operated by American parent company
Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
* The Orchard (US, 1997–); founded by Scott Cohen and
Richard Gottehrer Richard Gottehrer (born June 12, 1940) is an American songwriter, record producer and record label executive. His career began as a Brill Building songwriter in the 1960s. His first number one record as a songwriter and producer was " My Boyfr ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. A subsidiary of Sony Music, the company specialises in media distribution, marketing and sales across music and entertainment.


References

Record labels based in Melbourne