Run for Cover 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 ...

based in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

, 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 Casazza graduated Suffolk University in 2010. Known for working with undiscovered young bands from all over the world, RFC can be credited for helping launch the careers of

Tigers Jaw Tigers Jaw is an American rock band from Scranton, Pennsylvania, formed in 2005. Their first album, ''Belongs to the Dead'', was released in 2006. They released a 7-inch single, "Spirit Desire", in 2009, on Tiny Engines. They released two mor ...

, Modern Baseball, Title Fight,

Citizen Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...

Turnover Turnover or turn over may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media *''Turn Over'', a 1988 live album by Japanese band Show-Ya * Turnover (band), an American rock band *"Turnover", a song on Fugazi's 1990 album '' Repeater'' *''Turnover'', a Japane ...

, Pinegrove, Basement, and many more, as well as working with already notable acts like Alex G, Camp Cope, mewithoutYou, Teen Suicide, and Nothing.

History

2004–2010

RFC was largely operated out of multiple apartments while Casazza attended Suffolk University. Releasing only 7-inch EPs and singles up until 2009, in 2010, the label released eight LPs, mostly from bourgeoning northeastern rock bands like Balance and Composure,

The Wonder Years ''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age comedy/drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black. It ran on ABC from January 31, 1988, until May 12, 1993. The series premiered immediately after ABC's coverage of Supe ...

, and Hostage Calm. The label started gaining traction quickly due to the rising DIY music scenes along the East Coast, most notably northeastern Pennsylvania, where Title Fight, Balance and Composure, Tigers Jaw, and other bands are from.

2011–2013

In 2011, the label moved into a downtown Back Bay apartment rented by Kevin Duquette, owner of Topshelf Records. At this time, the label officially hired its first employees, label manager Tom Chiari and high school friend Taylor Sullivan to handle mail-order. Later in the year, the label released Basement's debut LP '' I Wish I Could Stay Here'', eventually hiring guitarist Alex Henery in 2012. Also in 2011, RFC released the ''Mixed Signals'' compilation consisting of exclusive material from RFC artists, as well as friends and affiliated acts, including songs from Balance and Composure, The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, The Menzingers, and Tigers Jaw. The album was sold in hundreds of stores across the country for $4.99. In 2012, RFC signed

and

, the first bands to officially sign 3 album deals with the label. The first release with the label for both bands was a split 7-inch EP that quickly became the label's fastest-selling release at the time. The label started a subscription vinyl singles series in 2013, consisting of split 7-inches featuring Code Orange, Pity Sex, Adventures, Hostage Calm, The World Is a Beautiful Place, Tigers Jaw, and more.

2014–present

In 2014, RFC parted ways with distributors Revelation Records and Cobraside Distribution, signing a worldwide deal with

Alternative Distribution Alliance Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA) is a music distribution company owned by Warner Music Group, which represents the rights to various independent record labels. ADA provides "independent artist and label partners with access to the resource ...

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. (trade name, d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York C ...

's independent distribution arm. Later that year, RFC won "Record Label of the Year" from renowned Boston publication ''

The Improper Bostonian ''The Improper Bostonian'' was a glossy lifestyle magazine first published in August 1991 "highlighting the people and places that make Boston a world-class city." After 28 years, publisher Wendy Semonian Eppich announced that the magazine cease ...

''. 2015 saw the release of Turnover's sophomore LP '' Peripheral Vision'', which would go on to SoundScan over 100,000 copies. RFC launched Something In The Way Festival on December 14, 2016, selling out all three rooms of Webster Hall in New York City, and the Royale in Boston. The festival featured artists and friends curated by the label, including Modern Baseball, Basement, Citizen, Turnover, mewithoutYou, Pinegrove, Nothing, Alex G, Elvis Depressedly, Teen Suicide, Nicole Dollanganger, Crying,

Horse Jumper of Love Horse Jumper of Love is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. History Horse Jumper of Love released their self-titled first studio album in 2016 to mixed reviews. The single “Ugly Brunette” from the album premiered on Stereogum an ...

, and

Petal Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corolla''. Petals are usuall ...

. Their

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...

channel, which features songs and videos from artists on their roster, has 145,000 subscribers and over 117 million views (as of May 25, 2022). In 2019, RFC joined Captured Tracks,

Sacred Bones Sacred Bones Records is an American independent record label founded in 2007 and based in Brooklyn, New York. The label has released recordings from artists including Zola Jesus, David Lynch, John Carpenter, Blanck Mass, Crystal Stilts, Marissa ...

, Dead Oceans, Ghostly International and Jagjaguwar at

Secretly Distribution Secretly Group is a family of American independent record labels based in Bloomington, Indiana. The group is made up of Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, and Dead Oceans. Secretly Canadian, the first of the labels, was formed in 1996 by brothers ...

Current artists

Advance Base Casiotone for the Painfully Alone (CFTPA) was the musical solo-project of musician Owen Ashworth (born April 22, 1977) of Redwood City, California. CFTPA was active from 1997 to 2010, and released five studio albums, alongside numerous other re ...

Another Michael Another Michael is an American indie rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band is currently signed to Run for Cover Records. History Another Michael began in 2015 as the songwriting project of Michael Doherty. He released the first Ano ...

Anxious Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...

The Berries The Berries are an American rock band signed to Run for Cover Records. The band consists of members of the bands Happy Diving Happy Diving is an American rock music, rock band from Oakland, California. History Happy Diving began in 2014 with ...

* Camp Cope *

* Crying * Fiddlehead *

Field Medic Field Medic is the stage name of American lo-fi musician Kevin Patrick Sullivan. History He began releasing music with his older brother Sean in 2009, initially as Westwood & Willow and then with drummer Andrew Skewes-Cox as Rin Tin Tiger. He de ...

* Fury * Glass Beach * Healing Potpourri *

* Katie Dey * Makthaverskan * mewithoutYou *

Mini Trees Lexi Vega, better known by her stage name Mini Trees, is an American indie rock musician based in Los Angeles. She has toured with Julien Baker as well as Death Cab for Cutie, Tasha, Briston Maroney, Hovvdy, and Deep Sea Diver. Career Vega began ...

Narrow Head Narrow Head is an American alternative metal band from Dallas, Texas. The group was founded by vocalist Jacob Duarte in Dallas, but the band is now based in Houston. History Narrow Head formed in 2013 and released their debut album, ''Satisfact ...

* One Step Closer *

Portrayal of Guilt Portrayal of Guilt is an American hardcore punk band formed in Austin, Texas in 2017. It was founded by guitarist/vocalist Matt King, bassist Blake Given, and drummer James Beveridge. History Portrayal of Guilt formed when guitarist and vocal ...

Sadurn Sadurn is an American indie rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. History The band started as a solo project of Genevieve DeGroot in 2017 shortly after they had begun learning guitar and writing songs. Jon Cox joined the project later that y ...

* Self Defense Family *

Spencer Radcliffe Spencer Radcliffe is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and producer who has also composed instrumental music under the name Blithe Field. Career Radcliffe began releasing music in 2008 under the name Blithe Field, self-releasing an albu ...

Sun June Sun June is an American indie pop band from Austin, Texas. Overview Formed in Austin, Texas, Sun June released their first full-length album in 2018 titled ''Years'' via Keeled Scales. In October 2020, the group announced their second full-length ...

* Teen Suicide *

Varsity Varsity may refer to: *University, an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in various academic disciplines Places *Varsity, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Calgary, Alberta, Canada * Varsity Lakes ...

* Waveform* *

Westkust Westkust was a Swedish rock music, rock band from Gothenburg, Sweden. Formed in 2010, the band originally consisted of Julia Bjernelind (vocals), Brian Cukrowski (guitar), Philip Söderlind (drums) and Rikard Hjort (bass) before being joined by Ma ...

* Wicca Phase Springs Eternal *

Young Guv No Warning is a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto. History Early career and first two albums (1998–2003) The band was founded in 1998 under the name As We Once Were by singer Ben Cook, guitarist Matt Delong, bass player Christian ...

Past & affiliated artists

* Adventures * Agent * Alex G * Anne * Basement *

Bridge and Tunnel Bridge and Tunnel (often abbreviated B&T or BNT) is a term – often used pejoratively – to describe people who live in communities surrounding the island of Manhattan in New York City, and commute to it for work or entertainment. It refers to ...

* Camera Shy * Captain, We're Sinking * Cloakroom * Coasta *

Creative Adult Creative Adult is an American rock band formed in 2012 in the North Bay, California. History Creative Adult began in 2012 with the release of their debut EP titled ''Dead Air'' via their own Broke Hatrè Records. They released their second EP t ...

* CSTVT *

Death Is Not Glamorous Death Is Not Glamorous was a Norwegian hardcore band from Oslo, Norway. History In 2005, Death Is Not Glamorous released a demo, titled ''Demo 2005''. In 2006, Death Is Not Glamorous released an EP titled ''Undercurrents''. In 2007, the band re ...

* Elvis Depressedly *

Fireworks Fireworks are a class of low explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large number of devices ...

* GDP * Hostage Calm * Little Big League *

LVL UP LVL UP was an American lo-fi band from Purchase, New York, United States. History LVL UP formed in 2011 at SUNY Purchase as a recording project between Mike Caridi, Dave Benton, and their friend Ben Smith, with the original intention of releasi ...

* Man Overboard * Memorial * Mockingbird Wish Me Luck * Modern Baseball * Nicole Dollanganger * Nothing * Pinegrove * Pity Sex * Seahaven *

Shook Ones Shook Ones may refer to: * Shook Ones (band), an American musical group * "Shook Ones" (song), a 1994 song by Mobb Deep *"Shook Ones (Part II) "Shook Ones (Part II)" is the lead single from Mobb Deep's 1995 album ''The Infamous, The Infamous...'' ...

Sinking Ships Sinking Ships was an American hardcore punk band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 2004. In 2005, the band released their debut EP, ''Meridian'', on Run for Cover Records and later re issued on 6131 Records and contributed the track "Turn My ...

The Sun Days The Sun Days is an indie pop band from Gothenburg, Sweden. The group has reached success in Sweden as well as globally, hitting multiple international top lists with their debut, ''Album''. History The Sun Days released their first single, "You ...

* Superheaven * These Days * This Is Hell * This Time Next Year *

* Title Fight * The Tower and the Fool *

Transit Transit may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Transit'' (1979 film), a 1979 Israeli film * ''Transit'' (2005 film), a film produced by MTV and Staying-Alive about four people in countries in the world * ''Transit'' (2006 film), a 2006 ...

* Vinnie Caruana * Whirr *

Young Statues Young Statues is an American emo band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. History Young Statues formed in the winter of 2010 after a series of songs that were initially never intended to be released were recorded between friends. Inspired by the re ...

References

{{Authority control Record labels established in 2004 2004 establishments in Massachusetts Companies based in Boston American independent record labels Indie rock record labels Punk record labels Alternative rock record labels Post-hardcore record labels Record labels based in Massachusetts