Bloomington, ID-based Independent record label group Secretly Group has announced a new partnership with independent label Merge Records, with Secretly co-founders Ben Swanson, Chris Swanson, Darius Van Arman and Phil Waldorf acquiring a 50 percent stake in the company.
Merge Records began in 1989 by co-founders Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance, and has championed artists such as Neutral Milk Hotel, the Magnetic Fields, Waxahatchee, Caribou, Destroyer and more. Merge has worked closely with Secretly Group's sister company Secretly Distribution for marketing and distribution outside of North America for over a decade.
Following this partnership, McCaughan will continue his role as Label President and Head of A&R, while Ballance will leave the music business. Merge's Marketing Director Jamie Beck and Head of Digital Wilson Fuller will also remain in their roles.
"We continue to be inspired and amazed by the musicians we work with," McCaughan shared in a release. "I have known many of the people in the Secretly world for decades, and know that they share Merge's dedication to artists and getting their music into the hands of as many people as possible. We have seen this in action working with Secretly Distribution's international team since 2012, and are excited about what the future looks like with the strength and experience of Secretly Distribution working for Merge artists around the world, and now here at home. I know Laura has her own exciting future ahead, and I am excited to continue and expand upon the label we've run for 36 years."
Speaking on her exit from Merge, Ballance added, "It was never my goal to start a record label when was 21 and run it for the rest of my life. I have been doing this for 36 years now. Life is short. There are other things I have always wanted to do: make more art, travel for fun, volunteer more, write a book and lots of other things that being so entrenched in running a business does not allow me to do. Merge Records started as a literal bedroom label, in my bedroom, and lived there for a few years before we were able to give it some space of its own. It has always been a labour of love. I am going to miss it and all the people and bands tremendously."
"When we heard that Laura was looking to move on from Merge, we immediately engaged in conversations with Mac and Laura about what a new partnership with Secretly could look like," revealed Secretly co-founder Phil Waldorf. "We looked up to Merge as we started our labels. We are not just fans of the music they've released, but their independent ethos and commitment to being an artist-first company. Becoming a partner in Merge is beyond a dream for me."
He continued, "I saw Superchunk for the first time when I was a teenager, before l even knew you could have a full-time job in independent music, and attended Merge's 5th Anniversary celebration at the Cat's Cradle while was a college student in Athens, GA, making this a real 'pinch me' moment three decades later."
Merge will continue to operate as a standalone label outside of Durham, NC. It will utilize Secretly Distribution's worldwide distribution arm and ecosystem, including accounting, artist royalties, business affairs, licensing, IT and HR.
"Our aim is to support Merge with the independent ecosystem we've built at Secretly, while preserving what's truly special about what Mac and Laura have built over the past 36 years, such that we can support Merge's growth in the decades to come," said Ben Swanson, Secretly Co-Founder.