A Beloved Record Label Is Shutting Down

Beloved record label Born Yesterday has announced that it is shutting down. The label’s founders Kevin Fairbairn and Greg Obis issued a statement via social media, revealing the unfortunate news. “Born Yesterday is calling it a day,” the statement began. “There are many reasons we have made this decision. Running a record label is very hard. We have not managed to make the connections within the wider industry to grow and further our reach.”

“Big tech companies are siphoning more and more money out of artists’ hands and displacing small labels as a primary source for discovering new music. Music journalism has been continually gutted, and it’s harder and harder to find coverage for little guys like us,” the statement continued. “Bandcamp, a massive source of support and structure in running the label, has been bought, sold, and stripped for parts – twice. It increasingly seems like the most effective way to reach new listeners is to pour money into the Facebook Ad machine, which feels bad. Several factors outside anyone’s control have led to strenuously long lead times for vinyl manufacturing. Sudden inflation made things more expensive, which has an outsized effect on art and the people who choose to support it. We are also both quite busy with Stuck and Deeper. So frequently having to figure out a fight or flight response against these developments has suffocated the flame that drove us to be ‘taken seriously.’”

Fairbairn and Obis went on to say, “This is sad news, but to be totally honest, we feel at peace ending the label here. We have never put out a bad record. We’ve given a platform for some really incredible artists to grow and do great things, both on and off of our label. We’re incredibly proud of what we have accomplished. We are excited to reallocate our time, money, and effort to other areas of our lives. Lastly, I also think it’s also important to note that we (Kevin and Greg) are in lockstep agreement that this is the right thing to do, and we are still the best of pals!”

While Born Yesterday is shutting down, the founders clarified, “Fans will still be able to purchase physical and digital media from our Bandcamp and website. Anything older than a year is getting a steep discount. We’ll still supply records and tapes to stores and distributors who are interested. Deals with our bands will still be honored. But we won’t be putting out any new records for the foreseeable future, updating socials, or checking our email.”

“Deep thanks to our friends and collaborators who made this label possible,” the statement concluded. “You know who you are. Thanks to the fans who supported us and our bands. And most importantly, thanks to all the artists who let us work with them on their music. We are immeasurably grateful to be a part of your story.”