Exceleration Music has formed a strategic partnership with the founders of Rounder Records on their new venture Down The Road.
The strategic partnership brings together the expertise of the original leadership team who founded Rounder Records in 1970 – Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy and Bill Nowlin, as well as the label’s first and long-standing president/CEO John Virant – with Exceleration Music’s partners and leadership team.
Irwin, Levy, Nowlin and Virant led Rounder Records together for 40 years, steering their roster to over 40 Grammy wins during that time. It was acquired by Concord in 2010.
Down The Road will focus on the historic depth and breadth of Americana, including releases from banjo master Tony Trischka (with a lead single featuring Billy Strings), bluegrass group Blue Highway, and Dervish, who perform Irish traditional music. The label will also reissue 14 catalogue titles produced by the Rounder Records co-founders in recent years.
“Ken, Marian, Bill and John epitomise what it means to be an indie,” said Exceleration Music partner Glen Barros. “They have always followed their heart and instincts in recording what they know and love. This formula led to many hundreds of culturally important and often incredibly successful recordings. And while doing this, they’ve also continually supported the indie and musical communities in which they work. We are so grateful that they’re joining the Exceleration family and very much look forward to helping them build upon their incredible legacy.”
They have always followed their heart and instincts in recording what they know and love
Glen Barros
Down The Road’s John Virant said: “Glen, John, Amy, Dave and Charles are building a visionary and critical organisation for independent labels and their artists. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to join them and the rest of the Exceleration team. We intend to continue our tradition of nurturing and supporting artists based in roots music traditions of the past into the future.”
Exceleration recently expanded its operational reach with the acquisition of worldwide digital and physical distribution and music services company Redeye, as well as Yep Roc and Sundazed (Redeye's in-house labels), and Redeye’s publishing company Riff City Sounds.
Redeye will distribute Down The Road, alongside their ongoing relationships with several of the world's top independent labels including Beggars Group, Domino, New West and Saddle Creek. Company founders Glenn Dicker and Tor Hansen are both former employees of Rounder Records, working under Irwin, Levy, Nowlin and Virant before founding Redeye in 1996.
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