Discuss the recent news about a partnership between independent record labels: Secretly Group, which consists of Dead Oceans, Secretly Canadian, and Jagjaguwar, has taken over half ownership of Merge Records, another influential indie label. The specifics regarding the financial aspect of this new arrangement remain undisclosed, as announced on Tuesday.
The founders of Secretly, which include Ben Swanson, Chris Swanson, Darius Van Arman, and Phil Waldorf, have acquired ownership of the company. Meanwhile, Mac McCaughan, a member of popular indie band Superchunk, will continue in his position as label president and head of A&R. Christina Rentz, Merge’s label director, as well as Jamie Beck, the marketing director, and Wilson Fuller, the head of digital, are all set to keep their current roles. However, Laura Ballance, co-founder and co-president of Merge who is also a bass player in Superchunk, is choosing to step away from the music industry.
Merge Records, initially established by Ballance and McCaughan in 1989, has since served as a cherished home to many iconic indie albums, such as Neutral Milk Hotel’s “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea,” Arcade Fire’s “Funeral,” and The Magnetic Fields’ “69 Love Songs.
Ballance expressed that from the start, running a record label for the entirety of her life wasn’t her initial aspiration at age 21. After dedicating 36 years to this endeavor, she recognized the brevity of life and yearned for other experiences: creating more art, traveling leisurely, volunteering extensively, writing a book, and many other personal pursuits that managing a business has prevented her from undertaking thus far. Merge Records originated as a makeshift label in her very own bedroom and flourished over the years before securing its own space. It was always a source of passion for her. She will greatly miss it, along with the people, bands, and countless memories associated with it.
For years, I’ve built strong relationships within the Secretly world, and I can vouch for their unwavering commitment towards artists and ensuring their music reaches a broad audience. Since 2012, I’ve witnessed this dedication in action through our collaborations with Secretly Distribution’s global team. The prospect of having Secretly Distribution backing Merge artists worldwide, now even at home, fills me with excitement for what lies ahead. I trust that Laura has a bright future, and I look forward to furthering the legacy of the label we’ve nurtured for 36 years and more under the Secretly Group umbrella.
Upon learning that Laura was considering leaving Merge, we swiftly started discussing potential collaborations with Mac and Laura about the possibilities of Secretly partnering with them,” Phil Waldorf, co-founder of Secretly, stated. “Merge has always been an inspiration to us as we launched our labels. We admire not just their music but also their independent spirit and dedication to putting artists first. The idea of partnering with Merge is more than a dream for me; it’s a fulfillment of a long-cherished aspiration. I witnessed Superchunk for the first time when I was a teenager, unaware that one could make a career in independent music, and attended Merge’s 5th Anniversary celebration at the Cat’s Cradle while I was a student in Athens, GA. This development feels surreal, almost like a dream come true after three decades.
Swanson stated that Secretly aims to assist Merge by integrating it with the autonomous system we’ve developed at Secretly, while maintaining the unique charm that Mac and Laura have cultivated over the past 36 years. This integration will allow us to foster Merge’s development in the future decades.
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2025-06-10 18:54