Caamp’s Evan Westfall helps local bands produce and release music with Super Sport Records. Credit: Ali Bell
Before 2019, the concept of rerecording songs was only used by a niche group of artists, including Frank Sinatra and Def Leppard, according to an article in Billboard magazine. In light of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift’s major success with her rerecorded “Taylor’s Version” albums, however, some major record labels are imposing restrictions on new signees.
In order to discourage signed artists from embarking on a Swift-like rerecording spree, three major record labels — Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group — have redesigned their new signee contracts, demanding some artists wait 10, 15 or even 30 years to rerecord former releases after departing from the label, the article states.
Jason Rawls — a local DJ, musician, music producer and assistant professor of hip hop at Ohio State — said record labels have previously tried to implement similar restrictions, but artists have always come out on top.
“Artists are resilient,” Rawls said. “Artists will find a way to be creative and even with these restrictive aspects that these record labels are trying to impose, the artists are going to find a way and that’s the beauty of it. This is the main reason that many artists are going the independent route.”
Evan Westfall, banjoist for Columbus-based folk band Caamp and owner of local record label Super Sport Records, said he has zero intention of implementing such restrictions on the artists who work with his label.
“It’s just another way for bigger labels to make more money off of their artists,” Westfall said. “Bigger labels have more money to spend on marketing, recording, what have you. It’s a business but most smaller labels are passion projects for a lot of folks.”
Rawls said because Taylor Swift has become such an influential artist in and out of the studio, she is now capable of changing the way artists interact with the music industry on a worldwide scale.
“I think artists are definitely weighing their options more carefully,” Rawls said. “I don’t think that artists that are looking for deals now feel the same pressure as an artist may have 15 or 20 years ago to sign with a major label. I think artists realize their potential and that they’re creating their own brand.”
When he was first breaking into the industry, Rawls said he was unable to secure a deal with a major label. Rawls subsequently created his own record label as an alternative means of releasing his music, Polar Ent. LLC.
Since then, Rawls said his label’s growth has allowed him to help other artists, including rappers Mos Def and Talib Kweli, record and release their own music.
“When you’re a smaller label, everything is more in-house, it’s more intimate and to be quite honest, I think it runs smoother,” Rawls said. “I think the most important aspect of the small label is the relationship-building part of it and that’s an important part because you can nurture the artists and help the artists grow.”
Westfall said he believes artists will always find a way to make music they love, even if that means recording or rerecording songs without any support from an official label. In the wake of these new restrictions, he said he expects this style of self-production to become more popular.
“Power to the artists,” Westfall said. “The artists are what makes this whole thing work in the first place. We as artists can decide to do whatever we want and the rest of the industry will have to figure out how to keep up.”
