Karma Frog Recording Company was founded in 2001 to release and promote Adam Marsland's albums and tours. Distributed by BDC, Karma Frog has released 8 albums since then, including two top 40 placements on amazon.com's sales chart, plus airplay on hundreds of college and commercial radio stations for our releases, and effective publicity for over 20 regional and national tours. Beginning this year, Karma Frog will be using the expertise and contacts we've acquired over the last 14 years to expand our operations to promote and release albums by outside artists who record at Karma Frog Studio. We will be focusing on targeting our promotion to the radio and press outlets most likely to appreciate them, and with the goal of actively building a starting audience for our artists to grow from. Our dedicated staff will be focusing on getting Karma Frog artists heard, and finding them fans that will support them for years to come. As the rollout of the label continues, this webpage will expand and grow to fill the demand. The expanded Karma Frog Label has had its "soft open" with the release of the new single by Pacific Soul Ltd. on April 21, 2015. The label will be fully operational with its first full-length release in August. The label's website is currently being gradually expanded and upgraded as we gear up for several releases in the second half of 2015.
Adam Marsland announces the new label expansion on Facebook, January 30, 2015: " I've now been doing the studio for 5 years, and playing as a pro or semi-pro nearly 20. I missed a few breaks, but they made me self-sufficient at a time when the business started to tank. I learned every single task myself...up to running a record label. "Karma Frog the label has been a functioning entity since 2001, with 8 official releases (four of which made money, two making amazon's top 40 chart), myriad radio/press campaigns (some inhouse and some not). One reason I never tried for another deal is I didn't get any offers that would do a better job than Karma Frog. "Regardless of why people record, everyone wants to be heard. I was lucky to start out on a label (Big Deal) that had a sound and a following who were ready to listen to Cockeyed Ghost on that basis. It didn't make me famous. It did give me a platform I could parlay into a career that's still viable 19 years later. Nowadays, most of those platforms are gone. "It's not unusual for artists to record an album and then not be sure what to do with it afterwards. It's a complicated business; just getting it pressed is a pain; forget about knowing the right people to send it to. "I see a need here. Artists need a way to find and grow an audience. As a producer, I want to see my work be appreciated by more people. Also, it's not unusual for artists to choose a studio or producer with a certain cachet, hoping to gain a competitive edge, and wind up with an inferior product, which is a waste of resources. "So...caps for emphasis, since I've buried the lede here: "STARTING IN 2015, KARMA FROG LABEL WILL RELEASE AND PROMOTE OTHER ARTISTS THAT RECORD AT THE STUDIO. "We will also offer a package that includes recording, pressing, release and promotion for about the same cost to record somewhere else. "The model is inspired by old label-studio independent operations like Ardent and Stax. It's not about getting scattered play on this or that college station. We are going to use our experience, contacts and a custom-made mailing list to target our promotion of each album to the people most likely to be interested in it. The key focus will be finding our artists an audience that will sustain them for years to come. "This will be a staffed operation. Jackie Spencer, who did effective promotion for Karma Frog releases in the last decade, is back, and we will be bringing in interns and other help as needed. "A few things I need to stress. "For now, this will ONLY be open to artists that record here, either in person or remotely. We are trying to build a brand based on live, vivid old-school sound and also I need to personally be able to get behind everything we need to promote. We also are going to be selective about whose product we release. "If you are interested in recording at Karma Frog, either in person or remotely, and want to talk about the possibility of a future release as well, I encourage you to send a demo and I can walk you through the various ways we can make things happen. "Much more to tell, but that's enough for now. Thanks everybody for reading. Have a great day!"
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