Veteran bluegrass sideman Stephen Mougin (Sam Bush) today announced the launching of a new record label, Dark Shadow Recording, which will focus on up-and-coming bands in the Bluegrass and Americana genres.
The label shares the name of his recording studio, where Mougin has created demos, laid down tracks and provided producing and engineering services for a number of years between shows with Sam Bush and as half of the Nedski and Mojo duo.
He’ll continue to offer those services, and playing in those bands, while branching out.
Mougin has released several projects in recent years, including highly regarded harmony training CDs that have been used in classes at the Berklee College of Music. Now he’s focusing attention on bands that are ready to move to the next level.
Mougin used the label announcement to welcome The Rigneys, an award-winning family band, as the first to sign with Dark Shadow Recording. He produced the Nashville-area quartet’s 2011 CD, “Familiar Paths,” and is looking forward to stepping up his involvement with them. “I like everything about this band – the family aspect, their motivation and, last but not least, the sheer talent they possess,” he said.
He said the label will start slowly, releasing a handful of projects each year.
Mougin sees the label as both a return to his earlier career as a music educator and as a way to pay forward all of the help he received as an aspiring musician.
“I’m looking for a nice relationship between the label and the artist where we’re both helping each other,” he said. “We’re in this together, completely together. I believe in the power of many.”
In the early going, Mougin is working with bands that are relatively new but already together and who want to focus on original material, either written by band members or other songwriters. He’s also searching for musicians who aren’t afraid to explore new directions and find their own style.
He’ll also focus on bands rather than solo artists. “I like that collaborative effort of a band,” he said. “Pick the songs, learn the songs, record the songs, then go out and perform the songs.”
The Dark Shadow Recording studio is stocked with the latest gear, but Mougin is going for a decidedly old-school business approach. “We’re really focused on the music and the performers,” he said. “Everybody WANTS to do that. I’m in a place where I CAN do it. I want to focus on the artists, really help them take a giant step forward.”
He added, “I’m thinking of label decisions from the point of view of the artist. While that may not be the most financially sound approach, I believe that by supporting the needs of the musicians, we will grow the label.”
For more about the studio and label, see www.darkshadowrecording.com
For more about The Rigneys, see www.therigneysonline.com
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