Inside the Community: A Conversation with Grimalkin Records

as seen in Guitar Girl Magazine Special Issue 2022 – I Belong

Grimalkin Records has a mission and vision to support and provide a platform for transgender and queer artists. Founded in 2015, Grimalkin is a non-profit organization/collective run and led by transgender and queer artists. Founder her Nancy “Grim” Kells (they/them) wanted all dedicated artists, especially marginalized artists, to earn a living from art and music, to create, to live healthy and privately. We envision a world where we have access to the support and resources we need. fulfilling life. “We are building alternative paths and systems of support and artist development, envisioning a world where these become the norm in music and art.”

Aside from being a mutual aid-oriented record label, Grimalkin gives artists a great deal of love and support, creating and releasing music, producing merchandise, hosting charity shows, and offering educational workshops. . guitar girl magazine QTBIPOC It was an honor to speak with Grim, founder and facilitator of Grimalkin Records, about the importance of a non-profit organization centered around providing a safe space and support for artists to create and share their art. was.

What is Grimalkin Records? Where and how did you all start?
Grimalkin Records is a trans- and queer-driven, mutual aid-oriented, non-profit record label created to support and foster connections between queer artists (QTBIPOC preferred), listeners, and their local communities. As a record label, we curate opportunities to directly support our artists. Proceeds from select events benefit artists and grassroots organizations.

It started as a passion project around 2015/2016 when I organized several charity shows in Richmond, Virginia. Initially, the name of the non-profit organization was “Friends For Equality.” Shortly after, they started using the name ‘Grimalkin Records’ and released their first project in 2018. It grew over time, but I also had a very demanding full-time job, so Grimalkin wasn’t what it used to be. now. I went through depression and hard times when I lost my job. Eventually, I picked myself up as usual and thought maybe the universe was telling me to make Grimalkin an established business. Yes, I had a Grimalkin dream, but I didn’t think it was possible until I lost my job and started focusing all my time and energy on making it happen. It’s finally established as a non-profit organization, but building something sustainable is still difficult. Some people donate their time, we couldn’t have done this without them, but our daily efforts to build a sustainable business are always difficult and we are growing every day. .

What led to launching a memorable record label QTBIPOC Artist?
One of the biggest reasons is that we haven’t seen enough space or labels to prioritize marginalized people. They didn’t provide support and a safe space for people like me. I wanted to play a role in creating support spaces. Most music industry spaces, even within DIY spaces, are run and owned by cis white men. Much of the music industry survives by exploiting artists who are used as a vehicle for others to make money. Rarely is our survival and ability to earn a living wage. Instead of supporting artists, the industry has created ways to profit from us. Grimalkin wants to create alternative support systems for creating the worlds artists want to exist in. Sharing values ​​creates respect, and sharing resources and skills builds a community of like-minded people with the same values. Along the way, I have acquired many transferable skills and knowledge through my years of experience. Grimalkin has combined many of my passions and experiences to create a platform that supports people like me.

What are Grimalkin’s 2nd and 5th year goals?
In the next year or two, we want to pay our current staff and hire more people to further this vision. This is very important for the continuation of this work. Hopefully in five years we will be able to hire more people, or at least pay freelancers more often. In five years, we hope to have a studio and recording space in Richmond and be able to host events in person. Ideally we want to have space in both Richmond and Baltimore. We would like to secure funding through grants and donations to pay people who create educational workshops and provide production support to artists. In the meantime, we are raising funds so that we can pay artists to create and host workshops and provide support to other artists. Another goal in the near future is to build a mutual aid network with other organizations doing the same work so that artists can be referred to get the support they need beyond music. It’s all a work in progress!

Does Grimalkin support artists in other fields (technical, conservation, financial, etc.)?
To be honest, no one has been able to sustain themselves with music alone. All members of the label have different jobs to accomplish their goals. Many of our artists have a variety of skills and professions beyond music and art. A few are music teachers or school teachers, and many are in the retail and food service industries. Some artists are biologists and crisis counselors. Some are organizers and work in the non-profit sector. People work in call centers and offices. Some of us are disabled and unable to work. Most of us aren’t trying to be pop stars or big name artists, we’re making experimental music in different genres. Yet we all want to make a living through music and sharing our skills with others, without working multiple jobs or depending on mutual aid or governments to survive. We want to support ourselves and share our skills and resources with others while enabling them to pursue their creative endeavours.

What resources do you offer to artists interested in becoming part of the Grimalkin family?
In addition to being part of a support community that interacts frequently via Discord and monthly virtual hangouts and business meetings, we host quarterly open board meetings to discuss how we can best support our artists. In addition, we offer the following services:

• • Social media – Regular promotions about upcoming releases, events, anniversaries, birthdays, etc.
  • website/blog – Dedicated SEO development from artist pages and blog posts

• band camp – Each artist gets a professional account linked to our label

• public relations – Monthly releases sent to hundreds of writers, music sites, radio and podcast hosts, and other destinations

• listening party – Public listening parties hosted on Discord channels

• interview – Live and archived interviews on YouTube and Instagram

• show – Book face-to-face and online

• workshop – Artists can offer paid workshops through Grim Works to share their skills and knowledge with fans
• production network – Connect with other artists in the industry, support recording, production, mixing, mastering, visual albums, graphic design, etc.

  

  

  

  

How can artists join your collective?
For information on how to join the Collective, please visit: grimalkinrecords.com/join. We value supportive relationships within our collective, so we encourage artists to get to know us as a first step towards joining Grimalkin. do it. You can also visit our public Discord server (minnie mouse club) to interact with current members, friends and followers. “Joining” a collective means having the opportunity to obtain and provide support commensurate with the energy and time you can expend. There is no pressure to do something that you don’t feel compelled to do.Remember it doesn’t have to be an aggregate release with us We review submissions in batches. Email submissions [email protected]We ask that artists have been active for at least one year before officially joining. This allows us to get to know people and make sure they share our values ​​and that Grimalkin is committed to helping us achieve our goals.

lastly, While most labels tend to work with younger artists, we encourage musicians of all ages to get involved. We actively support artists of all ages.

Do you think Grimalkin Records had a positive impact on the lives of the artists who were/are in your collective? How did it help bring awareness to the lack?
that’s right.Our artists regularly write testimonials that we share on our site blog, patron page,Social media. One of our co-members he Backxwash had a blast while releasing music with us. one project in Canada polaris award, it was pretty amazing! We were able to get press for the artist from publications like Bandcamp and Wire magazine. We are slowly becoming more aware of the lack of representation in the music industry and the problems of finances and power structures.we hope We plan to do even more for our artists through Grim Works.

How can people support your mission?
The best way is to join our Patreon, support our fundraiser, and share our social media posts. Please tell your friends and family that we are always looking for volunteers.you canLovebuy our music band campbecomes, monthly subscribersFinally we invite people to join us workshops and events!

What challenges did you face in setting up a record label that prioritized and created inclusive opportunities for marginalized artists?
Did I mention money? Haha. That is our biggest challenge. Additionally, they struggle to reach new like-minded people to grow their fan base, followers and supporters. It can be difficult. I recently received a Google grant for a non-profit organization and received advice on how to improve my SEO over time. Still, we want to hire people with skills and experience in marketing, promotions, social media, and more, so that we can do our job more broadly and efficiently.

What has your journey been like since starting Grimalkin Records?
It was challenging, but exciting and challenging. Despite the uncertainty at times, I am extremely grateful for what the team has accomplished so far. It goes beyond what we could have imagined when we first started. I am honored to have put all my effort into this company. We can’t always have resources, but we’re working hard every day to make things work. It wasn’t easy. Running a business of any kind is a long, difficult and perpetual task that is often unappreciated, unseen or underappreciated or felt. Even if I fail (I don’t think I will), there aren’t many people who can say that they can pursue their dreams and work with people who truly align with their values, passions, and life aspirations. For that, I am eternally grateful that I was able to do this.

Meet the other Grimalkin board members below.

• Anna Chua (she/her) | Board & Collective Member
• Savan DePaul (They/She) | Board Vice-Chair and Co-Member
• Berko Sweetheart (She/She) | Chairman and Co-Member

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