About Swelltune
Swelltune Records was started in Massachusetts by Beck Rustic in 2017, while she was running a music festival.
“I wasn’t planning on starting a full record label at all! I ran a music festival called “The New England Shake-Up,” and it was hitting its 5th anniversary in September 2017. I wanted to do something special to commemorate that. I love records, so I thought releasing a two song, 5th anniversary 45 would be cool.
For the 45 I assembled a “super group” of musicians that had been part of the Shake-Up since the beginning, including Bloodshot Bill, Sean Mencher and Kevin Patey, among a few others, and recorded it at Acadia Recording Company in Portland Maine. The A Side was a song that Sean wrote about the Shake-Up, and the flip was a cover of the Sandy Scott tune, “Shake It Up.” I pressed 1000 records, with the first 100 of those in “Shake-Up Teal” colored vinyl. It was sold at the event merch booth at the Shake-Up that September."
Originally, it wasn’t meant to bloom into a full label.
"Again, my original idea was just to put out the 45 and then maybe some live stuff from the Shake-Up later on. I hadn’t thought about running a full label at that point, at all, but I did really enjoy the process of getting that first 45 happening… producing in the studio, creating the jacket artwork and surrounding promo art, and working with musicians: the whole thing was really fun and creatively satisfying. My soul felt full during the whole process.
Shortly after the recording session, I don’t know how, but word started getting around that I was starting a label! Because I had been booking shows and the festival for years, musicians knew and trusted me… that’s important, I think. People want to work with people they know and trust. So, I was getting this small avalanche of music coming at me, from bands and musicians wanting to be on a label that didn’t exist."
Swelltune Records was born.
"I decided to go for it. I dove in. I fully immersed myself in the birth of Swelltune Records, and absorbed every bit of knowledge I could in order to run the label well, and fairly, and with the artist’s interest at the forefront of every decision made. I used my background as a graphic designer to design all the album artwork, promo posters, and label merch, which I still do."
Swelltune Records is now partnered with Jet-Tone Studios.
"In 2019, I met Shaun Young, an Austin musician and owner of Austin recording studio, Jet-Tone Studios. We got married and he moved his studio up to New England, where Swelltune Records lives. Swelltune still works with other studios, which I love doing, but a majority of the music that comes out on Swelltune is recorded here at Jet-Tone by Shaun. It's great having an "in-house" studio where our musicians don't have to worry about a ticking studio clock and can really experiment and work on their music in a creatively-nurturing environment run with patience and good musical-ears, by Shaun."
A growing label with the same heart.
"Swelltune Records has grown a lot since that first 45, but I try and keep everything as home-grown and DIY feeling as I can. The musicians on Swelltune know they’ve got a community here at the label to help them get their musical ideas happening. I don’t want Swelltune Records to feel like just another cog in the music industry machine pumping out a “product.” We’re making art here! I want that art to have soul and spirit no matter how large Swelltune becomes.
Swelltune Records is truly an independent label… not a subsidiary of a larger record label. I don’t have investors or anyone I’ve got to answer to. Because of this, I never have to compromise the artistic vision of any of the musicians on Swelltune, can focus on putting out great music."
-Beck Rustic, gal in charge of Swelltune Records