As work on This Machine Builds Community neared an end this past fall, I realized that I had overlooked complications in one key aspect – publishing. I’ve published my own music before, but that was as a single artist publishing my own music. This album was going to be distinctly different – multiple artists on a single, compilation album. Publishing would be a bit different, and new, which led me to the further realization that I needed to make a record label to be the publishing entity behind this project.
Thus, Top City Records was born.
This record label would allow me to publish the compilation album in a more fitting way, and open the door for me to do future projects with other artists. I’m not sure “record label” is the right term for what I envision Top City Records to be though, and that’s what I want to explore a bit more here.
This “record label” is not my attempt at a side hustle or a business. I have no expectations (or delusions) of turning profits, launching careers, or replacing my day job. I am quite satisfied with my career. I get to do things I love: software development, supporting artists in their (book) publishing careers, and creatively solving problems to make systems more efficient and reliable. It gives me the stability and resources I need to pursue my own art for the sheer love of it.
Projects I do via TCR are not for the purpose of making profits or changing careers. Instead, Top City Records is intended to be (within my personal limits of time, energy, and money) a Topeka-specific, community-focused support and resource for local artists, and a contributing factor to our local music and arts scene. While these albums (and books!…more on that later) will be available to the world at large, the purpose and focus is to bring these artworks to Topeka. I want to increase the rotation of local artists’ songs in the ears of Topeka’s community. I want the names of local musicians to be familiar to the citizens of Topeka. I’m not dreaming BIG. I’m specifically dreaming small.
There are many artists in Topeka, and many of them are already beyond what Top City Records is intending to do…recording and publishing their own music, promoting themselves, etc. I’m not looking to “sign” as many artists as I can. What I intend to do is to have ideas for cool projects with local artists, and knock them out one or two at a time, year in, year out for the foreseeable future. In the process, I hope to see the web of connections between artists get stronger, closer, and more productive.
Top City Records 