This week, Philly punk stars Mannequin Pussy debuted their record label imprint, Romantic Records, along with a limited quantity of merch featuring the Romantic branding, as well as a re-release of the album after which the imprint was named.
In case you’re unaware, a label imprint functions a bit differently than a record label itself. A record label – such as Tiny Engines, which previously housed the likes of Mannequin Pussy, Little Big League, Tigers Jaw, and more but has recently been under scrutiny from certain acts – is meant to have a large part in the legal and logistical end of the music distribution and marketing process. An imprint, however, is a piece within the overall puzzle of a record label that functions to align certain artists with those of similar values and sound. For instance, circa the 1990s, Warner Music Group owned the label Atlantic Records, and within that, Big Beat Records was created to cater to dance and rap artists specifically. This is all to say that Mannequin Pussy, now long detached from Tiny Engines and having been given the rights to their masters, are more in control of the music they’ve been making and will continue to make.
“Thank you to everyone who has been part of our musical lives and who has loved and supported this record,” reads the Instagram post announcing Romantic Records. It is with a lot of pride and a lot of patience that the band’s been able to make this happen, and the future is looking unquestionably bright.
View the post below, and beginning today at noon, you can pre-order some merch from the band’s website, including a restock of a classic MP t-shirt and three color variations of Romantic.