Caamp's Taylor Meier Unveils New Independent Label, Gjenny Records

Riding high on a wave of sold-out tours, hundreds of millions of streams, and chart-topping radio residencies-in general, the successes most emerging musicians could only dream about-Caamp frontman and songwriter Taylor Meier has never let his focus drift from bringing even more artists along for the ride. Enter Meier's very own independent record label Gjenny Records; an outlet custom-tailored to do just that. "I like how Caamp used to be and I love the intricacies of releasing music without a ton of science or analytics behind it," says Meier. "I like how free and how truly independent things were."

So, he set out to recreate that feeling, not just for his own side-project releases, but to give artists he loves the time of day they deserve. "So much good stuff gets buried because people don't have the right contacts or connections, so I started Gjenny Records just so I could put out people's stuff and give them a shot at some daylight." After all, a man of the people should be a man for the people, and Meier fits the bill. For more info on Gjenny Records and to keep up to date on new releases, please visit gjennyrecords.com.

Gjenny Records is proud to announce their first signee, Sam Filiatreau, a rising songwriter from Louisville, Kentucky, who blends the lyricism of '70s vinyl with the acoustic feel of Appalachian folk music. Burned out by playing in a local rock band for seven or eight years, Filiatreau hopped on a Louisville house concert lineup on Valentine's Day 2019 to play a few acoustic songs. He was just a friend of a friend who took an open slot between Meier and fellow Caamp member Matt Vinson, who were touring the Midwest together with solo side projects. A conversation after the show ultimately led to an invitation for Filiatreau to join them on a Caamp tour and eventually to making a solo album.

Asked about the instant connection, Filiatreau says, "We hit it off pretty well, but I think it was mostly the songs. Taylor always talks about it to me that I just started playing and he looked at Matt across the room, and he was like, 'We're going to do something with this.' We hung out until 4 or 5 in the morning that night too. So, right off the bat, musically, we were into the same thing, and we both love folk music and solo performances. We just had a great time together." A hangover-curing breakfast followed, securing the guys' love for Sam and his songs, and a plan for how to get them both out into the world. Stay tuned for more news on Filiatreau's debut album, due out later this year on Gjenny Records.

A chance encounter at a house concert proved to be the turning point for Sam Filiatreau, a rising songwriter from Louisville, Kentucky, who blends the lyricism of '70s vinyl with the acoustic feel of Appalachian folk music. His remarkable debut album arrives on Gjenny Records, a new label launched by Caamp's Taylor Meier. As a teenager who began writing songs almost as soon as he learned to play guitar, Filiatreau found his calling in the storytelling songs of John Prine and Randy Newman, then immersed himself in the festival scene to hone his craft.

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