This Feels Big: Soundly’s Stephanie Hudacek Named President of Rounder
You may not recognize the name Stephanie Hudacek as an independent country music fan. But you certainly will recognize many of the names she’s worked with, and the artists who have benefited from her behind-the-scenes efforts for years. As the President and Founder of Soundly Music, she has been the linchpin behind music from the likes of Kaitlin Butts, Adam Hood, Kyle Nix, Pony Bradshaw, Channing Wilson, David Quinn, and many more.
Very similar to Thirty Tigers, Soundly takes a sleek approach to signing and distributing artists, only asking a small share of the profits and allowing artists to retain creative control, but giving them a big distribution channel to get their music to fans. Soundly also helps distribute the music of other independent artists and labels not directly under the Soundly umbrella. She also worked for the last two years as the distributor for the Cody Jinks independent label, Late August Records.
For her labors that have been recognized across the independent country and roots industry, Stephanie Hudacek has been announced as the new President of one of the most important independent labels in country and roots, Rounder Records. This is the current home of Sierra Ferrell, John R. Miller, Bella White, Logan Ledger, and Ruston Kelly, along with one of the biggest bluegrass rosters in the business that at times has included Sierra Hull, Alison Krauss, Bryan Sutton, Bela Fleck, and Billy Strings.
“Throughout her career, Stephanie has shown a deep commitment to artists and songwriters as well as an incredible intuition for what it takes to bring their music to the world,” said Concord Label Group CEO Tom Becci in a statement. “She has the requisite skills to preserve the label’s distinct history while ensuring her artists and team have the resources necessary for continued success in an evolving environment.”
Moreover, Stephanie Hudacek has also been a champion of the kinds of artists that can get overlooked in the music business, but when given a shot, often prove their worth. Think of how critically important the career of Kaitlin Butts has proven to be over the last few years, or Pony Bradshaw’s songwriting, Adam Hood’s country soul, or Channing Wilson’s Outlaw revivalism.
“It is an unbelievable honor to be able to lead Rounder Records,” Hudacek said about the news. “Throughout its history, Rounder has shown an uncompromising devotion to great, authentic artistry, which has made it a natural home for artists seeking the same. That is a tradition I am thrilled to carry on.”
March 29, 2024 @ 11:23 am
this sounds like a winner to me…
March 29, 2024 @ 1:41 pm
Trust me, it is. 🙂
March 29, 2024 @ 12:25 pm
Sorry for the naive question but it’s one I’ve had for a long time…
What does it mean for when you say a label “distributes music” in 2024? Is the label promoting the music? Are they ordering the physical CDs and sending them to record stores? Are they simply managing the streaming accounts with Spotify and Apple Music?
I see the Thirty Tigers imprint with many of my favorite artists and genuinely have no idea what they do. I thought the main function of a label was to pay for the production of albums and then share the profits?
March 29, 2024 @ 1:40 pm
Hi Tom-
David Macias from Thirty Tigers here. We are like a label in certain ways, and unlike them in others. We are a like a label, in that we’ll provide investment in helping artists record, hire the right PR, etc., and that we provide an infrastructure very much like what a label would (radio people, project managers, people who work the Spotifys and Apples, Targets and Walmarts, as well as your local indie record shop.
We are unlike a label in that we never own the recordings. We let the artists retain ownership, and they make most of the money. We take a much smaller cut than the traditional label. I’m biased of course, but I think as long as we have a good vision about how to help the artist reach their intended audience, and if the financial part of it works for us (we have to be more careful about risk exposure – the artist generally gets a 75% cut of the gross plus, so we make considerably less than our traditional label counterparts), then it’s a great place for artists.
And thank you for buying/streaming so many of the projects we’ve been lucky enough to be involved in!
March 29, 2024 @ 5:33 pm
Hi David.
Many of my favorite bands are thirty tigers projects and I’m so thankful for the work you all do!
How do release dates for records get determined? My Jason Eady Mississippi vinyl and the last turnpike release showed up warped due to the heat in Texas. I wanna keep supporting my favorites as soon as they come out, but the summers make it hard. Any advice?
March 29, 2024 @ 6:44 pm
New lost dog street band album!!!
March 30, 2024 @ 6:48 pm
David, I’ve never had an opportunity to do this, but thank you and your company for doing the things you do. A pretty good chunk of my daily listening involves artists you work with and artists like them.
April 1, 2024 @ 6:42 am
Thanks for taking the time to respond David. And thanks for all that Thirty Tigers does for music.
March 29, 2024 @ 3:08 pm
Never heard of this person before, nor Soundly, but one of my favorite artists mention here, Adam Hood, always needed better help than this. The guy has a great voice, songwriting chops, and musical aesthetic but it feels like his material just gets tossed out into the world with, like, zero promo or marketing.
His 2022 album, Bad Days Better, was excellent and had a great story behind it (Blackberry Smoke as backing band, Brent Cobb as producer, and recorded at Capricorn Studios!). It deserved way better exposure. I wouldn’t have even known it existed unless I’d already been following the artist on the socials, and even then it was unclear that the singles were from a new album. The guy’s been grinding for over two decades and is perpetually “under the radar.” He always deserved better.
March 29, 2024 @ 4:17 pm
So..is Adam Hood related to Patterson Hood of Drive By Truckers? Of course Patterson Hood had a famous dad, David Hood, bass player emeritus of the Muscle Shoals Swampers. Yeah..those guys…as in ” muscle shoals has got the Swampers, and they’ve been known to pick a song or two…yes they do…Lord they get me off so much…they pick me up when I’m feeling blue..yes they do.” You also mentioned Capricorn down in Macon…that is indeed where the good stuff was recorded.
March 31, 2024 @ 4:49 am
Is Adam any relation to Champ Hood from Uncle Walt’s Band?
March 30, 2024 @ 8:46 am
Adam is great. Seen him a few times live and he’s so darn good at his craft. He and Brent are like the godfathers of a younger group of cool kids following in their footsteps in East Nashville. Ben Chapman is the defacto ring leader and every few months he does a show at The Basement called Peach Jam and all these rotating artists get up and jam with him including Adam, Brent, Meg Mcree, Ashland Craft, Elvie Shane, Ella Langley and a ton of others. Lainey Wilson actually came out of that little group of Ben’s hippies. If you like Adam and Brent this group of kids coming on their heels is gonna be fun to watch as they start making names for themselves.
March 30, 2024 @ 5:01 pm
Thanks for the heads up on these artists. Been loving Brent and Adam’s funky, laid back style for ages so it’s good to know there’s more of that percolating.
I saw Ben Chapman open for Brent last year in DC. Definitely remember enjoying his set and thinking he reminded me a lot of Brent. Will have to spend more time with his catalogue.
March 30, 2024 @ 7:04 pm
How do you find out about events like these?
March 29, 2024 @ 4:54 pm
Thanks Trig for shining light on this. Stephanie is a rockstar. Plain and simple. She made my record release look and feel like a major label release all the while keeping it that kinda “cool” it deserved. I am excited to see where she takes Rounder. I’ve always loved the records they put out. Makes me wanna make a bluegrass record knowing she’s there. Congrats Stephanie!!!
March 30, 2024 @ 12:14 pm
hey Channing, your music rules!!
March 30, 2024 @ 2:41 pm
Hey Daniele!! Appreciate ya!
March 30, 2024 @ 6:36 am
So will she stay on with Soundly and Late August and add a new responsibility, or is she moving on from them to take the Rounder job?