Royal Mountain Records Creates Mental Health
Fund for Artists
Toronto-based Royal Mountain Records has become the first label, indie or major, to
set up a non-repayable mental health fund for its artists. The label is run by Hollerado
frontman Menno Versteeg and is home to more than 30 acts, including Alvvays, Mac
DeMarco, U.S. Girls, METZ, Tuns, PUP, and others.
In a memo sent to its artists, the label announced that, as of Feb. 1, 2019, Royal Moun-
tain’s acts have access to $1,500 to use at the artists’ discretion on mental wellness. The
use of the money is confidential and the memo explained that it is “out of our pocket,
and will NOT be a recoupable label expense. To reiterate, the bands will NOT need to pay
the label back for these expenses.”
For more information, contact Royal Mountain Records: [email protected],
www.royalmountainrecords.com.
MENNO VERSTEEG (SECOND FROM RIGHT) WITH HOLLERADO
PledgeMusic
Suspends Fan
Contributions
In the wake of its much-publicized
financial troubles, direct-to-fan
platform PledgeMusic has suspend-
ed fan contributions to all active
campaigns. The announcement
comes in the wake of dozens of
claims that the company made late
payments or didn’t pay artists who
raised money from fans through
campaigns.
As its troubles mounted,
PledgeMusic Co-Founder Benji
Rogers returned to the company on
a temporary unpaid basis to help
get it back on track. Also, Pledge-
Music says it’s in talks with “several
interested parties about a potential
partnership with or acquisition of
PledgeMusic. These conversations, if
successful, would lead to a transac-
tion which would allow us to meet
all of our outstanding obligations.
As a result, we are hopeful that,
as long as the company is given
some breathing space to operate, a
solution to these current problems
will be found.”
CANADIAN MUSICIAN 13