Charitable Origins: Now a thriving, genre-transcendent indie label with a publishing arm and 10,000+ songs in their catalog, Fervor Records emerged back in 1990 via a charity holiday album for the homeless in Phoenix, AZ. Organized and produced by David Hilker and a few friends, the project featured Hilker and other local musicians. Released on cassette, Southwest Holiday sold over 4,500 units in six weeks, with all the proceeds going to Central Arizona Shelter Services. The label created multiple compilations, including more charity projects for St. Mary’s Food Bank. One of their first signed bands, former Star Search contestants Brian Page & The Next, taught Hilker about performance royalties and he immediately saw great potential for himself and other artists he would sign. Fervor opened a recording studio, began writing and producing local hip-hop artists and R&B singers, and before long were licensing songs to film and TV. Their breakthrough was having a song in the hit Jack Nicholson film As Good As It Gets. The team went on to sign with Fox Music to compose music for Fox Kids Cartoons and the Fox Family Channel.
Licensing and Expanding: By the early 2000s, Fervor’s publishing division was licensing to numerous hit TV shows and films. They operated on a non-hit model, signing artists and songs and placing them in royalty generating situations without concern for radio airplay or charts. Their most recent placements include songs in The Penguin starring Colin Ferrell, Abbott Elementary and What We Do in the Shadows. Reactivating the label in the new century, Fervor signed new artists but also took advantage of emerging international digital distribution channels and began acquiring vintage back catalogs of lesser-known artists in all genres, dating back to the 1920s. They released music from artists in genres like '80s new wave, '90s R&B and '70s classic rock, becoming successful at monetizing dormant copyrights. Fervor’s eclectic roster of indie artists led Fervor Records to success on MTVU (launching five indie artists), a placement on the official Mad Men LP soundtrack and recently landing a dozen songs in Green Book, the 2019 Oscar Winner for Best Picture.
Artists to Check Out: Fervor Records COO Jeff Freundlich mentions a few current artists he wants listeners to hear. Two-piece rock band Noonday Devils will release their latest single “Bring Their Bodies to Me” on December 13. R&B/hip-hop duo blakk.nostalgia’s latest single “Sum Lite” drops January 10. Another artist the team is excited about is R&B artist Keagan, who released his most recent single “Home” in November. Freundlich says, “Our criterion for signing artists is simple. They need to know who they are and what they’re looking for in a label, and believe that what we offer is in line with their goals. The reason that there’s great synergy between Fervor and our artists is that we are in alignment in terms of having the highest quality production and push our artists to be the best they can be every time they record.”
Contact Fervor Records, 602-595-3582
