An Insider’s Look at HAIL! Fredonia Records

Before I was accepted into the Music Industry program at SUNY Fredonia, I remember hearing about HAIL! Fredonia Records, an entirely student-run record label on campus. This piqued my interest in a big way, and ended up being part of what drew me to the Music Industry program at Fredonia. 

Now, in my senior year of college, I have the chance to work with HAIL! Fredonia Records to finish my degree, and I find myself looking back on my first impression of the record label and comparing it to how things really work at the label. 

Even when talking to my friends on campus, many of them don’t know much about HAIL! or how it works, so I thought it would be fun to talk to one of my classmates about HAIL! to show the community a little bit more about what we actually do as a student-run record label. 

To get a better insight and not make things sound so much like an ad for HAIL!, I interviewed one of my classmates, Liam Powers, a fellow senior Music Industry student and a familiar face of HAIL! Fredonia Records. 

LAUREN: So for those who havent’ heard of it, what is HAIL! Fredonia Records?

LIAM: HAIL! Fredonia Records is a completely student-run record label out of SUNY Fredonia. We work with a lot of local bands in the area, helping them with advertising and promotion. It’s a great opportunity for students and bands alike to learn the ins and outs of the music industry.

LAUREN: So, I heard that HAIL! is putting on a concert in Buffalo next month. Can you tell me a little more about that?

LIAM: Absolutely. So, the concert we’re having in Buffalo at The Cave is what we at HAIL! are working up towards throughout the semester. All the bands we’re working with currently are coming together to play a gig, and that gig will be an opportunity to gauge if our advertising and marketing techniques throughout the semester have paid off. 

LAUREN: How does the show itself teach students about the music industry? 

LIAM: The Cave show is a great opportunity to actually have hands-on experience, and I think that the music industry is one where hands-on experience is really about 90% of the learning. Through the experiences I’ve had this semester helping with live shows, booking, or working with the bands through HAIL!, I’ve taken a lot of what I’ve learned in college into the real world.

LAUREN: Almost like you’re applying your degree to the industry, even before you’ve graduated?

LIAM: Definitely, definitely, especially when you talk about the interpersonal skills aspect. You can have all the book smarts you want, but knowing how to work with musicians, venue owners, and all sorts of different people with different personalities is going to be completely vital and isn’t really something you can learn in the classroom alone. 

LAUREN: You mentioned the musicians, so tell me a little bit more about who you’re working with this semester! What’s the line-up for The Cave looking like?

LIAM: So we’ve got four Western New York bands that will be playing with us. We have We Are 3, which is kind of a bluesy-funk rock outfit. They’ve got some saxophone in there, and a drummer who also sings, which is pretty fun. They also just got a new lead vocalist, so we’re excited to see where they’re headed in the future. We also have BP and the Oil Spills, who are a self-described “nu-buttrock” band, so that’ll be a fun one. Then we’ve got Prairie Pavement and Oscar’s Cash, who are both more alt-rock. You can check out all those bands on most social media platforms, which I’m sure Lauren will find some way to link below. You can also find everyone on your favorite streaming platforms as well with the exception of We Are 3, but be on the lookout for some recorded releases from them in the near future. 

LAUREN: I definitely will! (See below for more links on the bands) Is there anything else we need to know about the show at The Cave? 

LIAM: It’s going to be this Saturday, Dec 2nd. Doors open at 7, music starts at 8. Tickets are $10 at the door for the general public and $8 for students with ID. Stay tuned into the HAIL! Fredonia social media to find out more details! You can find out more about The Cave itself on their website as well.  

LAUREN: Anything else you’ve got for the good of the order?

LIAM: Yeah, actually! We made a playlist that we have on both Spotify and Apple Music with music from the bands as well as the artists that inspire them. So if you want to get a taste of what to expect at The Cave, check that out!

To learn more about the bands playing at The Cave with HAIL! Fredonia Records, you can search the bands on The List, or you can find BP & the Oil Spills, Oscar’s Cash, Prairie Pavement, and We Are 3 on their social media pages!

Be sure to check out the Spotify and Apple Music playlists to get excited for the show at The Cave this Saturday, and stay tuned in to the HAIL! Fredonia social media pages for all the latest updates on the show, as well as more events to come!