Phil Oakley and C2 Records Blazes the Trail in Innovative Music Production

Create Culture Records (also known as C2 Records) is getting the show on the virtual road in 2021! On January 2, the C2 Team completed their final review of applicants for the Music Madness contest and announced the top 64 selections. In light of the previous year, C2 Records hit the ground running as a label deeply rooted in the principle that music is an unparalleled unifier of all people.

Phil Oakley, the founder of C2 Records, conceived the idea of this label while visiting Graceland. It was there, in Memphis, that he decided to create a label that would primarily serve to unite people from all backgrounds and genres of music. Given the challenges that artists face in today’s industry, a virtual music contest to discover artists was decidedly the best approach to address the limitations and hurdles faced by artists as a result of the pandemic. The Music Madness contest is open to all genres of music. As a result of the inclusive nature of the competition, C2 Records received hundreds of applications from across the United States. Congratulations to the following contestants who were named to the top 64 and who will begin competing on January 14, 2021. Here is a list including some of the selected artists:

 
The Music Madness contest relies on social media as a primary channel of communication and to increase exposure for up-and-coming artists. Create Culture Records is an independent music label created to discover and nurture untapped musical talent. C2 Records offers a groundbreaking approach to promotional opportunities and completely re-imagines contractual benefits and ownership of rights by artists. Our standard is to challenge the long-standing industry standards for every artist. C2 will be announcing other members of the team, including but not limited to vocal coaches, executive producers, songwriters, and others to significantly advance the presence of artists in the industry. 

To further support participants of the Music Madness contest, C2 Records has partnered with Los Angeles based talent management, the AVM Group, who will provide contestants with exposure and opportunities on the live-streaming app LIVIT. The artists selected to participate will be awarded optional streaming contracts valued at $800.00 or more. With over 40 million registered users worldwide, LIVIT will provide artists even greater opportunity to connect with their audience and monetize their talent. LIVIT’s focus on growing and nurturing talent while giving them a platform to benefit financially perfectly aligns with C2 Records.     

Additionally, C2 Records is excited to announce the signing of Keelan Jones to their label. Keelan is a graduate of Columbia College School of Music and has embraced C2’s vision of creating an all-inclusive label and by releasing an album entitled, “The Light.” The inspiration for this song was derived from difficult events Keelan was facing in the past year and how staying the course helped him prevail through these difficulties. 

One of the key reasons Keelan chose to sign with C2 Records was the label’s approach to artist management and music production. C2 Records breaks away from traditional methods used by most labels. By allowing their artists a broader sense of freedom in creating their music, as well as providing early compensation on royalties, C2 provides a rich environment for artists on the label to grow and create. 

It is by no coincidence that C2 chose to release this song as one of its first songs, given the challenges the world is currently facing today, with the hopes that others will find inspiration to “continue the fight” and not give up. After sharing his song with the leadership team at C2, Keelan commented, “Behind every phone, there is a living being who has been through something real and who has had real trials in life…so every post and every e-mail has a message. Our form of media holds a real meaning, and I hope my song can touch people in a positive way.” C2 Records’ approach to artist management and music production breaks away from the traditional methods used by most labels. By allowing their artists a broader sense of freedom in their music, as well as providing early compensation on royalties, C2 provides a rich environment for artists on the label to grow and create. 

C2 puts the artist first in many regards without placing the label’s financial needs ahead of the goal to make the artist a success. The goal is to demonstrate that the team can succeed faster if everyone drives toward the same vision and goals, as put on display by both the competition and signing of artists to the label.