The Back Story

Louis Marks & Fabian Brown

To the world, Ropeadope is a renegade record label that curates impeccable music. From the outside, it may well look like a commercial success story but the reality is much different. Ropeadope has survived financially through subsidy - from the investment of the owners to the ongoing daily work that pays ‘less than’. Much of the music business, at least the independent side, is like this - people working for less than the going rate due to their love of music and musicians. Over the years there have been some financial bright spots that kept the lights on, but it was the ethos and determination NOT to be like the rest that kept ropeadope going. This is why it is not a giant step to move to patronage as a model - we’ve been doing it all along! Now we are simply publicly announcing it and seeking like minded individuals to connect, to come together, to build a more sustainable future for this art. Further, without the commercial definition, we open up doors to connect with others in the world that are doing the good work - community organizations and individuals working on a host of issues in today’s consumption-driven world.

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Lisa Marie Simmons