Substream Radio Ep.1: Co-Founders Discuss New Partnership Between Fat Wreck Chords and Hopeless Records

San Francisco-born punk music label Fat Wreck Chords, Erin Kelly-Burkett, and Hopeless Records founder Louis Posen have shared a friendship for over 30 years. This dates back to 1992, when Posen reached out to the other co-founder of Fat Wreck Chords and the retired lead singer/bassist of NOFX, Fat Mike (real name Michael John Burkett), to direct a video for the band’s song, “Bob.” Once Posen transitioned out of the film business and into the music world, both Mike and Erin gave him a crash course on the ins and outs of running an independent record label. In 1993, Hopeless Records was founded, and with Fat Wreck Chords already established in 1990, both labels would remain at the forefront of championing punk music and its various subgenres for years to come.

In a move that has been in discussion for some time and announced on July 9, Hopeless Records has acquired the Fat Wreck Chords catalog in a unique partnership. As a part of the new deal, all of the unrecouped balances for Fat Wreck’s roster are cleared. Hopeless has also instituted a “no-new-signings policy” to ensure resources are committed to the incoming stable of punk bands arriving at the label.

Fat Mike and Kelly-Burkett still retain ownership of Fat Wreck Chords’ name, logo, and trademark. However, their relationship with the label they shared for 30+ years will now be different, as Hopeless takes the mantle. Both record labels have featured bands such as Against Me!, Bayside, Neck Deep, The Wonder Years, and Dillinger Four, among others, to fortify an extensive history that still resonates today.

On the inaugural episode of Substream Radio, Kelly-Burkett and Posen both discuss the beginnings of the partnership, the deal’s two main pillars, and the future ahead.