Mom+Pop Looks to ‘Supercharge’ Growth With Exceleration Music Investment
The indie fund has invested in Mom+Pop's catalog and will provide resources to help propel the label's new release program.
Mom+Pop Music has struck a strategic financial alliance with Exceleration Music that will allow the esteemed indie label to expand the scope of its operations, including with new signings and expanded services, the companies jointly announced Thursday (May 12).
Exceleration has invested in Mom+Pop’s catalog — which includes releases from Courtney Barnett, Sleater-Kinney, Tom Morello and more — and will provide resources to help propel the label’s new release program while allowing it to retain its independence. In that vein, Mom+Pop will continue to be solely owned and operated by partners Michael Goldstone and Thaddeus Rudd.
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Mom+Pop’s forthcoming releases include projects from Beach Bunny, Caamp, Ashe, Orion Sun, FKJ and Seb as well as recently announced signings Tegan and Sara and Madeon.
The Exceleration deal is being contextualized as part of a larger expansion plan by Goldstone and Rudd that began with the Mom+Pop’s 2018 agreement with indie digital rights licensing partner Merlin, which established a global direct distribution and marketing platform for the label. That was followed in 2020 by the announcement of a joint venture with Brent Battles and Christopher Brown’s radio promo and artist development company Further Music to expand Mom+Pop’s reach in radio.
Founded in January 2021, Exceleration Music is a music company that was established specifically to support artists, creators and entrepreneurs in indie music. Its founders include music industry vets Glen Barros, John Burk, Charles Caldas, Amy Dietz and Dave Hansen. In addition to Mom+Pop, the fund now owns or has established partnerships with companies including Alligator Records, Bloodshot Records, Candid Records, Kill Rock Stars, the Ray Charles Foundation and SideOneDummy. In August, the company brought on digital media vet Darin Soler as head of global marketing & partnerships, among other hires.
“This deal with Exceleration allows us to forge ahead having the financial ability to attract and sign the artists that we believe in,” said Goldstone in a statement. “Exceleration Music understood our needs and worked with us in customizing the deal to fit our vision.”
Rudd added, “We’ve created a hybrid in today’s market, offering artistic controls and boutique service, pairing it with the power and reach of a larger system. This expansion is a bet on our artists, our staff, and our collective future.”
In his own statement, Exceleration founding partner Barros said Mom+Pop “has an incredible track record and exciting future prospects, and we believe that the flexible partnership we offer via this deal will enable them to supercharge their growth.”