NOT A LABEL
Mutual Aid. Education. Mentorship. Advocacy. artist Support. Collaboration. Community Care.
By, With and For LGBTQ+, BIPOC, Neurodiverse & Disabled Artists
Video: “U” by Jason Jamal
Grimalkin is
Video edited by (Eli)zabeth Owens
forging alternative pathways outside of the current music industry’s systems (labels, streaming, awards shows,for-profit corporate festivals and venues, etc.). Part of our mission is making those systems obsolete for independent working musicians in our communities.
Our goal is not to assist artists “breaking in” or “climbing the ladder” of what currently exists. We are reclaiming wealth and resources and mobilizing it back into our communities so that we can support ourselves as working musicians making a living wage.
We work with musicians who are passionate about creating opportunities and spaces of community care, mutual support and mutual aid, who are committed to our mission of working outside of industry norms, and who actively work to mobilize wealth and resources back into our communities.
“Grimalkin has always been more than just a label. It is a family, both in its collective and business aspects. Not only is it serious and passionate about the work it does, but it is also one of the few names in today’s industry where it feels like great things are actually happening—genuine change for the better.”
Did you know
that LGBTQ+ workers earn less than their straight and cisgender counterparts?
Did you know
that it’s nearly impossible for an artist to make a living wage from streaming?
Did you know
LGBTQ+ people still face major discrimination in public spaces (including music venues)?
STAND UP FOR QUEER ARTISTS
statistics provided by the Human Rights Campaign
statistics provided by the Free Your Music
statistics provided by the Harvard School of Public Health
All of these barriers (and more) stack up uniquely against LGBTQ+ artists/musicians.
Our mission at Grimalkin is to mentor and support LGBTQ+ artists, particularly disabled and BIPOC,
and we need your help.
Change doesn’t happen in a vacuum, or by an individual. Together, we are strong; together we have power.
Join our community to fight for the rights of marginalized artists and learn about upcoming opportunities, workshops, events, and artists.
Grimalkin is now a proud Member of the Southern Arts & Culture Coalition!
SACC is a grassroots-to-grassroots coalition building economic and organizational power for arts and cultural organizations across the South. Though our Southern legacy of music, literature, food, and organizing has molded our nation’s identity, our communities receive less than one-tenth of the national average of philanthropic funding per capita. Learn more >>
“After months of searching for queer-run, independent and non-genre-specific record labels online, I stumbled upon Grimalkin and everything changed. I never expected to find a label whose values and ethics - specifically around fostering mutual aid, centering marginalized voices and reimbursing artists fairly - so closely match my own”
“One of the main things that Grimalkin has helped me with is connecting with other musicians I didn’t know previously. One of the coolest things was getting to hear my music on vinyl lathes.”