DIY record labels really rad records A GoFundMe has been set up after thousands of records and merchandise were destroyed in a house fire. Label's Gertie writes:
My name is Gertie. I help manage his independent record label called Really Rad Records in Portland, Oregon. We work with DIY artists around the world to release their music in physical formats such as vinyl, CDs, and cassettes, as well as providing his PR, booking, and advertising services to help promote their music. Masu.
I can't believe I'm writing this, but last month our house burned down, along with everything we owned, both personal and professional. Luckily, we realized it early and were able to escape, but it happened so quickly that me, Ollie, a graphic designer, and my roommate lost all of our important belongings, including our phones, wallets, and shoes. I couldn't leave with anything. Or something else.
We were discharged from the hospital on Monday the 25th and relied on the American Red Cross for shelter and food until we could contact our families. We've been in central Oregon with our family for the past few weeks, working on getting new clothes, phones, IDs, and basically everything.
The investigation is still ongoing, but it is believed that an electrical fire started in an electrical outlet in the living room and ignited a shipping carton. Then, while the shelves were stocked with thousands of records, the fire became so hot that the house was filled with black smoke, windows were broken, and the stairs outside the apartment connected to the neighbors upstairs. It took less than 90 seconds. It was completely engulfed in flames.
Luckily, we had a small amount of renters insurance to help us move into our new apartment and get our lives back on track, but it's not enough to restock everything or ship orders. It pains us to rely on Donate Me, but it seems to be the only option to fulfill orders and ensure artists continue to be supported.
I've done fundraising posts like this in the past when artists' vans broke down or they got robbed while on tour, and I'm always amazed at the generosity of strangers, but it's just… It feels much scarier to do this kind of fundraising when the purpose of the tour is in jeopardy and we don't know if we can continue to support our businesses and artists.
All donations will go towards suppressing merchandise sales and general restocking, starting with the most recently arrived items. The money raised will also be used to refund customers for their destroyed items. Unfortunately, all of our transportation materials were lost due to a fire, so a portion of the donations will be used to resupply transportation materials.
Anything you can contribute to this gofundme, even if you can only share your post with your friends and family at this time, will be appreciated beyond words.
Thank you very much.