Editing Jade Tree (record label)

{{Short description|American independent record label}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2015}}

'''Jade Tree International, Inc.''' is an [[independent record label]] formed by Darren Walters and Tim Owen in [[1990 in music|1990]] in [[Wilmington, Delaware]].

==History==

===Origin (1987–1990)===
In 1987, Tim Owen and Darren Walters were introduced during a punk show in [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref name="spin" /> 

At the time, Walters was a student at the [[University of Delaware]] where he had already independently released records on his label, Hi-Impact Records. To further these musical pursuits, Darren teamed up with [[Rochester Institute of Technology]] student Tim Owen, and his friend [[Carl Hedgepath]]. Together, they created their own label, [[Axtion Packed Records]]. <ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine |last=Katchen |first=Andrew |date=March 2003 |title=Jade Tree Blooms Out Of The Underground |volume=115 |page=10 |magazine=Billboard |issue=9}}</ref>

Both Axtion Packed and Hi-Impact focused on [[straight edge]] [[Hardcore punk|hardcore]] and produced [[Phonograph record|vinyl records]] in [[45 Record|45]] format.<ref name="spin" /> 

In an effort to expand musical genres and format, Axtion Packed Records was dissolved in 1990 to form Jade Tree Records. Owens and Walters modeled their new label on established independent's [[Touch and Go Records|Touch & Go]] out of Chicago and Washington, D.C.'s [[Dischord Records]]. <ref name=":0" />

===Growth and becoming established (1991–1996)===
In August of 1991, Jade Tree made their inaugural release, Culture Shock by the hardcore band Four Walls Falling. The album art included original photography by Owens. <ref name=":0" />

The new label started with many [[post-hardcore]] and [[noise rock]] bands, though these bands didn't garner much interest from the public. It wasn't until 1993, when Jade Tree released the album No Punches Pulled by DC area hardcore band, Swiz, did the label start receiving recognition. <ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://jadetree.com/about |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=Jade Tree |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Hot Water Music 2008.jpg|thumb|Hot Water Music 2008]]
The label began incorporating [[Emo (music)|emo]], [[punk rock|punk]], [[melodic hardcore]], and [[experimental music|experimental]] groups into their line-up. Through college, they grew the label into a stable roster by 1995.<ref name=":1" />

By 1994, Jade Tree was becoming less of a priority to the two founders. Owen had moved to [[New York City]] to attend the [[School of Visual Arts|School Of Visual Arts]] to further his photography education. Walters remained in their native Delaware, where he worked in education, focusing on disadvantaged students. A newfound interest was once again sparked, when the pair heard an unreleased demo by the band [[Lifetime (band)|Lifetime]]. By the fall of 1995, the band had officially signed with Jade Tree, and together they released the album Hello Bastards. This album would serve as the turning point for Jade Tree. <ref name=":1" />

In 1996, sales started to increase after the label released [[The Promise Ring]]'s ''[[30° Everywhere]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-12 |title=The Promise Ring's Nothing Feels Good Bridges Emo and Indie Rock |url=https://www.popmatters.com/promise-ring-nothing-feels-good-atr25 |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=PopMatters |language=en-US}}</ref>  The label often used the graphic designers [[Jason Gnewikow]] and Jeremy Dean for many releases.<ref name="spin" />

===Middle years (1997–2008)===
Bands signed by Jade Tree have released albums which saw regular radio play, including [[Alkaline Trio]], [[Pedro the Lion]], [[Jets to Brazil]], and [[Joan of Arc (band)|Joan of Arc]].<ref name=":1" />

===Downsizing (2009–2013)===
When key distributor [[Touch and Go Records]] downsized in 2009 Jade Tree scaled down too. This led to a lessening of the frequency of new releases from the label.<ref name=spin />

===Digital release and regrowth (2014–2016)===
Jade Tree made its entire discography available for digital download and streaming on [[Bandcamp]] in June 2014. This marked a planned increase in the number of new releases.<ref name=spin />

In February 2015, the label signed the band Dogs on Acid.<ref name=pn />

===Epitaph purchase (2017–present)===

In 2017 [[Epitaph Records]] purchased Jade Tree's entire catalog and started to re-release the back catalogue on vinyl. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Slept-On Records from Classic Labels: Jade Tree {{!}} Lists |url=https://www.noecho.net/lists/jade-tree-underrated-albums |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=www.noecho.net |date=8 April 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

== Bands signed ==
{{div col|colwidth=16em}}
* [[Alkaline Trio]]
* [[Avail]] 
* [[Breather Resist]]
* [[Cap'n Jazz]]<ref name=spin />
* [[Cex (musician)|Cex]]
* [[Cloak/Dagger]]
* [[Cub Country]]
* [[Damnation AD]]
* Dark Blue<ref name=spin />
* [[Denali (band)|Denali]]
* [[Despistado]]
* Dogs on Acid
* [[Edsel (band)|Edsel]]
* [[Eggs (band)|Eggs]]
* Eidolon
* [[Ester Drang]]
* [[Euphone]]
* [[The Explosion]]
* [[Four Walls Falling]]
* [[From Ashes Rise]]
* [[Fucked Up]]<ref name=spin />
* [[Girls Against Boys]]
* [[Gravel (band)|Gravel]]
* [[Jets to Brazil]]
* [[Joan of Arc (band)|Joan of Arc]]
* [[Jones Very (band)|Jones Very]]
* [[Juno (band)|Juno]]
* [[Kid Dynamite (band)|Kid Dynamite]]
* Leslie
* [[Lifetime (band)|Lifetime]]
* Lords
* Leather
* [[The Loved Ones (American band)|The Loved Ones]]
* [[Micah P. Hinson]]
* [[Mighty Flashlight]]
* [[Milemarker (band)|Milemarker]]
* [[New End Original]]
* [[New Mexican Disaster Squad]]
* [[The New Old Hopes]]
* [[Onelinedrawing]]
* [[Owls (band)|Owls]]
* [[Paint It Black (band)|Paint It Black]]
* [[Panda & Angel]]
* [[Pedro the Lion]]<ref name=spin />
* [[Pitchblende (band)|Pitchblende]]
* [[The Promise Ring]]
* [[Railhed]]
* [[Snowden (band)|Snowden]]
* [[Spraynard]]
* [[State of the Nation (band)|State of the Nation]]
* [[Statistics (band)|Statistics]]
* [[Strike Anywhere]]
* [[Sweetbelly Freakdown]]
* [[Swiz]]
* [[Texas Is The Reason]]
* [[These Arms Are Snakes]]
* [[Trial By Fire (American band)|Trial By Fire]]
* [[Turing Machine (band)|Turing Machine]]<ref name=spin />
* [[Turning Point (U.S. band)|Turning Point]]
* [[Universal Order of Armageddon]]
* [[Walleye (band)|Walleye]]
* [[Young Widows]]
{{div col end}}

==See also==
*[[List of record labels]]
*[[Music of Delaware]]

==References==
{{reflist|refs=

<!-- Not in use
<ref name="thepunksite1">{{cite web| last = Larson| first = Dwayne| title = These Arms Are Snakes Interview| work = ThePunkSite.com| date = September 18, 2009| url = http://thepunksite.com/interviews/these-arms-are-snakes/2/| access-date = October 31, 2010}}</ref>
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<ref name=pn>{{cite web|title=Jade Tree signs Dogs On Acid|date=12 February 2015 |url=http://www.punknews.org/article/57100/jade-tree-signs-dogs-on-acid|access-date=12 April 2015}}</ref>

<ref name=spin>{{cite web|last1=Fallo|first1=Patric|title=Q&A: Label Founder Tim Owen on the Evolution of Jade Tree Records|url=http://www.spin.com/2014/07/jade-tree-records-tim-owen-interview/|publisher=Spin|access-date=12 April 2015}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
*[http://www.jadetree.com Jade Tree official web site]
*[http://www.myspace.com/jadetree Jade Tree MySpace page]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jade Tree (Record Label)}}
[[Category:Record labels established in 1990]]
[[Category:American independent record labels]]
[[Category:Post-hardcore record labels]]
[[Category:Emo]]
[[Category:Hardcore record labels]]
[[Category:Alternative rock record labels]]
[[Category:Companies based in Wilmington, Delaware]]
[[Category:Punk record labels]]
[[Category:Jade Tree (record label)]]
[[Category:1990 establishments in Delaware]]
[[Category:Music of Wilmington, Delaware]]