JACARANDA RECORDS LAUNCHES TO SHINE A LIGHT ON EXTRAORDINARY COUNTRY & AMERICANA ARTISTS
New Label Founded By Southern California Music Champion, John Antich Celebrates Two Critically Acclaimed L.A. Artists: John Surge & the Haymakers And David Serby
LOS ANGELES, CA — The best music isn’t always found on the well-worn paths. Sometimes, it’s waiting down the backroads.
That’s the idea behind Jacaranda Records, a new independent label founded by longtime Southern California music champion John Antich, whose passion for extraordinary country and Americana artists has made him a beloved figure in the L.A. roots music community.
At 76, Antich attends more than 100 concerts a year, most featuring local artists whose music has yet to reach a national audience. One of his favorite singer-songwriters calls him the “patron saint of singer-songwriters.”
Part cheerleader, part critic and part pied piper, Antich has spent years championing American roots music—including roots rock, country, Tex-Mex, folk and psychedelia—and the musicians who make it.
For the past thirteen years, he has also presented concerts in his Rancho Palos Verdes backyard on a compact wooden stage he calls the “Jacaranda Veranda.” With room for just 80 guests, the intimate series has attracted artists including Mary Gauthier, John Doe, Vicki Peterson & John Cowsill, The Minus 5 featuring Scott McCaughey and Peter Buck, Steve Wynn, The Beat Farmers, Rosie Flores and Jim Lauderdale, alongside the under-the-radar local artists Antich champions.
Now, he is taking that mission to the record business.
Jacaranda Records launches with two of Antich’s favorite Southern California artists; John Surge & the Haymakers and David Serby, both critically acclaimed songwriters with devoted local followings and limited but growing national exposure.
“These two singer-songwriters have released some of my favorite albums over the last few years,” says Antich. “I want to support them and give them a vehicle to release more music in today’s challenging music industry and bring more attention to great L.A. music I think should be heard on the national scene.”
JOHN SURGE & THE HAYMAKERS
John Surge & the Haymakers’ 2023 album Almost Time earned critical acclaim and reached No. 32 on the Americana Music Association radio chart, with “You’re So Right” reaching No. 35. Their Jacaranda Records EP Maybe You Don’t Know Me expands on Surge’s distinctive blend of high-octane alt-country and country-folk. The title track was added to SiriusXM Outlaw Country and received regular rotation, while the EP also charted at Americana radio and earned rave reviews.
“With Maybe You Don’t Know Me we’ve not only found the real John Surge, but he’s possibly found himself as a recording artist.” — Red Guitar Music
DAVID SERBY
A veteran of the California country scene, David Serby has released seven albums over a celebrated 20-plus-year career. His latest, Broken Heart in a Honky Tonk, on Jacaranda Records, introduces a cast of funny, flawed and often self-destructive characters navigating love and life with equal parts heartbreak and humor.
“Humor is foundational in country music,” says Serby. “People come to country music because it’s good-time music that’s a salve for a broken heart.”
As Ripple Music observed, “Serby brings us his distinct perspective of real people singing about real people. Active listeners will be rewarded with the thoughtfulness and craftsmanship of his lyrics.”
For Antich, launching Jacaranda Records is both a natural extension of his lifelong love of music and a way to leave something lasting behind.
“I’m starting to think about my legacy and the L.A. music scene,” he says. “That’s why I launched Jacaranda Records, to put my stamp on albums that will last into perpetuity.”
Jacaranda Records exists to shine a light on extraordinary country and Americana artists you’ve yet to discover. Because the best music isn’t found on well-worn paths. It’s waiting down the backroads.
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For more information: https://jacaranda-records.com/
Press Contact: Kim Grant | KG Music Press | 626-755-9022 | kim@kgmusicpress.com
