Revisited: David Rath (Record Label Presidents Month)

This week, Jay Jay chimes in from his vacation in Mexico to give his latest updates on the show - & to introduce this week's revisited episode, with record label legend David Rath.

David Rath comes from Roadrunner Records where he spent twenty-one years in the A&R and Creative Departments, having been A&R on albums by Slipknot, Korn, Gojira, Coheed and Cambira, Slash, The Amity Affliction, Trivium, Stone Sour, Dream Theater and Megadeth and where he oversaw music videos from Nickelback, Theory Of A Deadman, Killswitch Engage, Jerry Cantrell and Slipknot. Rath helped guide the label through multiple changes in ownership and management, after which he oversaw the signings of Platinum selling acts Young The Giant and Vance Joy for Atlantic and Elektra Records. As the head of the A&R department at Roadrunner, Rath most recently signed and A&R’d Grammy nominated acts Turnstile and Code Orange, along with White Reaper and Motionless In White who both recently scored #1 Alternative and Active Rock radio hits. 

 In 2022, Dave Rath formed a partnership and new venture with Cees Wessels, the original founder of Roadrunner Records, to launch the rock label Blue Grape Music. The Blue Grape name comes from the influential hardcore/metal merch company formerly owned by Wessels. The new label recently signed pioneering metal outfit Code Orange, along with the Bay area post-punk band Spiritual Cramp, and New Jersey’s buzzing hardcore band GEL with releases scheduled for 2023. Blue Grape Music has offices in both New York City and Amsterdam and is presently distributed by The Orchard.  

Prior to being at Roadrunner Records, Rath, a graduate of Villanova University, was the Director of The Philadelphia Music Conference and drummer for the Columbia Records band Heavens Edge.

Jay Jay & David discuss their journeys into the record business, the ins & outs of A&R and the current state of the record label industry. David gets into how working in A&R keeps his ear to what's happening in the music world, & why he finds this to be very important. 

Don't miss this insightful conversation, only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music! 

Edited & Produced by Matthew Mallinger