Exploring Life & Business with Ryan Hall of Whited Sepulchre Records

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Hall.

Hi Ryan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started Whited Sepulchre Records in 2016 after a series of upheavals in my personal life. I didn’t know that starting a record label would be a cathartic process, but it was really what I needed at the time. Since 2006 I had been writing about music as a journalist in a variety of capacities. I moved to Cincinnati in 2013 to start grad school in a completely unrelated field. I had been running a small net label after returning from the Peace Corps in Swaziland, Africa as a way to continually fund a library at a refugee camp that we had worked to establish. Moving to release physical media was very much a learn-as-you-go process. I learned everything from PR to sourcing physical production through trial and error.

I knew, however, that as long as Whited Sepulchre Records had an open ear to experimental sounds and a consistent artistic aesthetic, everything else would fall into place. Since then we’ve released over 40 records, tapes, CDs, and art objects including work by Pulitzer Prize winner Raven Chacon and Berlin Prize winner Joy Guidry. I’ve released several LPs and cassettes by local Cincinnati artists that are endlessly inspiring to me. Last year we hosted our first music festival in Cincinnati that featured artists from around the country that have released music on Whited Sepulchre Records including Midwife, Allison Lorenzen, Airport People, Desert Liminal, and Lake Mary along with local artists Brianna Kelly, Bailey Miller, Fritz Pape, and Andrew Elaban + Pete Fosco.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Nothing about working in the music industry in the last decade has been a smooth road. Streaming is dominating our listening habits and completely gutting the industry and artists from any real way to make an income. While vinyl sales are up, the supply chain nightmare since 2020 has hit the vinyl industry especially hard.

Most wait times for a record come anywhere between 6 months to a year. Inflation + supply chain crisis has raised prices across the board. But with all of that, I am grateful to have found a community of folks who continually support the label. As the profile of the label has grown it has been amazing to see folks respond by buying records and supporting the label.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Whited Sepulchre Records is a label curated and run by Ryan Hall. We specialize in an omnivorous approach to experimental music. Our releases span from ambient, noise, and free jazz to left-of-center indie rock.

We’ve released music from artists from all over the world including Mexico, Japan, Poland, and Australia. Behind the scenes, we do everything from PR to sourcing physical production for our work. We recently launched a licensing/synchronization service called Leaving Things to place Whited Sepulchre Records’ music in film and television.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
Cincinnati has an amazing and supportive music scene. Scratch below the surface of mainstream indie rock and you’ll find artists exploring some amazing sounds.

While not quite as vibrant as when I first moved to the city in 2013 when there were an abundance of DIY venues and a few bars that catered to “weird” music, I am incredibly excited about a new crop of younger musicians putting out music.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://whitedsepulchrerecords.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitedsepulchrerecords/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhitedSepulchre
• Twitter: @whitedseprecs
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpVN6osmzNBrBCHSFiMp0tQ
• Other: https://whitedsepulchrerecords.bandcamp.com/