Introducing Mama Mañana Records and Our First EP From Hubba!

When I am not busy sending you music recommendations, I've co-founded an indie record label. Here's more about it!

If you asked me what I truly wanted to do over the past two decades, the answer remained the same: run an indie record label. My wife even swears it was one of our first conversations when we met, and I don’t doubt it.

That dream remained on the backburner while I toiled away in Corporate America™ for a decade, but as I shifted into music journalism, I told myself that I must walk through those open doors when they presented themselves.

After months of preparing, I finally realized that dream and am so excited to tell you about Mama Mañana Records and what lies ahead.

Santa Fe has been incredibly generous to me after a year of living here, especially with its small but tight-knit and highly talented music scene. Sometimes one needs to find that perfect partner for their endeavor. I am thrilled that I met local scene staple Jared Garcia, Mama Mañana’s co-founder, as we work in synchronicity through every step of getting the label up and running.

Our goal for Mama Mañana Records is much like when I send you Check This Out! every week - to give space for artists and bands that buck the algorithm. Like everything else in this country these days, our music tastes are dictated by a few corporations who pay out the ass to feature their music on your Spotify playlists, films, and commercials. There’s still room for indie labels, and creating a community of artists from diverse backgrounds remains the most organic approach. Mama Mañana’s business practices favor the artist first and foremost, and Jared and I are committed to ensuring that never changes. The artist is in the driver’s seat with no career-ending contracts and in-house PR and recording services.

I also want to shout out to Liz Taranchenko (@awful.bliss) for creating the perfect logo representing the label and our beautiful home city. Please give her a follow for more of her gorgeous work!

What will you see and hear from Mama Mañana Records in the next few months?

While also releasing digital versions of everything the label releases, we’re committed first and foremost to being a cassette label. Physical media has always been crucial to the listening experience for both of us, and cassettes have a renaissance because of their niche but dedicated community - it’s how we want to present our bands. This also means that whenever you purchase a Mama Mañana Records release, you’re ensured to have a piece of a small batch of lovingly crafted DIY merchandise. We’ll also supply your favorite cozy hoody, trusty ol’ t-shirt, or any wild ideas we manifest.

How can I help the label out?

The answer is easy. If you hear a song from one of our artists that you love on Spotify, Apple Music, or our upcoming YouTube channel, purchase the physical release. Our Bandcamp is launching soon, and if you’re in the Santa Fe/Albuquerque area, look for cassettes for purchase from local retailers (we’ll let you know those spots as they’re confirmed). Buying label merch will also go a long way, and who doesn’t want to sport that handsome logo around town? Finally, you can come out to see our artists as they play shows around town and throughout the southwest over the coming months!

Now, for our first release, Empty Dreams by Hubba!

Hubba is the recording project by Jared Garcia, who you may also know previously from Thieves & Gypsys and currently noodling the six-strings in Gold Tides. Hubba released a few blazing singles last year, but Empty Dreams is part one of a new phase for Garcia. Described as “tape decayed westerns and past romances from the unknown future,” Empty Dreams fits perfectly as a cassette release. Garcia plays all the instruments on the three new tracks, and the b-side will collect Hubba’s previous singles for a six-song set of high desert goodness.

To kick things off, Hubba will be releasing the lead single, “By Your Side,” on all streaming platforms on September 13th, and the full EP release will follow on October 4th, with an album release party to follow soon after.

A digital preorder for Empty Dreams is available now, as well as a slick ringer tee to show your support. The cassette preorder will be live in the next few weeks. Check out Hubba’s Bandcamp here!

In the meantime, here is the music video from last year’s earworm, “Greedo Killer,” which will feature on Empty Dreams’ b-side.

Here at Mama Mañana Records, we’re just getting started with another release for October to be announced soon and many more albums in the pipeline.

For now, we appreciate your follows on Instagram and Twitter. Not only will you keep up to date on MMR releases, but we’ll also offer plenty of giveaways and behind-the-scenes looks at running the label.

Thank you for all the support we’ve received so far, and I cannot wait to share more with you soon!

✌️

Kiley, Mama Mañana Records - “Nourishing the Household Names of Tomorrow”