About the  R4A Empire 

In 2020 I established R4A Music under the temporary working name of PM Records. Over the past four years with Eryn-Kate by my side, we have been laying the foundations to what is known today as the R4A Empire!  During this period we signed many local & international artists, (in particular those who have experienced some form of personal challenge or hardship in their lives) and together we started the process of songwriting, learning how to record music in a professional recording environment.  Many of these artists work at the label, learning behind the scenes how a global record label functions in the
new millennium.  

 

The artists signed to R4A Music are carefully vetted to make sure they fit our mould of unique artists.

 

We are a company that does not discriminate in age or gender.
We love helping the underdog, that doesn’t fit your typical “artist” in mainstream music.  Music should have no barriers, anyone who wants to release music should have an opportunity to do so.  

 

Running a music label is such a hard business to be in, why the heck would we want to do such a thing? WELL, I believe that from my own experiences at being a recording artist and then working & developing my skills in how to run a record label that I have so much to offer artists, I had a vision, to establish a place that is safe for every artist that walks through our doors. 

 

We have artists from all walks of life here, most of them have had some physical, personal, OR emotional injuries, setbacks, and have found music to be so therapeutic for their recovery.  Every artist that receives a recording contract within the R4A Music record label, can also learn behind the scenes of what it takes to run a label, hence our tag, “RUN FOR ARTISTS BY ARTISTS''.  We love to support as many LGBQT+ community recording artists as well as artists from all diversified backgrounds.

 

I love that what I have established provides our artists with the exceptional skills so that they can use in their own or someone else’s future projects, and in return, all I ask is that they pay forward and return the favour to the next artist that comes through our haven doors.

 

Historically, I signed my first recording contract at age 17, and was a recording artist in the 80’s and 90’s before jumping to the other side of the industry, to commence working in record labels.  With a interest in how the music was promoted and manufactured around the world and how the marketing and promotional elements worked.  As a result of my interest in the music industry, I decided to accept an offer to work for an indie record label and eventually ended up working as a marketing / label manager at some of the world’s largest record labels including BMG UK and Universal Music Australasia in the 2000’s.  During this time, the record industry, especially in Australia, was known as the ‘boys club’ and was controlled by men in suits who liked to refer to themselves as ‘career makers’.  Signing ‘rock bands’ was the only thing they knew how to do, so careers in pop, dance and EDM were very scarce. I could never understand, considering how the music industry attracts a lot of the LGBQT+ community, that the men at the top of the lucrative global empires, were often homophobic, hated pop music, and spent half of their days sniffing ‘cocaine’ to try to maintain some form of creative output.

 

During my time at Universal Music (being openly gay), I was the victim of countless incidents of homophobic bullying, to the point that whilst in Miami at a global record label function, I was called by the CEO of the company and referred to as ‘the bum boy’, the ‘poofter’ and this was ongoing daily abuse, that gay men in the industry (especially those of us working with major record labels), had to put up with.  It wasn’t until fifteen years later that the industry finally held ‘the boys club’, accountable for the decades of homophobic and sexual abuse that was historically swept under the carpet. 

 

Ultimately I left Universal music, due to the ongoing bullying & took a break from the music industry to lecture in universities.  It was during this period that I was severely injured in an accident that crushed my cervical spine, which then resulted in me undergoing years of painful surgeries and rehabilitations, and it was during this period that I decided to take back control of my life and thus, R4A music evolved. 

 

Initially I started recording a comeback album, and during that process had an epitome that resulted in me wanting to set up a safe place to provide anyone who wanted a chance at entering the music industry, the opportunity to be signed and work within my label so that they could learn the valuable skills on how a record label functions. 

 

What I have built with my amazing team is a one stop for all musicians, singers, bands & anyone who wants a career in music.  Over the four years that followed, I have diversified and launched further music industry focussed businesses so that R4A Music is the only indie record label that can offer within this industry J4A Music (third party distribution and music promotional packages), M4U - Coming Soon ("Merch For You" provides an affordable place for any artist or band, to design and have us print all of your merchandise needs from t-shirts, caps and tote bags to fully global touring merchandise), T4U - Coming Soon (Touring For You) and J4A Music Publishing and SYNC were born. 

 

R4A Music is ready to take on the big labels with our array of different music styles we have and would love to showcase these to you all. Despite facing many challenges, we are proud of the progression of the business and have never lost faith in our direction and mission; to help as many artists as we can.

 

My team, our artists and our clients are in the beginning of many exciting and rewarding new times.