Takehold Records

**Location:** | Birmingham, Alabama

**Takehold Records** was a record label that originated in 1997 out of Birmingham, Alabama in the United States. The label was founded by Chad Johnson out of a record store & venue called Slacker 66, with the label being run out of his garage. After a few years, the label gained much notoriety in the hardcore punk and indie rock scene. The label got distribution from Lumberjack Distribution.

In 2002, Johnson went to join Tooth & Nail Records as A&R for the label and sold Takehold's stocks and contracts to Tooth & Nail. Some of the bands did not agree to the deal, while others became extremely popular afterwards, most notably Underoath.

## History

Takehold Records started in 1997 by Chad Johnson. He formed the label out of a mailorder store called Slacker 66 and ran it out his garage. The label focused heavily on hardcore punk and indie rock, as well as death metal and metalcore. The label signed many bands, with the first release in the label being the hardcore band Withstand FTHC's album, *The War Within*. The label followed up with indie rock band The Backups' album *Five Long Years*.

 Johnson hired three friends on as staff: Garrett Simpson as A&R, Kris McCaddon (ex-Embodyment) as graphic designer, and Ryan Arakawa as distro coordinator.

The label continued onward, signing Twothirtyeight, My Spacecoaster, and Sleeping by the Riverside. Recess Theory and Fable joined the label shortly afterward. In 1999, the label released death metal/metalcore band Underoath's debut album, titled *Act of Depression*. The label also released an album by Through the Eyes of Katelyn, titled *Your Role Model's Dead*. The band was a project of Jesse Smith of the metalcore band Zao.

In 2000, the label had signed Few Left Standing, Narcissus and Tantrum of the Muse and sent the three on tour, alongside Underoath. The tour was called 40 Days of Disaster, where they stayed at Slacker 66 during the run. The three aforementioned bands all released two albums through the label, as did Underoath.

In 2001, the label put out their final releases; Narcissus' *Becoming Leviathan*, The Operation's *There Is Hope For A Tree Cut Down*, Few Left Standing's *Wormwood*, Stairwell's *The Sounds of Change* and Hopesfall's *No Wings To Speak Of*. In 2002, Johnson sold the label to Tooth & Nail Records, after attaining huge debt. While negotiating with Tooth & Nail, he contacted many of the bands and asked if they wanted to switch to T&N's current roster. This included Underoath, Twothirthyeight, Further Seems Forever, Tantrum of the Muse and Narcissus. However, both Tantrum and Narcissus declined the offer. Few Left Standing, however, supposedly did not give permission to give their material to T&N, yet the label re-released them through Solid State Records, the label's heavier sub-label. Johnson became the A&R for Tooth & Nail following the sale, signing and working with many acts on the label including Haste the Day, The Chariot, Trenches, Once Nothing and Showbread.

## Roster

* The Backups (disbanded)
* Chalice (disbanded)
* Carry the Dead (disbanded)
* Fable (disbanded)
* Few Left Standing (active)
* Further Seems Forever (active; Rise Records)
* Hopesfall (active; Equal Vision Records)
* My Spacecoaster (disbanded)
* Narcissus (disbanded)
* Not Waving But Drowning (active)
* The Operation (disbanded)
* Recess Theory (disbanded)
* Sleeping by the Riverside (disbanded)
* Stairwell (disbanded)
* Tantrum of the Muse (disbanded)
* Through the Eyes of Katelyn (disbanded)
* Twothirtyeight (disbanded)
* Underoath (active; Fearless Records)
* Withstand FTHC (disbanded)

## Staff

* Chad Johnson - A&R, Founder (1997-2002)
* Garrett Simpson - A&R, Street Team Manager
* Kris McCaddon - Graphic Design (ex-Embodyment, ex-The Famine, ex-Society's Finest, ex-Demon Hunter)
* Ryan Arakawa - Distribution Coordinator

## References

1. ↑ Martin, Adam. "Birmingham Indie Retrospect (1998-2005)". BHAM.FM. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Bailey, Nate. "Takehold Records Interview". Fast God Stuff. Retrieved on October 12, 2018.
3. ↑ "Takehold Records". Voice of Reason. Retrieved on October 12, 2018.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Takehold Records/Tooth & Nail Records deal". Lambgoat. March 11, 2002. Retrieved on October 12, 2018.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Takehold Records". Discogs. Retrieved on October 12, 2018.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Catalogue". Takehold Records. Retrieved on October 12, 2018.
7. ↑ Boland, Casey (June 22, 2010). "Underoath - Act of Depression". Alternative Press. Retrieved on October 12, 2018.
8. ↑ Smith, Jesse (2005). "*The Lesser Lights of Heaven*". Ferret Music. Retrieved on October 13, 2018.
9. ↑ Carroll, Justin (August 2, 2015). "Justin Caroll (Narcissus)". As The Story Grows Podcast. Interview with Travis Turner and Stephen Sarro. Retrieved on October 13, 2018.
10. ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16 10.17 10.18 10.19 10.20 Johnson, Chad. "Come and Live......: Moving Forward". ComeandLive!. Retrieved on October 12, 2018.
11. ↑ Settle, Jim (April 12, 2015). "Jim Settle (Tantrum of the Muse)". As The Story Grows Podcast. Interview with Travis Turner and Stephen Sarro. Retrieved on October 13, 2018.
12. ↑ King, Joshua (January 7, 2018). "Danny Pelletier and Joshua King of Not Beneath". As The Story Grows Podcast. Interview with Travis Turner. Retrieved on October 13, 2018.