2002
Pacific Ridge Records was born the instant The Movielife finished their set at a small venue in San Diego called The Scene. The show marked the first concert I ever attended and even more importantly it set into motion the beginning of a lifelong devotion to music.
After that particular moment I knew I wanted to be involved in the music industry in some way, shape or form. Unfortunately a lack of musical talent and finances eliminated the obvious choice of starting a band of my own. So instead of picking up a guitar I decided to consume as much music and industry knowledge as physically possible. There was no rhyme or reason behind my pursuit of what at the time was considered by many to be a waste of time and useless information. I simply had a passion for staying up to date in the world of music and an even greater desire to know whether or not an up-and-coming artist had what it took to become the next great musical sensation.
2004
Two years and several dozen shows later my long time friend and I were watching The Get Up Kids play a set at the Open Air Amphitheatre at San Diego State University when the prospect of releasing music came up (as it routinely did at events like this). This time around was different though, our plans seemed like more than just talk. The conversation seemed like a reality waiting to happen rather than some pipe dream that was always out of reach. We also realized that our recent high-school graduation marked a significant change in our lives and that we needed to seize the opportunity by becoming involved in something more than just the standard path that life routinely dished out.
Over the course of the next few months we visited nearly every administrative building in San Diego trying to figure out where to begin. Various forms and a whole hell of a lot of paperwork later we had officially established the entity known as Pacific Ridge Records. The name was a point of contention, we wanted something that would relate to the West coast while still expressing a laid back approach that both Matt and myself tried to convey in our day-to-day lives. After days of brain storming we thought it would be amusing to let our families come up with a few ideas. In a matter of seconds my sister rattled off the name Pacific Ridge Records completely on the fly. Little did we know we had learned our first, but certainly not last, lesson regarding the practice of business. The more heads you interject into an idea the better the end product will be.
As with all radical ideas there was the typical pushback by most of the adult figures in our life, claiming our endeavors were foolish and nothing more than an adolescent dream that'll drain our time, lives and bank accounts. Like everything in life though, our true family and friends, our parents included, encouraged us to follow our hearts and they tried their best to steer us down the correct path. And those few people that did support us were instrumental in convincing us that this goal was more than just a unattainable life dream. They convinced us that it was a reality waiting to happen.
2005
Fast forward another year, a business partner and entirely too many mistakes later and you have Pacific Ridge Records as it is now. Not the idea, not the paperwork, not even the name, but the actual record label with our very first release...To put it more precisely, Pacific Ridge Records was more than just a 16 year-olds unrealistic dream. It was my day-to-day life and one that will be a part of my life for better or for worse for the rest of my days.
The Meaning
The rather drab story behind PRR's humble beginnings is not about myself or the label I operate. As cliche as it sounds, it's about following your heart and doing what you're passionate about in life. The history behind the founding of Pac Ridge is about not having to follow a predetermined path that society and culture deems is acceptable. It's about choosing whether or not to dedicate yourself to a questionable course of action. It's about not having dedicate yourself to college, work or anything else in life unless that particular path is what you're truly find yourself passionate about. In other words, do what you want, not what others want you to do.
For those of you who doubt your potential or believe that your dreams are entirely too unattainable, I want you to know, nothing needs to be given to you. You don’t need a person close to the industry to hold your hand through the mistakes or help push your business in the right direction. You don’t need rich friends, family or to take out a loan that mortgages your future. You simply need passion, determination, the support of a few close friends and the mindset that even if you fail you wont have failed at all because you’ll know in your heart that what you’re doing is what you truly love. Even if you do fail, and we all will at one point or another, you simply need to get back up and try try again. And every time you meet adversity head on you’ll be met with the satisfaction of knowing that you're happy with your life, with what you’re doing and with who you are as a person. That’s not to say that there will never be doubters, critics and those that will try to dissuade you from your life goals and direction in life. Because it’s inevitable that people will be there to try and bring you down, and when those individuals do criticize you, and they will. Just ask them this simple question, "Are you happy with your life?" because when they hesitate, you’ll know in your heart that you wouldn’t have. And in that moment, you’ll know in your heart that you've made the right decision.
So I ask you...are you happy with your life?
Send Your Demo To:
Pacific Ridge Records
PO Box 3830
Ramona, CA 92065
E-mail Us:
contact@pacificridgerecords.com
Pure Volume:
www.purevolume.com/pacificridgerecords
Myspace:
www.myspace.com/pacificridgerecords
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/waynestadlerprr