A HOPELESS TALE OF TRIUMPH

Future Hearts by Hopeless Records’ pop-punk troupe All Time Low looks set to grab the top spot on this week’s HITS Album Sales Chart. How’d it happen? According to the L.A. indie label’s President/Founder, Louis Posen, it was largely about critical mass.

“The band’s been very authentic and connected to their fans,” he says, noting the WARPED Tour/indie-rock crowd is always hungry for melodic/aggressive fare in the vein of Fall Out Boy and kindred acts. ATL have more than a million Twitter followers and have patiently built their base over nine years, Posen adds. As a result, Future Hearts is also #1 in the U.K., Top 5 in Canada and Australia and Top 20 in 10 other markets.

“This global success is very rare for a rock artist on a truly independent label, but it shows that there are no longer any barriers to success for artists and labels looking to do it their own way,” Posen points out. “Independent music makes up 35% of the music business and All Time Low just made sure that percentage will continue to grow.”

The 22-year-old label, which also boasts such established alt-rockers as The Used and Taking Back Sunday as well as newcomers like The Wonder Years and Neck Deep, has had seven Top 10 releases in the last two years. Its sister label, Sub City, releases punk-driven anthologies for worthy causes. All Time Low’s feat marks the first indie album #1 since Queens of the Stone Age took the crown in 2013 (indie rockers Vampire Weekend and The National also topped the chart earlier that year).

“This is a huge moment for All Time Low, Hopeless Records and the entire independent community,” declares Posen, who expresses gratitude for the contributions of CFO Al Person, VP Marketing & Creative Ian Harrison and VP of Biz Dev/A&R Eric Tobin, among others on his team. “Thanks to the countless people out there who made this possible.”