SKELETAL LIGHTNING

Tucked away in a cozy midwest home, you will find dynamic husband/wife duo Sean & Morgan Hermann. They might be cuddling with their cats Buffy & Khaleesi, cooking, crocheting, or possibly tending to the duties that come with running an independent record label. But not just any record label – Skeletal Lightning, something that feels more like a family than a label.

The Hermanns pride themselves in providing authentic love and care for all the bands that make up the Skeletal Lightning roster. They work to take care of artists in a way that allows those musicians to focus on doing what they do best: making music and touring the world. More than 7 years since their inception, and almost 100 releases later, the label’s original mission still shines through. Perhaps most notably, by taking notes from other artist-friendly labels (like Polyvinyl and Dischord) and running on a true 50/50 profit split with artists.

Skeletal Lightning was originally born as an independent music blog, focused on highlighting all of the amazing music the Hermanns saw coming out of the Midwest independent music community. This would ultimately be followed by the birth of Skeletal Lightningthe label, which quickly flourished into a deeply passionate independently owned and operated record label that works to highlight bands from all across the globe.

Skeletal Lightning bands have been featured in Pitchfork, Noisey, FADER, and countless other publications. Music from Skeletal Lightning artists has even been played during the Winter Olympics and March Madness. Pretty wild, right?

Success isn’t what drives Sean and Morgan to do what they do though. Skeletal Lightning is the direct result of hearing one too many horror stories from bands in terrible situations with their labels. More than anything, The Hermanns strive to create an exciting, hopeful space for bands to exist and grow with support along the way. Skeletal Lightning also appreciates YOU – and would like to thank you for reading and caring about what they do! – Delaney Motter