Courtesy of Gabby Uy

After eight years, Yale’s only student-run record label has made a comeback. 

17o1 Records made a surprising return to campus with a flyer stating, “We’re Back” released on Aug. 28. The label was revived by the team of seven Yalies after it dissolved in 2015. 

The students told the News they hope that 17o1 Records represents and supports student artists. They are currently looking for new members to join their team — and for talent the label can represent.

“17o1 emerged out of a collective belief that the Yale music scene needs a new emphasis on music production,” said Head of Label Affairs Jackson Downey ’25. “We know first-hand just how many unbelievably talented musicians are on this campus and how hard it is to find resources to take your music career to the next level. At the same time, we saw just how many Yale students love music. We wanted to find a way to help artists and also bring more music to campus.”

Yale is home to a mosaic of musicians, singer-songwriters and producers which meant that the announcement piqued a lot of interest school-wide. 

In particular, 17o1 team members said they began to hear from many students around campus who wondered what having a record label on campus would entail. 

“While traditional record labels focus exclusively on music production, 17o1 reflects a trend in newer labels to be a one-stop shop for artists,” Downey explained. “We believe that if we can handle all of that stuff for the artist, they can focus on making some killer music.”

On their website, 17o1 emphasizes this versatility, showcasing a variety of services ranging from artist management and event organization to music production and promotion.

In just a few weeks, 17o1 has gained a great deal of traction and has amassed over 500 followers on Instagram since launching in late August. 

Originally, the label was created as a means to produce a compilation album from a mix of student artists. However, when their founding producers graduated in 2015, 17o1 leadership decided to dissolve, Downey told the News.

Downey and his team contacted the previous 17o1 president, Emily Bosisio ’16, and shared his plan to bring the label back to life. He added that Bosisio and other past staffers played a crucial role in the revamping process. 

“While we look a bit different in practice, the name and essence of both labels are the same,” Downey said. “We want to pick up right where 17o1 left off, making awesome music and building community around it.”

Despite only recently relaunching, 17o1 has established a fresh brand, with a new website designed by Evan Kirkiles ’24 and witty Instagram posts. 

Gabby Uy ’25, the label’s head of creative, said she was very intentional about finding a fitting image for the label.

“I took a lot of inspiration from the world of amateur music itself — think of punk fanzines, flyers you hand-draw for your friend’s grungy basement party and even the music posters we put up on our dorm walls,” she said. “At the end of the day, we’re a bunch of scrappy college students putting together a scrappy record label. It’s important to me that 17o1’s visual identity stays true to that.” 

This visual identity, in particular, has caught the eye of several students. Some of these students have already applied to the label. 

AJ Nakash ’26 said he is interested in the photography director position and was drawn to the label’s “creative direction,” he said. 

Nakash said that the intersection of visual art and music have fascinated him for a long time and aded that he was thrilled at the idea of contributing to the label in this capacity. 

This interest in joining the label is exactly what 17o1 hopes to cultivate, Downey told the News. He explained that inclusivity and collaboration are key pillars of the label and that the team is aiming to be “less exclusive than traditional Yale clubs.” 

“We are assembling a very small core team to keep the lights on, but we want 17o1 to be a space on campus that benefits and involves everyone, from musicians to music lovers.” 

As a part of this effort to be inclusive, Downey revealed that the label will be forming a GroupMe to connect with students — with the goal of seeing the full Yale music scene “thrive.” 

For artists interested in joining 17o1, the label is accepting applications until Sept. 28. For students interested in joining the creative team, there are currently seven open staff positions with applications due Sept. 15. 

When asked what kind of music students can expect from the label, Head of Music Sage Friedman ’25 responded with, “anything and everything.”

“We’re looking for the kid who sits in their classes writing lyrics instead of taking notes, the kid who only sings in the comfort of their practice room, the classical burnouts, the a cappella singer looking for something new,” Friedman said. “17o1 wants to be the ground that Yale’s music scene can stand on.”

17o1 Records was founded in 2010.