We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jordan Calvi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jordan , thanks for joining us today. What can you share with us about the story behind how you found your key vendors?

In my experience, I’ve often found myself in the position of needing a reliable digital music distributor. I started distributing my artists’ music digitally back in 2016, using a platform called Zimbalam (which was later acquired by TuneCore). It wasn’t the cheapest option, but at the time, my priority wasn’t the revenue share; it was simply making sure our artists’ music made it onto streaming platforms. And it did, so I was happy!

As time went on and I gained more experience, I realized that streaming wasn’t just a small part of the business: it was becoming the core of music distribution. That’s when I began testing different distributors to understand what each one offered and what they expected in return.

If I had one piece of advice for any new record label looking to release their music, it would be this: choose a distributor you can truly trust. I’ve worked with one that couldn’t guarantee releases would go live on the scheduled date, and that uncertainty was incredibly stressful. In the end, it simply wasn’t worth the higher revenue share.

Today, we distribute all of our catalog with The Orchard and they are great. (Thank you Dalila and Philippe.)

Jordan , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, I’m Jordan, the founder and label manager of KROD Records, an independent punk rock and hardcore label that originally started in France, where I was born. The idea behind KROD (Keine Rose ohne Dornen, german for No rose without thorns) came from my desire to help artists on my own, without depending too much on others. Before that, I used to organize concerts in France, and I often found myself stressed by having to rely on too many different people. Over time, I realized I was more comfortable and effective managing the production and promotion of artists’ releases myself, and that is how the label began.

“No rose without a thorn” is a philosophy I’ve adopted both in my personal life and with the record label. To truly enjoy something beautiful or rewarding, you often have to go through challenges or moments of discomfort. If you really want something, you will face roadblocks and setbacks along the way, but if you keep pushing forward, you will eventually get there.

KROD Records has now existed for more than 10 years and has been based in Germany since 2017. During that time, we have worked with more than 50 artists, including Elm Tree Circle, Phantom Bay, Liotta Seoul, Can’t Bear This Party!, Dream Nails, and Livingston, among others. Our artists have been featured in major outlets such as Rocksound and Kerrang!, and they have appeared on some of the most popular official playlists across streaming platforms.

I am proud to see how far some of our artists have come, whether or not I played a direct role in their journey. At the end of the day, success in this industry is never the work of one person alone. It is about connection, working closely with the band, pushing as much as you can, and seeing them push just as hard in return. Networking also plays an important role in getting into the right festivals, playlists, or magazines, but what truly matters is having a strong and dedicated team around you. That is what makes everything possible.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

We produce our artists’ records in Europe through different vinyl pressing plants. Over the years, we’ve worked with quite a few, but most of our recent releases have been made in Germany, with Celebrate and Intakt!, and in the Netherlands with Deepgrooves. At one point, we produced everything in Germany, and a great guy named Nikolay G. from Ugly and Proud created the gatefold covers. I remember spending quite some time putting all the pieces together myself afterward.

A fun fact about that process is the very first time I did it. I had absolutely no idea how it worked and didn’t ask anyone for help. I just contacted a British pressing plant and said, “Let’s make some vinyls.” Then came all the questions: copyright authorization, speed, color, weight, sleeves, and more. It turned into a long exchange of emails, but that’s how I learned the process step by step.

I later realized it probably wasn’t the most cost-effective solution, considering the shipping costs, currency conversion, and everything else. But it was my first real experience, and that person helped me a lot throughout the process. In the end, the record was finished and that became the very first exclusive release from KROD Records.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

To begin with, the label still exists, and when you know how little a punk rock or hardcore label earns, that already says a lot about resilience. I have had many bad experiences along the way, but each one made the next step stronger because I learned what mistakes not to repeat. I also shared those lessons with the artists, telling them, “This is something we should avoid, or we both lose.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://krodrecords.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krodrecords/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/krodrecords/
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/krod-records
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KRODRECORDSPUNK

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