ABOUT MORELLA RECORDS

The Vision

Morella Records was born from necessity. After decades navigating the independent music scene, living and breathing the goth underground as a fan, a club goer, and eventually a musician since the late 1980s, Blake Carpenter recognized a fundamental problem: there wasn't a label anywhere truly dedicated to preserving traditional gothic rock, deathrock, darkwave, and post-punk without the industrial and EBM crossover dominating today's "goth" landscape.

His project GIO didn't fit the modern definition of what labels were calling "goth music." It was too traditional. Too guitar-driven. Too rooted in the classics. And if an artist with decades of scene experience couldn't find a home for authentic goth rock, what chance did emerging artists have?

So Morella Records was created, not as a vanity project, but as a solution to a problem plaguing the entire scene: where do authentic goth rock artists go when the industry only wants to hear synthesized aggression and dance floor beats?

The Problem

Somewhere along the way, "goth" became synonymous with industrial, EBM, and EDM hybrids. The guitars got buried. The post-punk roots were forgotten. The atmospheric dread and romantic melancholy that defined the genre were replaced by programming and grid-locked beats.

There's nothing wrong with those styles, they have their place. But traditional goth rock deserves a home too. The reverb-drenched guitars. The haunting basslines. The synthesizers that weep instead of pound. The vocals that understand darkness is nuanced, not just aggressive.

The Foundation

Morella Records operates as a fully independent label, built on hands-on experience in the independent music industry. We handle everything in-house: digital distribution to all major platforms, on-demand physical manufacturing for CD, vinyl, and cassette, promotional outreach to an extensive network of magazines, blogs, podcasts, and playlists, and direct artist support from someone who has lived this music, performed it, and never stopped believing in its power.

We are not a corporate entity trying to capitalize on a trend. We are scene lifers building relationships with media outlets and tastemakers who understand what makes this music matter.

One more thing worth stating plainly: Morella Records does not accept, release, or distribute AI-generated music, AI-generated vocals, or AI-generated artwork. Full stop. This music is human. It always will be.

The Commitment

We are not here to reinvent the wheel or chase fleeting trends. We are here to support artists who understand that goth rock is not a costume or a phase, it is a lineage. Whether you grew up on Bauhaus and Sisters of Mercy, came to the genre through the post-punk revival of the early 2000s, or are creating something entirely your own within these haunted parameters, Morella Records is your home.

We offer:

  • Artist-friendly contracts where you keep your masters
  • 60/40 revenue splits in your favor
  • Digital distribution to all major streaming platforms
  • On-demand physical manufacturing (CD, vinyl, cassette)
  • Promotional campaigns targeting goth, post-punk, and darkwave focused media
  • Creative freedom to pursue your vision without compromise
  • A label head who has loved this music his entire life and built this label to prove it

The Future

Morella Records launched in early 2026 with GIO as its flagship artist, but the vision extends far beyond one project. This is a sanctuary for music that refuses to fade into obscurity, a lighthouse for those still navigating the beautiful darkness. If your music bleeds authenticity, if your art demands to be heard in shadowed venues and late-night drives, if you have been searching for a label that actually understands what you are trying to say, you have found us.

Welcome to Morella Records. Where tradition meets tomorrow, and the shadows never end.