In the Red

In the Red Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. Larry Hardy formed the label in 1991, establishing it within the American underground music ecosystem rather than as a mainstream commercial imprint. Its catalog is particularly associated with garage rock and adjacent forms of raw, lo-fi, punk-influenced, psychedelic, and outsider-oriented rock music. The label began releasing records by artists connected to the garage-rock and underground scenes. Its first release was by The Morlocks, followed by Kings of Rock. Hardy later said that he would have preferred to wait for recordings by Mick Collins's band The Gories to be completed before issuing the first record. Because those recordings were taking longer than expected, he moved ahead with the initial releases instead. This episode reflects the label's early, independent operating style: releases were developed around the availability and momentum of underground artists rather than through the long planning cycles typical of major music companies. Over time, In the Red built a broad catalog of LPs and other releases from established cult acts, emerging groups, and highly individual performers. Artists associated with the label include Cheap Time, Cheater Slicks, Osees, Reigning Sound, Dan Melchior's Broke Revue, Des Demonas, The Ponys, The Intelligence, The Hunches, The Dirtbombs, The Deadly Snakes, Sparks, Andre Williams, Black Lips, LAMPS, Pussy Galore, Boss Hog, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Jay Reatard, The Horrors, Bassholes, The Fuse, Country Teasers, The King Khan & BBQ Show, Panther Burns, Demon's Claws, Mark Sultan, Vivian Girls, Monkey Wrench, Human Eye, Shark Toys, Strange Boys, Blank Dogs, Dávila 666, Speedball Baby, Sonic Chicken 4, Wounded Lion, Meatbodies, and Fuzz. The label's importance comes less from scale than from curation and continuity. Its roster connects several generations of garage, punk, noise-rock, rockabilly-adjacent, and experimental rock musicians, giving In the Red a recognizable place in independent-record culture. The catalog also demonstrates a willingness to release music from artists with distinct identities rather than narrowing the imprint to a single sound. While garage rock is the label's clearest public association, its artist list spans a wider underground rock spectrum. Available reference material does not establish the label's current ownership structure, financial performance, distribution arrangements, executive roster beyond founder Larry Hardy, or current operating status. It does, however, identify the label as a Los Angeles independent imprint and documents a substantial artist catalog. Accordingly, details about present-day operations, recent releases, and current personnel remain limited in this entry.

In the Red Records was established in Los Angeles in 1991 by Larry Hardy as an independent label serving the underground rock community. Its identity developed around garage rock, but the imprint's catalog has never been limited to one narrowly defined subgenre. Releases connected with the label span garage punk, lo-fi rock, noise rock, psychedelic rock, rockabilly-related music, and other forms of independent guitar music. The label's first release was credited to The Morlocks. Its second release was Kings of Rock. Hardy later explained that he had hoped to wait for material by The Gories, the group associated with Mick Collins, to be completed before making the first release. The Gories recordings proceeded slowly, however, and Hardy became impatient, moving the first two projects into production. This early decision helped establish the label's catalog while also illustrating the practical constraints of running a small independent imprint. During subsequent years, In the Red became associated with a wide range of influential and cult underground acts. Its LP catalog includes releases by Cheap Time, Cheater Slicks, Osees, Reigning Sound, Dan Melchior's Broke Revue, Des Demonas, The Ponys, The Intelligence, The Hunches, The Dirtbombs, The Deadly Snakes, Sparks, Andre Williams, Black Lips, LAMPS, Pussy Galore, Boss Hog, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Jay Reatard, The Horrors, Bassholes, The Fuse, Country Teasers, The King Khan & BBQ Show, Panther Burns, Demon's Claws, Mark Sultan, Vivian Girls, Monkey Wrench, Human Eye, Shark Toys, Strange Boys, Blank Dogs, Dávila 666, Speedball Baby, Sonic Chicken 4, Wounded Lion, Meatbodies, and Fuzz. This roster gives the label a historical role as a bridge between earlier garage and punk traditions and later waves of independent rock. It has released music by both veteran performers and newer groups, preserving a connection between established underground figures and emerging scenes. The label's reputation is therefore based on taste, artist relationships, and catalog coherence rather than on mainstream chart success or corporate scale. The available reference material does not provide a complete chronology of releases, distribution partners, ownership changes, financial information, or current staff. It also does not establish whether the label remains actively issuing new material at the time of this dossier. The documented history nevertheless supports viewing In the Red Records as a long-running Los Angeles independent imprint with a substantial garage-rock-centered catalog.

• 1991

  Label founded in Los Angeles

  [1]In the Red Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Larry Hardy founded In the Red Records in Los Angeles, establishing an independent imprint focused on underground rock and garage-related music.

• The Morlocks issue the label's first release

  [1]In the Red Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The Morlocks provided the first release in the label's catalog.

• Kings of Rock follows as the second release

  [1]In the Red Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Kings of Rock was identified as the second release issued by In the Red Records.

A curator-led independent record label centered on garage rock and a broad network of underground and outsider-oriented rock artists.

• Recorded music

  The Morlocks releases

  The Morlocks supplied the first release in In the Red Records' catalog. The release is historically significant because it introduced the label and established its early connection to garage-rock music.

• Recorded music

  Kings of Rock

  Kings of Rock was the second release associated with In the Red Records. It formed part of the label's initial production activity as the imprint began building its underground-rock catalog.

• Record-label catalog

  In the Red artist catalog

  The label's broader catalog includes LPs by a large group of garage-rock, punk, noise-rock, psychedelic, and experimental artists. Documented associated acts include Osees, Reigning Sound, The Dirtbombs, Andre Williams, Black Lips, Jay Reatard, The Horrors, Vivian Girls, Mark Sultan, Meatbodies, and Fuzz, among many others.

• Proceeding with the first two releases before The Gories material was completeOther

  Background

  Larry Hardy stated that he had hoped to wait for Mick Collins's The Gories material to be finished before issuing the label's first release. The recordings were progressing slowly, creating pressure to move forward with available projects.

  Action taken

  Hardy proceeded with The Morlocks release and then Kings of Rock, rather than waiting for the Gories recordings.

  Aftermath

  The decision gave In the Red Records its first two catalog entries and launched the label's release program.

  Source

1. 1In the Red Recordsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2In the Red Records official websiteintheredrecords.com