Things are going from bad to worse over at Roadrunner Records.
Things have been rocky ever since Warner Records bought the label in 2010. Back in April, the hammer dropped as the label announced it was shutting down all international offices. Founder Cees Wessels stepped down from his post, and longtime A&R executive Monte Connor was pushed out of the company.
Today, perhaps the last vestige of old Roadrunner exited the building as Jonas Nachsin announced he was stepping down as president after 20 years at the post.
Nachsin saw the label's meteoric rise in the late 90s and for him to depart is a clear sign that this will not be the same Roadrunner that we remember. He sent an email to staffers which Billboard obtained, containing typical jargon for somebody who's leaving a company saying:
“I am so proud of what we have accomplished to showcase Roadrunner as not only a ‘record company’ but as a lifestyle and cultural beacon for fans around the globe,” Nachsin wrote. “The chemistry of groundbreaking artists worked by a world-class group of truly committed employees has made Roadrunner a name with no equal over the years. That will continue.” He closed by thanking “the great team here much success as they move forward into a new chapter for Roadrunner.
In a testament to how out of touch the new bosses seem to be, his letter was immediately followed by an email from Atlantic Records co-chairmen Craig Kallman and Julie Greenwald, Atlantic is also under the Warner umbrella and is above Roadrunner in the food chain. They wrote:
“For two decades, Jonas has been a passionate champion of Roadrunner’s incredible roster of artists and helped forge the unique identity of one of the world’s great labels,” the memo reads in part. “Everyone who has worked with Jonas — including artists, managers, the Roadrunner team and the wider Warner Music family — have all been touched by his commitment and leadership. He has been instrumental in the careers of so many extraordinary artists, from superstars including Nickelback and Slipknot to breaking talents Young the Giant and Stone Sour. We will all miss Jonas and wish him the best in his next endeavor.”
Stone Sour is a "breaking" act but Slipknot are "superstars"? If I was a Roadrunner employee, I would be scared by that statement. The most interesting part of that Billboard article is this sentence:
Nachsin's own exit letter to his staff, which Billboard has obtained, indicates that WMG and Atlantic Records' senior management want to ensure that the label remains an enduring brand.
An enduring brand? This to me says that all Warner is interested in, at this point, is the Roadrunner name, and branding, and not so much the staff. Obviously, the artists are still important, but Warner is basically eating up the label to make it a part of it's own body of work.
A replacement is expected to be announced in the coming days. No word on if any additional layoffs occured. Update We are now hearing that there are additional layoffs in both creative and financial departments of the company.
