Jagjaguwar
| Company type | Independent record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music industry |
| Founded | 1996 in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States |
| Founder | Darius Van Arman |
| Headquarters | Bloomington , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Darius Van Arman, Chris Swanson, Ben Swanson, Jonathan Cargill |
| Products | Music recordings and releases |
| Parent | Secretly Group |
Jagjaguwar is a United States-based independent record label with its main office located in Bloomington, Indiana.
History
The label was established in 1996 in Charlottesville, Virginia by Darius Van Arman, who was then a student at the University of Virginia and served as music director for the university’s WTJU radio station. Jagjaguwar initially served as a platform to promote local musical acts. Its inaugural release was Bombay Aloo by The Curious Digit, a band fronted by Adam Busch that Van Arman signed early on. The name "Jagjaguwar" was inspired by a character name generator from the game Dungeons & Dragons. One of the label’s early expansions involved signing the Richmond-based group Drunk, which came about after Van Arman arranged their performance at The Tokyo Rose venue.
In 1999, Van Arman formed a partnership with Chris Swanson, co-founder of Secretly Canadian, resulting in a collaborative relationship between Jagjaguwar and Secretly Canadian. Subsequently, Van Arman moved to Bloomington and became a partner in Secretly Canadian alongside Ben Swanson and Jonathan Cargill, who also joined Jagjaguwar's ownership team. This consolidation led to the creation of what is now known as the Secretly Group.
Jagjaguwar broadened its influence in the music market by signing notable artists such as the Austin-based folk ensemble Okkervil River, whose releases between 2002 and 2005 significantly raised the label’s profile. The roster was further enriched with additions like Vancouver’s Black Mountain, Wilderness, The Besnard Lakes, and Sunset Rubdown.
A pivotal moment for the label occurred in 2007 when it signed Bon Iver, the project led by Justin Vernon from Eau Claire. Bon Iver’s debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago (2008), quickly gained grassroots momentum and was certified Gold in 2012 along with its subsequent album. This success markedly increased Jagjaguwar’s revenue streams and expanded its share of the market.
The label continued to diversify by releasing Sharon Van Etten’s albums Tramp (2012) and Are We There (2014), as well as signing Unknown Mortal Orchestra, through whom they released the albums II (2013) and Multi-Love (2015). These signings strengthened Jagjaguwar’s position within the indie rock segment.
In 2007, Jagjaguwar officially became part of the Secretly Group alongside other labels such as Secretly Canadian and Dead Oceans, enhancing its global reach and distribution capabilities via Secretly Distribution.
By 2018, Jagjaguwar had earned recognition as one of the leading independent record labels worldwide, securing the number four spot on Paste magazine’s list of top 10 record labels, underscoring its ongoing growth and industry standing.