Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, and Portland, Maine. The label was founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, The Other Side of Immigration. An early distinguishing marketing tactic of Team Love was the free release of complete albums for download in unprotected mp3 format at no cost on their website in addition to traditional record and CD sales. This practice evolved and was eventually dropped as the age of streaming came to dominate the user experience.
History
Formation
The label was founded in 2003 in part due to Oberst's frustration at not being able to sign and showcase talent quickly enough through the record label on which his own Bright Eyes albums are released, Saddle Creek Records. Saddle Creek was a label his brother helped co-found but was operated and managed by various individuals. Team Love, while once distributed through Saddle Creek, is now distributed directly through Alternative Distribution Alliance.
In 2009, Team Love moved from the East Village of Manhattan (13th Street, or "Sugar Street") to 11 Church Street in New Paltz NY. The label opened a public space called the Team Love Ravenhouse Gallery (a partnership with Ravenhouse Management) which serves as an art gallery, record store and physical space for music and art fans. The Gallery (TL-RH.com) is open weekends and by appointment.
In 2012 the label released the four band compilation album Die Pfalz which featured local artists from the Hudson Valley including Breakfast In Fur, Shana Falana, Bloodletters and electronic artist Cycad.
Also notably, Krenkel was a former A&R representative for 8 years with Sony/ATV Publishing before leaving to manage Conor Oberst and start Team Love. He was responsible for signing singer/songwriter Jesse Harris to Sony ATV Music Publishing, who was the main songwriter for Norah Jones' debut album Come Away with Me, winning a Grammy for Song of the Year for her first hit Don't Know Why. In 2012 Krenkel acquired Full ownership of Team Love.