This year Gotee Records is celebrating a huge milestone. The famed independent record label that has five RIAA Gold certified albums to their name and has launched numerous successful artist’s careers in R&B, rap, reggae and rock such as Out of Eden, GRITS, Jennifer Knapp, Relient K, Jamie Grace and many more, turns 20 years old.
In 1992, a production team of three talented guys with diverse tastes shared a love for music. Producers Joey Elwood and Todd Collins, along with Grammy-winning artist TobyMac, launched Gotee Records in 1994 after unsuccessfully finding a label deal for the R&B trio Out of Eden. With a steady focus on artistry, the new label expanded to reflect the diverse interests of its founders. Within 12 months, Christafari, GRITS, and Johnny Q. Public were signed, easily representing four different music categories: R&B, reggae, rap and rock. In the 20 years since Gotee’s founding as a record label, it has launched the careers of Relient K, Jennifer Knapp, Sonicflood and more recently, Jamie Grace, Capital Kings, Finding Favour and Ryan Stevenson. Through all the changes in a tumultuous music industry, the boutique label’s independent spirit is maintained through a steady focus on artist development and diversity. 
To celebrate this special anniversary, Gotee is releasing a special compilation album titled Gotee Records: Twenty Years Brand New on June 17th. The project will feature new recordings from their current artist roster along with Gotee alumni performing each other’s songs. The full project will be available at all digital outlets and as a limited edition CD version.
“Twenty years can feel like a lifetime, but when it’s filled with creation, dreams being fulfilled, new friends being made, character defining moments, memories catalogued, hopes being shared, potential being realized, family trees growing, and prayers being answered (not always the way one hopes), it all happens in the blink of an eye,” reflects Gotee President and co-founder Joey Elwood.
“You can’t script a life lived in community with people you didn’t know would ever be a part of it. That’s the wonder of it all. That’s the humbling moment when you are thankful that you didn’t have the authority you thought you had. If your hands were on it any more then they were it couldn’t have turned out to be such a beautiful mess. I think I’m suppose to brag a little in this quote, but experience has taught me to know better. If I’m gonna boast, it’s gonna be in the people who sacrificed so much to contribute to our ‘mess.’ We were called into a community that hopefully leaves a legacy that goes beyond any song written, any image projected, and any concert memory made. Twenty years of music is not worth celebrating unless it’s accompanied by 20 years of surrender. If it’s ‘our’ story it has little to no power. If it’s HIS story then let the party begin.”
Leading up to the June 17th release, Gotee has debuted two singles exclusively at iTunes. The first, Out of Eden performing “Constant,” which was originally recorded by House of Heroes, and the second is Capital Kings’ version of “Ooh Ahh” (feat. John Reuben), which was inititally recorded by GRITS featuring Toby Mac.
Photo above: Out of Eden in the studio recording “Constant”. (L-R) Andrea Baca, Danielle Kimmey, Brad Moist (Gotee Records’ A&R/Marketing Director), Lisa Kimmey-Winans
