To The Fallen Records
Encyclopedia
Active duty
Army officer
and Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran Captain Sean Gilfillan founded To the Fallen Records after returning from his tour of duty
in January 2006. While in the military, the longtime music fan met many fellow soldiers who were also extremely talented musicians. Realizing that most of them were having a hard time gaining a following and getting their unique voices heard in the world. Even after finishing his tour, during which he earned the Bronze Star for his service, Gilfillan remained in touch with many of these soldier-songwriters. They continually filled his email inbox with mp3’s of their latest tunes, whether they were politically-charged hip-hop
tracks, heartfelt country love song
s to their loved ones back home, or heavy rock
jams that expressed the intensity and frustration of military life.
“While I was in Iraq, I realized that there were tons and tons of really talented musicians serving with me, but that they couldn’t realize both passions,” said Gilfillan, “So many soldiers seemed to be singing, rapping, recording and playing, and a lot of them were really great.”
Sean had always been interested in the production and recording techniques of music since he was a child, and his military experience gave him extra insight into the singular world of music created by soldiers. Meanwhile, friend and fellow Rhode Islander Sidney DeMello, with whom Gilfillan shared a common bond through their families’ shared histories of dedicated military service, offered a different perspective as a civilian who appreciated music on a direct, emotional level. Combining these complementary approaches with their keen business sense, a new purpose was born: To The Fallen Records.
"Music is all about social issues
, about grassroots, about authenticity and nothing is more grassroots, authentic and patriotic than music by members of the military," says Gilfillan
Beginning in the summer of 2006, their creative spark created a whirlwind of activity. Taking their name from a tattoo that spans Gilfillan’s back and honors seven of his comrades killed in action
in Iraq, To The Fallen Records moved in just six weeks from the initial concept to the manufacturing of their debut CD: To The Fallen Records Presents Hip-Hop: Volume I, which was shortly followed by To The Fallen Records Presents Country: Volume I and To The Fallen Records Presents Rock: Volume I.
The label followed these releases, culled from current and veteran soldiers from the Army, Navy, Air Force
, Marines and National Guard, with their first mixed-genre compilation, To The Fallen Records Presents: Say Goodbye, the first album in their "The Ten" series. On this album are Country tracks by Sean Bennett and Matt Eusner; Hard Rock tracks by American Hitmen, Dead End Echo and The Wake Effect; Soft Rock/Acoustic tracks by Stephen Covell and Josh Hisle; and Hip Hop tracks by Joe Roos, Arez featuring Soldier Hard and Dirty Boi Vets. All the artists featured have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom
or Operation Enduring Freedom, while Joe Roos is currently slated to deploy to Iraq in 2009.
"It's important for the American public to hear what the guys on the ground are going through," said Gilfillan. "These guys have something much more important to say than most people in the music industry."
Regardless of genre, To The Fallen offers a platform for these powerful voices to get their messages across to fellow soldiers as well as civilians and the public at large. A non-partisan label, To The Fallen’s mantra is “It’s not about politics, it's about music.” To The Fallen Records concentrates on quality music, and makes a point of presenting an array of opinions from people that aren’t running for office, and have no agenda other than asking for some respect.
Gilfillan says he founded the label, in part, because he hoped the music would “give some insight to civilians, because there’s such a wide disconnect. It’s a great opportunity to bridge that gap.”
The music featured on To The Fallen Records holds special significance to fellow soldiers and veterans. For example, the song “Walk with Me,” on To The Fallen Records Presents Hip-Hop: Volume I, finds rapper Soldier Hard acting as a war tour guide, giving the listener an intimate diary of his daily struggles in Iraq. Likewise, rocker and Army drill sergeant
Merq wrote “Don’t Try to Save Me” for To The Fallen Records Presents Rock: Volume I, describing a particularly intense Iraq mission that reveals a dark side of the experience.
But subject matter can cover virtually anything on a TTFR release; for example, songwriter Zach Johnson’s “We’ll Be Together” was composed with a laid-back feel as a love letter
to his wife to capture the mellow mood of their relationship.
The label’s albums can be purchased through all major online retailers
including iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster, eMusic and more as well as label's own site. The label’s recordings are also available at their official retailers, Green Beans Coffee, the franchise of environmentally-friendly cafes located near military posts worldwide. Green Beans Coffee hosts live acoustic performances, in-store CD signings and overseas tours featuring To the Fallen Records artists.
In addition, the label gives back to the military by donating a percentage of proceeds to organizations dedicated to honoring the fallen, or assisting disabled soldiers and their families.
To The Fallen Records has been featured on CBS Evening News, NPR , Rolling Stone , The New York Times Magazine and the UK’s The Sunday Times and Guardian , among others.
Active duty
Active duty refers to a full-time occupation as part of a military force, as opposed to reserve duty.-Pakistan:The Pakistan Armed Forces are one of the largest active service forces in the world with almost 610,000 full time personnel due to the complex and volatile nature of Pakistan's...
Army officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
and Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran Captain Sean Gilfillan founded To the Fallen Records after returning from his tour of duty
Tour of duty
In the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....
in January 2006. While in the military, the longtime music fan met many fellow soldiers who were also extremely talented musicians. Realizing that most of them were having a hard time gaining a following and getting their unique voices heard in the world. Even after finishing his tour, during which he earned the Bronze Star for his service, Gilfillan remained in touch with many of these soldier-songwriters. They continually filled his email inbox with mp3’s of their latest tunes, whether they were politically-charged hip-hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
tracks, heartfelt country love song
Love song
A love song is about falling in love and the feelings it brings. Anthologies of love songs often contain a mixture of both of these types of song. A bawdy song is both humorous and saucy, emphasizing the physical pleasure of love rather than the emotional joy...
s to their loved ones back home, or heavy rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
jams that expressed the intensity and frustration of military life.
“While I was in Iraq, I realized that there were tons and tons of really talented musicians serving with me, but that they couldn’t realize both passions,” said Gilfillan, “So many soldiers seemed to be singing, rapping, recording and playing, and a lot of them were really great.”
Sean had always been interested in the production and recording techniques of music since he was a child, and his military experience gave him extra insight into the singular world of music created by soldiers. Meanwhile, friend and fellow Rhode Islander Sidney DeMello, with whom Gilfillan shared a common bond through their families’ shared histories of dedicated military service, offered a different perspective as a civilian who appreciated music on a direct, emotional level. Combining these complementary approaches with their keen business sense, a new purpose was born: To The Fallen Records.
"Music is all about social issues
Social issues
Social issues are controversial issues which relate to people's personal lives and interactions. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues...
, about grassroots, about authenticity and nothing is more grassroots, authentic and patriotic than music by members of the military," says Gilfillan
Beginning in the summer of 2006, their creative spark created a whirlwind of activity. Taking their name from a tattoo that spans Gilfillan’s back and honors seven of his comrades killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
in Iraq, To The Fallen Records moved in just six weeks from the initial concept to the manufacturing of their debut CD: To The Fallen Records Presents Hip-Hop: Volume I, which was shortly followed by To The Fallen Records Presents Country: Volume I and To The Fallen Records Presents Rock: Volume I.
The label followed these releases, culled from current and veteran soldiers from the Army, Navy, Air Force
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
, Marines and National Guard, with their first mixed-genre compilation, To The Fallen Records Presents: Say Goodbye, the first album in their "The Ten" series. On this album are Country tracks by Sean Bennett and Matt Eusner; Hard Rock tracks by American Hitmen, Dead End Echo and The Wake Effect; Soft Rock/Acoustic tracks by Stephen Covell and Josh Hisle; and Hip Hop tracks by Joe Roos, Arez featuring Soldier Hard and Dirty Boi Vets. All the artists featured have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
or Operation Enduring Freedom, while Joe Roos is currently slated to deploy to Iraq in 2009.
"It's important for the American public to hear what the guys on the ground are going through," said Gilfillan. "These guys have something much more important to say than most people in the music industry."
Regardless of genre, To The Fallen offers a platform for these powerful voices to get their messages across to fellow soldiers as well as civilians and the public at large. A non-partisan label, To The Fallen’s mantra is “It’s not about politics, it's about music.” To The Fallen Records concentrates on quality music, and makes a point of presenting an array of opinions from people that aren’t running for office, and have no agenda other than asking for some respect.
Gilfillan says he founded the label, in part, because he hoped the music would “give some insight to civilians, because there’s such a wide disconnect. It’s a great opportunity to bridge that gap.”
The music featured on To The Fallen Records holds special significance to fellow soldiers and veterans. For example, the song “Walk with Me,” on To The Fallen Records Presents Hip-Hop: Volume I, finds rapper Soldier Hard acting as a war tour guide, giving the listener an intimate diary of his daily struggles in Iraq. Likewise, rocker and Army drill sergeant
Drill instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
Merq wrote “Don’t Try to Save Me” for To The Fallen Records Presents Rock: Volume I, describing a particularly intense Iraq mission that reveals a dark side of the experience.
But subject matter can cover virtually anything on a TTFR release; for example, songwriter Zach Johnson’s “We’ll Be Together” was composed with a laid-back feel as a love letter
Love letter
A love letter is a romantic way to express feelings of love in written form. Delivered by hand, by mail or romantically left in a secret location, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation of feelings...
to his wife to capture the mellow mood of their relationship.
The label’s albums can be purchased through all major online retailers
Online shop
Online shopping is the process whereby consumers directly buy goods or services from a seller in real-time, without an intermediary service, over the Internet. It is a form of electronic commerce...
including iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster, eMusic and more as well as label's own site. The label’s recordings are also available at their official retailers, Green Beans Coffee, the franchise of environmentally-friendly cafes located near military posts worldwide. Green Beans Coffee hosts live acoustic performances, in-store CD signings and overseas tours featuring To the Fallen Records artists.
In addition, the label gives back to the military by donating a percentage of proceeds to organizations dedicated to honoring the fallen, or assisting disabled soldiers and their families.
To The Fallen Records has been featured on CBS Evening News, NPR , Rolling Stone , The New York Times Magazine and the UK’s The Sunday Times and Guardian , among others.