Thunderegg Records Logo. Image developed by Jonathan Tom. 

Thunderegg Records is a student-run record label at the University of Oregon. The idea for this organization started two years ago when current junior Peter Repins wanted to get more involved with the music scene in Eugene and at UO. It wasn't until last year, however, that Thunderegg Records began. The original idea for this record label was to be a student club that could give student bands and artists the resources to make music, perform, and gain access to marketing. 

The club started in November of 2023 and struggled to become an official student group through the university. In January, they were denied as a student group meaning they couldn’t become a club. It wasn’t until February that they decided to become a business. They began working on imagery, and branding, and according to Repins, “[Thunderegg] sort of just kind of took a life of its own. The ideas and everything just sort of went crazy.” They had people wanting to photograph artists, write for the business, and run social media, and the organization piqued a lot of interest among the student body. November to June became essentially a trial run to see what works for this organization. Not everything stuck, but Repins knew that this year his goal was to hit the ground running.

The main goal for Thunderegg Records at this point is to build up their image and brand so they can begin to represent artists. In the past, they have signed a couple of artists, but that was before their current mission statement as an organization, which is to “break down the barriers to entry and improve accessibility for talented, local artists who often go unheard in the competitive modern-day music industry.” They have pivoted away from the idea of  ‘signing’ artists as a way to be more approachable and emphasize the fact that they want to give artists complete creative control of their brand and image. 

The organization is currently a non-profit but they one day hope to grow and make money that they can put into the artists and the people who work within the business. Repins main goal is to “sort of change what a label is. Corporate record labels want to take in the artists and mold them into what they want them to be and I want the artists to maintain complete creative control, maintain ownership of their masters, and maintain all the rights that they need.” 

The process of ‘signing’ artists is still a work in process for Thunderegg. Currently, they have signed the band Rainfly however, they’ve pivoted from seeking out artists and focused more on growing Thunderegg so it’s a space that artists feel welcomed into and also for people who enjoy shows, in general, to come to for guidance and to get involved. They want to be a representative for the music scene in Eugene and at UO.

This year, Thunderegg is looking for people to get engaged with the group as board members! Right now, all of the work within the organization is volunteer, but Thunderegg is a great way to get excited about music and be connected to the music scene at UO. Everyone at Thunderegg is there to grow and learn how to run a business in the music industry. Those involved at Thunderegg are incredibly passionate about the work that they do and the work that they hope to do in the future, Repins says “I just think it’s really important that our passion comes across, and that we just want to help. We want to be a part of the scene. We want people to feel welcomed by us. We want people to be excited about us. We are excited about what the future holds.” Their goal for this year is to become more prominent across campus and the Eugene area.

If you are interested in getting involved with Thunderegg Records, you can follow them on Instagram @thundereggrecords.