The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian

The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian

The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Print Edition
Letter to the editor submissions
Have a strong opinion about something happening on campus or in Fort Collins? Want to respond to an article written on The Collegian? Write a Letter to the Editor by following the guidelines here.
Follow Us on Twitter
Crypto Exchange Listing: Types of Exchanges and Compliance Requirements
March 25, 2024

The crypto industry continues to evolve, fueled by the increasing institutional adoption of crypto. Today, numerous companies are entering the...

Student starts independent record label for electronic music

Elijah Petty wants to make a name for himself within the electronic music scene. That is why he created his own independent record label, Glass Eye Records. Though the label is still in its infancy, Petty has large goals for its future.

“I just wanted to have a central place to release my own music,” said Petty, who is in his second year of studying communications at Colorado State University.

Ad

DSC00342.jpg
Photo of Elijah Petty. Image courtesy of Max Carter.

 

The label was created about a month ago, and the music released under it will be what Petty says is “alternative electronic dance music.”

Right now, Petty is the only person connected to the label. He is trying to network with other local musicians and would like to release some of their music under Glass Eye.

Petty said he chose the name of the label because he liked how it sounded, but also because he personally thinks a lot about how flawed people’s perceptions are.

“The glass eye symbolism is just meaning lucidity and clear vision,” Petty said. “It does not really apply to the music that is on the label. I just like concept.”

Two tracks have been released under the label titled “Make Them Count” and “Just for Tonight.” Everything in the songs were produced by Petty including the lyrics and vocals.

Though Petty has mostly been solo in this musical endeavor, he did tour with the Colorado Springs-based metal band Roots Like Mountains this past summer. Petty played bass, which was something he was unfamiliar with before joining the band. He is a guitarist but had to teach himself to play bass in the two months before going on tour.

One of the main reasons Petty joined the band was because of his love for metal music. However, once the band’s tour was over, Petty was unsure of what his primary interest was. When he joined Roots Like Mountains, Petty had to put aside his hobby of producing electronic music. It was something he had been doing for about four years until that point. Quitting the band allowed him to go back to producing and pursue it like he is today.

Now as a solo artist, Petty’s music is undoubtedly categorized as electronic dance music, or EDM for short. However, he says that he still maintains elements of rock and metal music. The reactions so far to his songs on the label have been generally positive.

Ad

“Some of my friends like (my music),” Petty said. “Definitely everybody has been more of a fan of the more electronic stuff because I don’t have many friends that are as into as the metal and punk stuff as I am.”

DSC00341.jpg
Photo of Elijah Petty. Image courtesy of Max Carter.

More songs are planned to be released before the month ends. One of them will be a dubstep track and the other will be a single from an extended play that will debut this summer. Many more songs are still in various stages of production.

“When I write, I usually write the lyrics (and music) completely separately,” Petty said. “I’ll come up with lyrics and write (music) that doesn’t have any idea what lyrics are going to go (with it).”

Though Petty can sing and play guitar, he said that he is most comfortable making music electronically. Typically when he sets out to make music, everything is composed electronically in studio. After that, Petty goes back to add in his own voice and guitar playing.

One of the people who has recognized Petty’s talents is Max Carter, a sophomore psychology major at CSU. Carter met Petty last semester while living in the dorms and they bonded over their similar music tastes.

“He is crazy knowledgeable when it comes to producing,” Carter said. “I remember once we were sitting in his dorm room and I asked him a simple question about (production) and he gave me this super long, in-depth answer. He just knows so much about producing. I think that really comes across in his music.”

Carter, who is also pursuing a minor in film, is working on producing a music video for one of Petty’s songs. According to Carter, the video will be released in conjunction with the EP this summer.

“The video is more about a political statement than anything else,” Carter said. “It just tries to emphasize the oversaturation of the media.”

Petty said he hopes to book a show at the Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins soon and get his music noticed. Until then, those that are interested in following his music can do so on Facebook and SoundCloud.

Collegian reporter Zach Bermejo can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @zach_bermejo

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

When commenting on The Collegian’s website, please be respectful of others and their viewpoints. The Collegian reviews all comments and reserves the right to reject comments from the website. Comments including any of the following will not be accepted. 1. No language attacking a protected group, including slurs or other profane language directed at a person’s race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, social class, age, physical or mental disability, ethnicity or nationality. 2. No factually inaccurate information, including misleading statements or incorrect data. 3. No abusive language or harassment of Collegian writers, editors or other commenters. 4. No threatening language that includes but is not limited to language inciting violence against an individual or group of people. 5. No links.
All The Rocky Mountain Collegian Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *