Sam Fajardo, Contributing Photographer

17o1 Records, Yale’s only student-run record label, has returned eight years after its dissolution in 2015. 

After a semester of recruiting musical talent, 17o1 showcased six student artists during their launch concert on Nov. 11. 

“I am just so happy we got to share all the work we have been doing with the rest of campus,” Head of Label Affairs Jackson Downey ’25 told the News. “We have been working on this for almost eight months now. It was so cool to see people as excited about our artists as we are.”

17o1 was founded in 2010 but dissolved when its original leadership team graduated. On Aug. 28, an Instagram post announced the group’s return, and the label began recruiting student artists in early September. 

According to the label’s website, “17o1 works to bring artists of all mediums together, source resources for musical artists, and provide professional experience to student artists and aspiring industry professionals.” Their services, which are free for represented student artists, include management, creative direction, production, gig sourcing and funding. 

On Oct. 16, the label announced that it would be representing six artists, all of whom performed at the launch concert. The official setlist included Lyle Griggs ’25, Evie Kissinger ’27, Seldom Street, Strictly Platonic, Khatumu and Zaida Rio ’26. From this group, Griggs, Kisssinger and Rio are solo artists, while the rest are bands. 

17o1 Events Director Tess Levy ’25 emphasized how proud the label is of its artists’ performances. 

“Considering the fact that they joined the label just a few weeks ago, their ability to put together such complex and masterful arrangements of the music was really mind-blowing,” she told the News. “I’m definitely not surprised given how consistent and committed each of them has been, but it was such a delight to share it with so many people.” 

The event was sponsored by local business Woody’s Wings, located at 91 Church St. In between performances, students flocked to the food station to warm up with a selection of wings from the restaurant. 

Guayakí Yerba Mate, a California-based tea brand, also sponsored the event. One of the drink options available to attendees was a Yerba Mate cocktail that included a mixture of the tea, lemon juice and vodka. Though Luke Tyson ’25 was initially skeptical of this combination, he told the News that it was “surprisingly good.”

Towards the end of the lineup, a noise complaint from neighbors forced the label to relocate the event to 27 High St. From there, the artists continued their sets, adapting their performances for an acoustic setup. 

Rio, who served as the concert’s closing act, performed her entire set from the new location. 

“Initially, it was really overwhelming, but after evaluating what musical equipment we were limited to and what we could sacrifice/keep for each song, the entire 17o1 team worked together to help make sure that my vision for my set was as close to what it could’ve been at 107 Howe St.,” she wrote to the News. “Despite the chaos, the performance ended up being incredibly intimate, and I was just so grateful for all the people who relocated with us to keep the rally going.”

Makda Assefa ’26 told the News that the event provided a much-needed avenue to celebrate student bands and performing groups. 

Downey emphasized the importance of continuing to showcase student voices. 

“We have spent the last few months focusing on creating a performance space, and now we’re going to get going on music production and promotion for the next chapter of 17o1,” he told the News. “Be ready for some awesome single releases and maybe even an album or two.”

For those who were unable to attend the event, several of 17o1’s student artists — including Zaida Rio and Strictly Platonic — have their songs available for streaming on Spotify. 

Though auditions for fall 2023 have closed, 17o1 plans to add new artists every semester.