Bloodshot Records

That cocktail napkin list eventually became the label's first release, a 1994 compilation called For A Life of Sin: A Compilation of Insurgent Chicago Country that Warshaw, Miller and Babcock self-funded.[10][11] The album, which documented the Chicago music scene Warshaw and Miller saw at the time, included artists such as The Bottle Rockets and Robbie Fulks as well as long-time local Chicago band, The Sundowners.[6] Using the compilation format, Bloodshot organized record release shows in multiple cities with four or five bands on each night's line up, which allowed a wide press presence for the small label, where the bands could sell what turned out to be some of the bands' first records at the multi-band lineup shows. The record was self-distributed and sold on consignment, with enough success that the record was paid for and there was funds to do another compilation.[8]

A year later, in 1995, the label released their second compilation album Hell Bent: Insurgent Country Volume 2. The album included band from all over the country, and Bloodshot continued to put on events showcasing the bands involved with the making of the record.[8] Although well received by critics, Bloodshot had very tight financial constraints, and worked under the model of not starting a new project until the prior project had paid for itself. Also challenging was establishing Bloodshot's brand, a mixture of country, punk, and folk that had no prior precedence.[12][13] The name of the music genre was a point of contention, with some grouping the unique, hard-to-classify singer-songwriter music under the alternative country and some grouping it under the Americana label.[14]

In 1997, co-founder Babcock left Bloodshot, eventually relocating to Nashville where he founded Catamount Records.[15]

In 2014, Bloodshot released their 20th anniversary album, While No One Was Looking: Toasting 20 Years of Bloodshot Records.[16] The album is a 2-CD set with 38 artists that include bands like Andrew Bird, Blitzen Trapper, Superchunk and Diarrhea Planet covering songs by some of Bloodshot's stable of artists (i.e., Ryan Adams, Old 97's, Cory Branan, Justin Townes Earle).[17] Bloodshot spent the year celebrating their success at surviving during a period when most independent record labels were going out of business.[8]

While Bloodshot built its catalog of releases of both compilation and records by an ever enlarging roster of artists and bands, the cost of running a record label was very challenging, requiring both Warshaw and Miller to work supplemental jobs to keep afloat. The label was initially run out of Warshaw's basement. When Bloodshot released Ryan Adams' record Heartbreaker, the popularity of the record created a more stable financial base for the label, and allowed Warshaw and Miller to dedicate themselves full-time to running the label, move to a bigger office space in the northwest side of Chicago, and begin to have employees.[1] Singer Kelly Hogan was the first paid employee, working as the label's publicist.[8] The Chicago twang, country, and punk scene, often described as a sort of an anti-Nashville, continued to expand, often led by various projects involving The Mekons' Jon Langford.[18]

Bloodshot has close ties to the Chicago community[19] and particularly to the Hideout.[20]

Since 2002, Bloodshot has put on a free BBQ and music day-long showcase at both Austin, Texas' SXSW and New York City's CMJ music festivals.[21][22] The annual SXSW BBQs have often been anchored by performances by The Waco Brothers[23]

Co-founder Eric Babcock left Bloodshot Records in 1997.[27] As of early 2019, Warhsaw stepped away from management, leaving Rob Miller as the senior manager.[28] In November 2019, Bloodshot celebrated its 25th anniversary by holding a concert/party and issuing another compliation album.[29]

Bloodshot Records began its life as a label by releasing compilations of tracks not released elsewhere.[30]

• 1994: For a Life of Sin: A Compilation of Insurgent Chicago Country
• 1995: Hell Bent: Insurgent Country Volume 2
• 1996: Nashville, The Other Side of the Alley
• 1997: Straight Outta Boone County
• 1999: Poor Little Knitter on the Road: A Tribute to The Knitters
• 2000: Down to the Promised Land: 5 Years of Bloodshot Records
• 2002: The Bottle Let Me Down
• 2002: Making Singles, Drinking Doubles
• 2003: The Slaughter Rule (Original Movie Soundtrack)
• 2004: Hard Headed Woman: A Celebration of Wanda Jackson
• 2005: For A Decade of Sin: 11 Years of Bloodshot Records
• 2006: Bloodied But Unbowed: The Soundtrack
• 2007: Just One More: A Musical Tribute to Larry Brown
• 2011: No One Got Hurt: Bloodshot's 15th Anniversary @ The Hideout Block Party
• 2014: While No One Was Looking: Toasting 20 Years of Bloodshot Records
• 2019: Too Late to Pray: Defiant Chicago Roots[29][31]

Bloodshot Revival/Soundies: A series of historic transcription acetate recordings that were leased to radio stations for airplay but never sold at the time of recording.[32]

• 1999: Rex Allen: Last of the Great Singing Cowboys
• 2001: Johnny Bond: Country and Western
• 1999: Spade Cooley: Shame On You
• 2000: Jimmie Davis: Louisiana
• 1999: Pee Wee King: Country Hoedown
• 2000: Hank Penny: Crazy Rhythm
• 2001: Sons of the Pioneers: Symphonies of the Sage
• 2004: The Sundowners: Chicago Country Legends
• 1999: Hank Thompson: Hankworld

• Old Town School Recordings with Old Town School of Folk Music
• Invisible China with Martin Atkins (from Public Image Ltd (PiL))

The label planned to release a 10th anniversary DVD (Bloodied But Unbowed: Bloodshot Records' Life In The Trenches) in 2004, but it was not released until late 2006.[33][34]

• 2006: Bloodied But Unbowed: Bloodshot Records' Life In The Trenches - 10th Anniversary DVD