About TTFR
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 songs to their loved ones back home, or heavy rock jams that expressed the intensity and frustration of military life.
- Sean Gilfillan
- Founder & CEO
- Taylor Gauge
- President
“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 the 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.
