Key Takeaways
- Cody Verdecias launches Deep Love Recordings, a new label focused on youth-driven alternative music.
- The label is a joint venture with Atlantic Music Group and aims to support artists from various subcultures.
- Verdecias emphasizes the importance of live events to foster community among artists and fans.
- Deep Love seeks to redefine the term “alternative” and create opportunities for emerging artists.
Longtime Atlantic Records A&R Cody Verdecias announced on Wednesday (May 6) the launch of his new label, Deep Love Recordings. Created in 2025 and home to artists including Dallas-based metal hybrid band Empty Shell Casing, modern regional Mexican duo Corridos Ketamina, and California deathcore group Rev3rent, the project is a joint venture between Verdecias and Atlantic Music Group. The label’s first release came last October via a pair of singles by Empty Shell Casing.
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Verdecias has spent over a decade as vp of A&R at Atlantic Records, where he signed and continues to A&R major projects including Turnstile, 100 gecs, Fred again.., Dylan Brady, and Barry Can’t Swim. He’s also a manager representing artists including Dahi, Daytrip, Emile Haynie, Lexa Gates, Eartheater, 100 gecs, and Brady.
With Deep Love, Verdecias is focused on the same kind of youth-driven alternative music that shaped him. Based in Los Angeles and originally from New York, Verdecias was a member of the New York City-based hip-hop collective World’s Fair and grew up steeped in the world of alternative music, as his uncle is Jane’s Addiction frontman and Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell. “Every summer I would go to Lolla,” says Verdecias. “That was our family summer trip.”
“It was the golden era alternative music,” he says of the ’90s era of Lolla, which originally ran as a touring festival from 1991 to 1997. “It was a golden era of hip-hop; it was grunge; it was pop. My uncle had this fascination with electronic music really early on in his career. I was like a sponge.”
After forging his own successful career — he cites Turnstile’s two 2026 Grammy wins as one of his high points — Verdecias is aiming for Deep Love to be a hub for this same type of youth culture, with the label not only focused on signing acts coming from alternative subcultures but expanding on these fanbases through live events and eventually mini-festivals.
“Becoming a curator in the live space was really important to me,” he says. “Because especially with the areas of music that I’ve grown within and have helped empower and develop, they were all from subcultures that had elements of live in real life and community aspects that I felt were important to develop alongside a label.”
“There are so many subcultures online,” he continues. “That’s amazing and it brings a lot of people together, but it also segregates people because they don’t make deep connections in real life. Those relationships and feeling like you found a community is why I felt having the label and the live component feed off of each other was so important.”
Positioning Deep Love as part of Atlantic will extend a tenure with the label that Verdecias started in 2013 when he came in with a request to label chairman and CEO Craig Kallman that he be allowed to work across all genres. “I said that if you want the best version of myself, I have to sign anything I want,” Verdecias recalls. “He said, ‘I’m going to set you up to do that.’ That’s when I knew that going into a major label, I had an opportunity to really take back the word ‘alternative’ and bring it into a new frontier.”
“Cody is a truly unique executive with the ability to connect with artists and creators through his deep understanding of music and culture,” Atlantic’s executive vps and co-heads of pop A&R Brandon Davis and Jeff Levin say in a joint statement. “We’re honored for Cody and Deep Love to call Atlantic home, and look forward to watching the label flourish under his leadership.”
Sincere, considered and clearly driven by a passion for music and its possibilities to positively affect people as it’s positively affected him, Verdecias here discusses the launch of Deep Love.
What inspired you to start Deep Love?
I’m trying to connect alternative people and re-establish and take back the word “alternative.” That’s my mission statement, my life mission, and the mission of Deep Love overall. I think “alternative” is the person seeking liberation through their truest self. This label is about finding new developing scenes of people and giving them resources and opportunities to create at an extremely high level.
As far as fans and listeners go, what are the opportunities in creating a label that spans genres?
If you are a fan of a genre called screamo, which is one of the more popular genres amongst the youth in the underground now, but you also love electronic music, the chances of your favorite artists in those worlds playing a show together don’t happen often. The kid who’s listening to Bassvictim and also Dead Butterflies has the same artists in their playlist but needs a space to connect them together even deeper because who knows what can come from that. These kinds of artists will be on the same bill.
How are you navigating where to place artists, given that you have both Atlantic and now also Deep Love?
I’m Atlantic through and through, and I’m Deep Love through and through. To have the ability to still sign stuff to the frontline label while developing and nurturing Deep Love feels very true to this version of Atlantic’s spirit in 2026.
Why has this been the right time to create the new project?
Because there’s such a deep connection with underground music and youth culture across all formats — from rap to electronic to rock. I’m just trying to shepherd everyone. Sometimes there’s stigma with record labels among kids who say things like “I don’t need to be signed” or “I don’t want to be signed.” I think that’s damaging for artists with great potential who could be at points in their careers where they need help because they’re growing. I want to create a label where those artists feel good about their decision.
What’s your vision for Deep Love as it continues growing?
I feel that across all my projects, opportunities are not just about delivering audio but go much deeper. I want Deep Love to be a real hub of culture that encompasses everything. If an artist wants to make a film or score a soundtrack or work on video games, I can help them navigate those worlds.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
I feel so inspired by music right now. I don’t know if I’ve ever been more inspired… Everyone wants real experiences right now. I hope that music will impact future generations positively as it has affected me deeply; it was just deep love.
