EPISODE · Mar 24, 2025 · 55 MIN
TMT:37 Louis Posen On What it Means to be Punk and founding Hopeless Records
from The Money Trench - The Music Industry Podcast with Mark Sutherland · host The Money Trench
Welcome to The Money Trench! This week, Mark is joined by legendary punk rock executive, Louis Posen, founder of Hopeless Records. This week, Mark catches up with Louis in Los Angeles during Musexpo week to reflect on 30 years of independent label life, how Hopeless started as a dare, the realities of the modern streaming economy, and what it really means to stay punk in a changing industry. Louis also shares how losing his eyesight at 19 shaped his approach to life and business, why he still believes in artist-first models, and how Hopeless is giving back through its Hopeless Foundation and Hopeless Music Academy. There’s also chat about superfan tiers, ticket scalping, being called the “Paul Newman of Punk Rock”, and a few war stories from the early days of the label. NEWSLETTER Sign up HERE for the TMT newsletter - featuring each week’s hottest music industry stories. PPL The Money Trench is sponsored by the PPL. KEEP UP TO DATE For the latest podcast and music business updates, make sure to follow us on: Instagram: @the_money_trench LinkedIn: The Money Trench Website: The Money Trench GET IN TOUCH If you have any feedback, guest suggestions or general comments? We’d love to hear from you! - Get in touch here! Thanks to our partners PPL Earth/Percent Tom A Smith Aimless Play Fourth Pillar Sennheiser Junkhead Studio Tape Notes Executive Producer: Mike Walsh Producer: Tape Notes
What this episode covers
Welcome to The Money Trench! This week, Mark is joined by legendary punk rock executive, Louis Posen, founder of Hopeless Records. This week, Mark catches up with Louis in Los Angeles during Musexpo week to reflect on 30 years of independent label life, how Hopeless started as a dare, the realities of the modern streaming economy, and what it really means to stay punk in a changing industry. Louis also shares how losing his eyesight at 19 shaped his approach to life and business, why he still believes in artist-first models, and how Hopeless is giving back through its Hopeless Foundation and Hopeless Music Academy. There’s also chat about superfan tiers, ticket scalping, being called the “Paul Newman of Punk Rock”, and a few war stories from the early days of the label. NEWSLETTER Sign up HERE for the TMT newsletter - featuring each week’s hottest music industry stories. PPL The Money Trench is sponsored by the PPL. KEEP UP TO DATE For the latest podcast and music business updates, make sure to follow us on: Instagram: @the_money_trench LinkedIn: The Money Trench Website: The Money Trench GET IN TOUCH If you have any feedback, guest suggestions or general comments? We’d love to hear from you! - Get in touch here! Thanks to our partners PPL Earth/Percent Tom A Smith Aimless Play Fourth Pillar Sennheiser Junkhead Studio Tape Notes Executive Producer: Mike Walsh Producer: Tape Notes
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TMT:37 Louis Posen On What it Means to be Punk and founding Hopeless Records
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