Our Legacy

Fervor Records was founded in 1989 by David Hilker and a few friends with a simple goal: bring the local music community together while helping those in need. Operating under the nonprofit umbrella of Central Arizona Shelter Services, the label’s first release, Southwest Holiday, was a multi-genre Christmas compilation issued on cassette. More than 4,000 copies were sold in just six weeks. Every hour of work, product, and service was donated, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the homeless.

That small charity project turned into a full-fledged record label.

Over the years, Fervor issued more compilations and indie releases. Hilker’s original partners eventually moved on, but true to his defiant indie spirit, he kept going. In 2002, Jeff Freundlich joined the company. Together, they continued building Fervor into the company it is today.

Fervor has always worked with a select roster of emerging and heritage artists. Since its founding, the company has amassed an incredible collection of historic, era-specific deep cuts, lost masters, out-of-print, overlooked recordings, as well as publishing rights, master recordings, and other intellectual property dating back to the 1920s. Some of these songs never even made it past the studio walls where they were first recorded.

Fervor doesn’t just dig through crates chasing dusty records. They chase master tapes.

Master tapes have a funny way of disappearing. They’ve turned up in closets, garages, warehouses, storage units, and studio tape vaults. Once Fervor gets their hands on them, the real work begins. Every tape is different, and every project has its own challenges.

The company has also partnered with legendary labels including Sun Records, Ram Records, Time/Mainstream, Ramco, MCI, and many others, along with some of the finest reissue labels in the U.S. and overseas, helping bring this music to new generations.

Since 2019, Fervor’s publishing company, Whirled Music Publishing, Inc., has been a member of the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) and is also proud to be part of Team 100, an invitation-only group of leading independent music publishers.

If you’re looking for big hit records, you’ve probably taken a wrong turn.

If you’re looking for the forgotten album cut, the lost master, the recording that somehow slipped through the cracks, the song behind the hit, or the song that lit up the regional airwaves, welcome to Fervor.

Be sure to check out From The Archives with Fervor Records, where the stories behind the music come to life. Then stop by the Fervor Shop for vinyl, cassettes, CDs, and merch.