In 2006, Peter Bowman founded Medina River Records in San Antonio, Texas, specifically to oversee the release of the critically acclaimed album Cold Beer & Hot Tamales from The McKay Brothers. That was the label’s only release for many years, but in 2013 Bowman decided to revive the company, this time with an eye on the Los Angeles Americana scene, although the company would stay rooted and headquartered in San Antonio. Joining Bowman in the venture are Ben Reddell, Matt Farber, and Steve Circeo.
Ben Reddell grew up in Kerrville Texas, lived in Austin during his “college” years, and then moved to LA in 2002. He became involved with the LA country rock scene early on, and has been bassing and singing with all sorts of acts within that world since. His day gig is being the Sales Manager of s Bedrock LA studios, where he helped the business grow from its humble beginnings, into one of the most respected businesses in its field. Music culture and business merge in a magical way there. He is thoroughly excited to project that kind of momentum upon Medina River Records, where he will still sing and bass from time to time.
Matt Farber was raised on a dairy farm in rural Minnesota. Country music runs through his veins, as his father played in many country bands throughout Matt’s childhood. When Farber moved to LA in 2010, he found his “country home away from home” at The Echo. A weekly attendee of The Echo’s country-rock showcase, called The Grand Ole Echo, Farber soon began writing about the country music scene in LA.
Now Farber and Redell together curate The Grand Ole Echo. Farber took over the reigns of the long-running series in 2013 with the help of Kim Grant from KG Music Press, who, along with Pam Moore and Liz Garo, had founded the show in 2005.
Steve Circeo is the co-owner and operator of Maxcreative, a web design company he founded with Dave Maxedon in 2000. He currently lives in San Antonio, Texas, and has been a fixture on the San Antonio/New Braunfels music scene since he moved to Texas in 2003. In 2006 he helped start Texas Music Times magazine, which eventually became the web-based AmericanaMusicTimes.com. Circeo is also widely known in indie circles for his concert photography and videography. Over the years he has helped finance albums by Glambilly, Javi Garcia, Little Brave, K Phillips, Jackson Parten, and other talented-but-unsigned artists.
Bowman and Circeo have developed music videos for bands in Texas, and they also collaborated to create a video record of San Antonio’s one and only SA Indie Fest in 2007.
Bowman, Circeo, Farber, and Reddell are working to revitalize the Americana music. Medina River Records released two albums in early 2014, one from Rod Melancon and one from The Far West, and have a goal of four releases for 2015.