BLUE ÉLAN RECORDS IS COMMITTED TO BRINGING AWARENESS TO THE CURRENT SOCIAL CLIMATE - CREATES NEW STAFF POSITION TO EMBRACE THE CHANGING TIMES

[caption id="attachment_24771" align="alignright" width="327"] Kacy Swain - Chief Social Initiative Officer, Blue Élan Records[/caption] As the Westwood, CA based record label, Blue Élan, was set to celebrate its sixth anniversary, the entire staff and stable of artists joined the music industry for Blackout Tuesday. The purpose? To provide their diverse staff with a day to disconnect from work and reconnect with the community, as a way of taking an urgent step of action to provoke accountability and change. As the label’s co-founders, Kirk and Connor Pasich explained, “There comes a time to say enough is enough. Frankly, that time came long ago.” As posted for staff and fans of the label, the Pasich statement continued, “The recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd are a stark reminder of how much injustice the Black community has endured for far too long. It is intolerable that people are arrested, harassed, and murdered simply for being Black. We at Blue Élan do not stick our head in the sand when it comes to social issues. We are committed to providing a safe, inclusive work environment for our staff and to bringing further awareness to this movement.” In addition, Kirk and Connor Pasich have taken further steps to enlist change within the company by creating a new position to help encompass the ideals they wish to put forward. Longtime employee Kacy Swain has been appointed as the first Chief Social Initiative Officer and will lead the label team with ideas and campaigns to support the views of the company, effective immediately. “I am really excited to begin implementing policies and overseeing campaigns that support our label’s commitment to human, civil, and equal rights, the support of Black Lives Matter, and the support of eliminating discrimination of all forms. This begins with assessing label partnerships and making the support of Black-owned businesses a priority,” expressed Swain. “We will also develop new systems that help provide access to those underrepresented in the music industry. Thankfully, I get to do so at a record label that is proactive in providing a work space that is not only free from discrimination, but is looking to make change in the world. I am proud to be a part of the team and I am very happy to be making this step with Blue Élan Records.” In addition to its support for the current social climate, the independent spirited label has also supported the Alliance for Children’s Rights with profits from a series of holiday releases every year donated to the foster children organization. Blue Élan wants to encourage everyone to vote as an integral step in realizing systemic change. You can register here: https://vote.gov/