By Ashton York

In the heart of downtown Springdale, Coco Vasquez — known onstage as Pura Coco — sat on a brown couch in the back of a small recording studio built into an old shed. She crossed her arms, smiling while she talked about her passion for music.

Vasquez is an R&B artist who works with Love More Records, a locally-owned record label that started in 2022 in Northwest Arkansas. Her music is a blend of alternative R&B that leans into Latin culture and her southern upbringing, according to her Spotify page. Vasquez got started with Love More Records when her friend Raquel Thompson invited her onto the team. 

Raquel is a local DJ and wanted to create an artist-friendly, independent record label. She started Love More Records in 2022 to provide local artists with a label that would pay fairly and give back to the musicians.

Greg “G.T.” Thompson, Raquel’s father, encouraged his daughter to follow her dream of creating the local business. He said the name of the label “means exactly what it says.”

“We’ve always wanted to put a little bit of that energy out into the universe,” Greg said. “Love a little bit more, man. Just be more present with people, conscious of people.”

Greg also said Love More Records specifically partners with artists who carry a similar energy and goal, whether it be onstage or in everyday interactions with other people. He also said he believes most other record labels are outdated in terms of how much they take from their artists.

“It doesn’t cost as much nowadays to make a record as it did 20 years ago,” Greg said. “You couldn’t do it from your bedroom or your home. Now that’s changed, and some artists can make music by themselves without having a room full of musicians. Not as much money needs to be taken out of the artist’s pocket because it doesn’t require as much to make.”

 Love More Records’ main mission is to create a new standard in the music industry to uplift artists and hold record labels accountable for giving their artists the right kind of support. According to the Love More Records website, the business seeks to work collaboratively with artists to reach their career goals and avoid imposing restrictive decisions on them while also fostering a sense of community.

Jeremiah Pickett, known as BAANG, is another hip-hop artist who works with Love More Records. The acronym “BAANG” stands for Believe, Aspire, Achieve, Now Go — which perfectly reflects the energy he brings to the stage.

According to the BAANG Spotify page, he has a dynamic stage presence and an effortless ability to control the crowd. He is passionate about finding and highlighting local talent in his annual mini-festival called BAANG & The Gang.

“A lot of times, this area specifically caters toward already-established artists,” Pickett said. “I desire a world where a person who is just now starting to make music today can have a path to start and deal with this career from right here without having to move away.”

Pickett said he thinks music is about expression, creation and showing people how to feel. Much of his music is made of real stories and experiences he has seen. He also said that Love More Records provides a good foundation to connect with others who feel the same way.

“(We’ve) got a bunch of dedicated and passionate team members who are willing to work hard and figure stuff out,” Pickett said. “It’s cool being a part of an organization that you don’t have to worry if they’re being honest – if they’re going to do right by you. They’re genuine people.”

The label also cultivates growth for the entire local music community, welcoming outside musicians into the studio for jam sessions and networking opportunities. Love More Records partners with the Music Education Initiative, a Northwest Arkansas nonprofit organization that hosts artist workshops and trains people to work with stage production and technology.

Around October, Love More Records opened a new studio in Springdale, and there are several upcoming events scheduled to take place in the homey, instrument-filled space. There will be a grand opening welcome party before the end of 2024, and it will be open to the public.

“I feel like it’s another family,” Vasquez said. “Of course, it is still business, but I love having that support system, and I love being able to support them. I like where we’re at. I’m really grateful for it.”