Words by Mac Smiff
From protests in the streets to the safety of the studio, the folks at People Music. are on a mission to communally create and distribute music. Formed in July as protests devolved into federal confrontations and the pandemic took hold of the city, the group is multifaceted in the collective sense, with the ability to produce across genres employing a variety of in-house musicians. It also serves as an emotional safe space for artists. Modeling themselves to mimic a Motown vibe, People Music. is structured like a record label but fights the system by taking a “for artists, by artists” approach, looking to articulate a path towards artistic and financial freedom through collaboration and a fundamental tenet that artists own the work they create.
Pictured from left to right: Peter Knudsen, Charlie Brown III (greaterkind), Sarah Clarke (Dirty Revival, Outer Orbit, founder of equity nonprofit Musicians In Solidarity, co-director of MusicPortland LEAP), Samuel Eisen-Meyers at The Map Room
Find more on Instagram @wearepeoplemusic
