Dan McCurry & Megan Elger of Hearts + Plugs
by Stacy Huggins
Initially, Hearts + Plugs was kind of an experiment; somewhere along the line that shifted.
Launching in 2012, “Hearts + Plugs was more a means to an end or something; it wasn’t the thing itself. It existed to help promote some things, but…I didn’t even personally call H+P a label initially,” says 
Founder and Director Dan McCurry. After more established bands like Brave Baby began approaching him to join his label, he really began to develop H+P into the “independent record label” that the music community loves and adores.
As husband and wife, McCurry and Megan Elger are the heart and soul of the operations behind the label. “I think what works well is we aren’t doing the same things…Megan’s the designer, I’m the music,” says McCurry.
Elger is the brains behind all the visuals of H+P, which are arguably just as defining as the artist lineup. They’ve designed and hand screenprinted the merch for many of their artists. Her designs for both the brand and their artists has a signature aesthetic that creates a cohesive look, visually linking each band and the label through their on-trend style.
It’s these kind of personal touches that McCurry and Elger put into H+P that has attracted many talented musicians in the region to their label. 
Every day they’re taking on more of the traditional roles of a full-fledged record label, like organizational infrastructure or producing new merch (cassette tapes are back, y’all).
Elger looks to other independent record labels to “see who’s doing it well. Who’s really getting it right, as far as design.” She also takes input from McCurry and from the artists themselves. Elger tailors the approach and the inspiration for each artist, as she would any client. “We do whatever level they need as far as design,” she says. It’s an incredibly unusual and quality service they offer.
The 3rd annual Summer Shindig concert just took place on June 25, featuring Brave Baby, Susto, ET Anderson,The High Divers, Grace Joyner, Hermit’s Victory, and Johnny Delaware, with an after-party featuring Infinitikiss. Typically, H+P does not recycle any imagery, but the 2015 Shindig featured a ubiquitous flamingo that caught on more than either of them expected. It’s safe to say that McCurry’s photo campaign with the flamingo, “the mascot of the summer,” was an exceedingly effective marketing tool.
by Stacy Huggins
From ART MAG 2016 Summer Issue
Dan McCurry & Megan Elger
Hearts + Plugs
heartsandplugs.com
Performing Artist Profile
Maari Suorsa and Henry Riggs of Nameless Numberheard
Wearable Artist Profile
Sarah Amos: Pioneer Silversmith
Wearable Arts Feature
Demystifying Indigo: The Color & Culture of the Lowcountry
Stay Connected:
Comments (0)
No comments yet
The comments are closed.