Why He’s Interesting: Matt Earley knew in college that he wanted to work in the music industry. He just didn’t know how. Twenty-three years later, he’s achieved that goal: In 2009, he co-founded Gotta Groove Records, a vinyl pressing operation tucked into a business park off Superior Avenue. Today, he’s its president.
Sketching a Future: Earley, who grew up in Middleburg Heights, says as a kid he listened to his parents’ record collection while he drew alternate album artwork. “Never in a million years did I think later in life I’d actually be doing that for a living, but it’s just kind of funny how it worked out full circle.”
Earley Days: After starting the business with Vince Slusarz Sr., Earley says many of the first months involved trial and error, especially with the plant’s first record, a small run for Cleveland band The Dethers. “We were learning everything on the fly,” he says. “At the time I was the one that was cutting the labels. I mean, we were burning through those and having to make more constantly just to try and get those 100 records done, but it was was a milestone.”
Explosive Growth: Gotta Groove saw steady growth each year for more than a decade, and in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, the plant added its third shift as demand skyrocketed. Earley still thinks the company is in “growth mode.” “I don’t think that the growth rate will be as it was in the past three years, but that’s OK with me, actually, because that explosive level of growth is a bit unsustainable.”
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