Craig Ericson, founder of Rise Records, has now launched a new venture, Vaux Records. The independent label is named after Portland’s Vaux’s swifts. Ericson founded Rise Records in 1991, at the age of 18.
Ericson first formed Vaux Records in 2025, with the label already signing CUNTROL and J NOIRE. Vaux Records’ official launch took place Friday (May 15).
When CUNTROL announced their signing with Vaux Records, the group said, “We are ready to it the ground running with Vaux Records. We feel excited and welcomed by Craig and the rest of our family/team over at Vaux.”
J NOIRE had said, “When the owner of Vaux Records moved onto my mom’s street, I had no idea it would lead to where we are today. It’s a total dream come true, feels like a scene from a movie.”
With Rise Records, Ericson helped break artists including John Gourley of Portugal. The Man, Johnny Franck of Bilmuri, Caleb Shomo of Beartooth, Of Mice & Men and Sleeping With Sirens.
Ericson sold Rise Records to BMG in 2015, with Vaux Records’ launch marking his re-entry into the music business after nearly a decade. Under Ericson’s tenure, Rise Records served as a small operation with just six employees operating out of an office in Beaverton, Ore. In 2014, Billboard reported the company’s revenues were an estimated $10 million.
In 2009, Rise Records made the then-unusual move of making its entire catalog available to stream for free with ads on YouTube, allowing the record label’s YouTube channel to grow to more than 1 million subscribers. He had been one of the first label owners to fully embrace the platform.
