Meet Dale Thomas Krupla and Jose Rodriguez of Rocky Records in Tempe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dale Thomas Krupla and Jose Rodriguez.

Dale Thomas and Jose, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Well, Rocky Records was born out of the necessity to explore the full creative potential of two individuals: Dale Thomas Krupla & Jose Rodriguez (AKA The Two Señors). While doing that we hope to improve, promote and champion the beautiful home that watched us both grow: The Underground.

The story begins in New York City, like one of those old bar jokes: A horse and a priest walk into a bar … in this case: An Ohio-Hungarian-Video-Director-Actor-type and a Colombian Musician, Artist & Programmer walk into a shitty co-living space in Bushwick Brooklyn, NY.

Long story short, we met living together under the same roof, we admired each others work, we had more than a couple of beers, we connected over the similarities of the life periods we were both in. The result: We became Brothers.

After a while, as the saying goes: There’s a time to come to NY, and there’s a time to leave NY, and that time had come for both of us. After a year or so, and just because, we were on our way back to our homes respectively, one headed to Arizona, one back down south to Colombia.

We kept in touch on the regular just to check in on each other and to see how things were going on both ends, and it was then, what was obvious from the beginning finally clicked inside our heads: “Dude, we should start something together, let’s combine our set of skills, let’s give this a name, and let’s give this a chance.”

That’s basically how Rocky Records had its start. A company aimed to be the number one sponsor of the best of the Global Underground. Come on board, buy yourself a t-shirt or two and let us walk you around through these not so well known gems.

Has it been a smooth road?
Finding your way is never easy, especially in any art related endeavor. It has been mostly smooth, but we have had our bumps in the road like anyone. From the most common one: how to balance your new entrepreneurial project with your financials (A.K.A. How to start a company and not starve in the process), up to the most recent one: brand clarity.

We found that by focusing on what brought us to starting this company- focusing on, showcasing and making the Underground look amazing – we always manage to find our answers in our Vision.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Rocky Records – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Rocky Records is a clothing company aimed to be the go-to Brand and Sponsor of the best exponents of the Global Underground. No matter what you do, if you are an artist, a movie director, a chef, a venue, a worm breeder, ANYTHING. If you are putting your life in your art, we want to be there with you, we want to put you in a couple of T-shirts, take pictures, make a video and help you tell your story.

We specialize in what we call: giving the “Hollywood Treatment” to the Underground. Each of our career backgrounds have put us in positions where we’ve been able to learn a trick or two from deep inside our industries, from Dale working in Hollywood, the Theater and video directing commercials with celebrities to Jose running an Ad Agency and rubbing elbows with renowned Colombian fashion designers.

Right now we have a couple of tools within our company that help us achieve our goals, like our website section Rocky™ In The Wild: your next favorite source of Underground news & entertainment, where we ourselves and a bunch of other incredible writers, write about amazing unknown places, new artists on the horizon, movies, festivals and from time to time throw a personal story to the mix. We are like the old Hollywood, but dirtier.

Any predictions for the industry over the next few years?
We believe that no one else is trying to do what we are doing. Making the Underground look as best they can… So we can tell you what our take is: We believe that day after day, due to the easy access to information people are getting smarter and not only smarter but more demanding, specially the new generation. These are kids that are excelling in not just one ability but many! In the same way, they demand their “idols” to do the same. We think that slowly but surely the circle of doubtful-talented-company-produced Art is gonna reach its end, and you will have to excel and be real good in your field to stand above the rest, and of course Rocky wants to first in line to aim the limelight in that direction.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rockyrecs.com
• Instagram: @rockyrecs
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockyrecs/

Image Credit:
@beach_community Emma McCune photos are Sarah on the street in the white tee Red Lover Text. Janthavy with her skateboard and Hannah in the record shop with the tapes in the background. Royal Young smoking photo credit: Erik Erikson @eserikson, All other photos credit @wideopenfastglass Dale Thomas Krupla

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