Hopeless Records Acquires Fat Wreck Chords Catalog, Clears Artist Debt

Hopeless Records has acquired the catalog of Fat Wreck Chords, the influential punk label founded by Fat Mike and Erin Kelly-Burkett in 1990, while the founders retain ownership of the Fat Wreck name, logo, and trademark. As part of the deal, all unrecouped balances for Fat Wreck's existing artists will be forgiven, providing a clean slate with no new signings allowed under the Fat Wreck name to ensure focus on the current roster. This partnership marks a full-circle moment, given the long-standing friendship and mentorship between Hopeless founder Louis Posen and the Fat Wreck Chords founders, with Posen describing it as the honor of his career to steward the label's legacy. Fat Mike and Erin Kelly-Burkett will continue to represent the label through festivals and other projects, while Hopeless will manage the catalog and label operations. To celebrate the partnership, new releases from core Fat Wreck bands like Bad Cop/Bad Cop, NOFX, and Strung Out are being released, highlighting the label's ongoing influence in the punk scene. The deal preserves Fat Wreck's independent spirit while providing financial relief to its artists and ensuring the label's history is honored and continued by Hopeless.