Burger Records interim president exits amid label scandal

The fallout from the Burger Records scandal has been swift, with interim president Jessa Zapor-Gray announcing her departure from the label.

It comes as Burger Records, home of multiple indie bands, faces accusations of “curating” an environment for sexual misconduct, with sexual assault allegations spanning across multiple members of bands across its activities.

It’s a lightning-fast exit for Zapor-Gray, who accepted the top job on an interim basis over the weekend, with the hope of turning around the company on behalf of its artists.

“My plan was to quickly begin assessing and evaluating if anything about the label could perhaps be salvaged and made into something better, then eventually hand off a functioning label to a future administration unrelated to the label’s founders; or if I found that rebuilding was not possible, instead to organize and prepare the label for closure,” reads a statement issued by Zapor-Gray on Wednesday afternoon.

The veteran label executive admits she expected “some blowback” for her decision to accept the role, after 18 months in contract positions with the company, “but I believed that the opportunity to have a role in effecting real and lasting positive change within the Burger and indie music scenes was worth the risk.”

A post on the Lured by Burger Records Instagram account, where many of the lurid accusations have surfaced, targeted the incoming interim chief as “a PR person working to re-brand a company based on predation. She tried and failed to silence us over the last two days.”

Zapor-Gray had a change of heart with the job.

“Upon further review,” her statement continues, “I have informed Burger Records that I no longer believe I will be able to achieve my intended goals in assuming the leadership role at Burger in the current climate. Therefore, I have decided to step away from the label entirely to focus on my other projects.”

Also, the promotion company behind Total Trash Productions, which organises the independent U.S. festival Burger Boogaloo, has cut all ties with the label. “We are disturbed and disgusted by the allegations that have come out, and we stand with the survivors,” the promoter explained. “We also want to sincerely apologize to anyone who has ever been victimized or harassed at any of our events,” the message continues.

Earlier, Burger Records released a statement on allegations, pledging to “make major structural changes to the label and create and implement active policy measures to address the culture that allowed such harm to occur,” with the co-founder Sean Bohrman moving into “a transitional role with the label,” and co-founder Lee Rickard immediately stepping down.

In addition, the cult label plans to reemerge as BRGR RECS “to create a clear delineation between the old and the new Burger Records,” while adding “an all-woman imprint to the label, BRGRRRL, which will serve to give many more women artists a platform and support for growth as musicians.”

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This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.