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Steph Montani
L-R: Keiley Jose, Laurie Lee Boutet and Alison Perdue
Record Labels
Exclusive: Wednesday Management Launches 7-Inch Singles Label Wednesday Records
Known for managing artists like The Beaches, Alex Porat and Valley, the new Toronto label will exclusively release 7-inch vinyl singles for rising Canadian acts as well as limited merch and launch parties — starting with '80s-style pop duo The Hits.
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Wednesday Management is launching a new record label to boost homegrown talent.
The Toronto-based management company — known for representing artists like The Beaches and Valley — is embarking on a new journey with Wednesday Records, the company’s new namesake record label.
Described as a “new 7-inch singles label,” Wednesday Records will follow a unique format, focusing on the offline experience of listening to music. Every label release will follow the same format: two songs on a limited 7-inch vinyl record, a limited T-shirt or piece of merch and a launch party. Currently, their plan is “one or two” releases per year.
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Laurie Lee Boutet, head of A&R for the label — and the founder of Wednesday Management — explains that the challenges homegrown artists face when fostering an audience can be difficult with the rampant rise of streaming services. But with Wednesday Records, they’re looking to build an offline element to the entire experience.
"It’s gotten so hard for developing artists to find community in the Canadian music scene, especially now that the hyper-focus on content has pushed artists into silos,” she says. “We want to do something different, something tangible, like a 7-inch, a T-shirt and a real party.”
She continues: “We’re not measuring the success of the label in streams, we’re measuring it in people coming out and wanting to be a part of it."
Boutet is a major force in the Canadian music industry. She was named Billboard Canada’s Manager of the Year in 2025 for her work as a rising force in management, including with her work with The Beaches. She helped turn the Toronto rock quartet’s “Blame Brett” viral moment into longstanding momentum, which has brought them multiple chart placements, a devoted fan base and various accolades, including the first-ever Billboard Canada Women of the Year in 2025 and this year’s Billboard Women in Music Global Force Award, presented by FACTOR.
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Boutet is joined by Alison Purdue, head of marketing at Wednesday Records, and Keiley Jose, head of creative services.
The first signed act to Wednesday Records is The Hits, described as “an ‘80s-leaning pop duo” fronted by George Walter and Ayden Miller. The duo released music as solo artists and other bands before deciding to team up after meeting at a songwriting camp.
Walter and Miller’s debut 7-inch single as The Hits, will be released on Nov. 18, with “C’mon Baby’ on side A and “Stay Friends” on side B. The latter track will be exclusive to the vinyl upon initial release, but will hit streaming platforms on Jan. 27. The physical copy of the vinyl is described as a “limited pressing on black vinyl with a printed jacket.” Pre-order it here.
“We’re super stoked to be the first act to sign to Wednesday Records, and we think it’s the perfect home for our music and our introduction to the world,” Walter and Miller say. “The opportunity to represent a moment in a bubbling scene, and to work with the same team as some of the biggest artists in the country. We couldn’t have dreamed of this 6 months ago when we first started working on this project."
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Next February and March, the pair will join Valley on their cross-Canada tour, with stops in Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto and more.
Purdue says the label's goal is “to support local talent and give them a built-in audience."
"The label is about highlighting new Canadian artists we’re excited about, and creating rollouts people actually care about,” she explains. “We’re curating every release so there’s a consistency to the label, and we're building a new place for fans to discover music.”
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The launch party for Wednesday Records will be on Nov. 21 at Foil Gallery in partnership with M for Montreal.
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