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Robin Banks
Dani Oliva
Record Labels
Dani Oliva Launches 'Proudly Trans-Owned and LGBTQ+ Run' Label and Management Company Errant Records
Founded by entertainment attorney and business strategist Oliva, the new company is by former Arista president David Massey and Sony Music Canada president Shane Carter (current President of Sony Music Canada) and distributed by The Orchard.
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The past few weeks have seen the launch of multiple new Canadian independent record labels. We have reported on the birth of country-focused imprints Arts & Crafts Country and New Motor Records, and they are now joined by Errant Records.
This new label and management company is founded by entertainment attorney and business strategist Dani Oliva, celebrated for his work with Grammy Award winners, Billboard No. 1 songwriters and leading music companies.
Oliva is a music lawyer and business strategy with 20+ years of experience and he has worked on albums ranging from Ariana Grande’s Positions, Keke Palmer’s latest, Just Keke, Kaytranada and Aminé’s KAYTRAMINÉ and Paramore’s Grammy-winning This Is Why, and music for TV/films like Nickelodeon’s Monster High, Dora The Explorer and Barbie. He has managed Canadian artists Carole Pope and Sumo Cyco and guided artist Jayli Wolf to a Juno nomination. Other clients include Grammy winners Ariel Loh and Mikhail Beltran.
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His new label is based in Canada and describes itself as "proudly trans-owned and LGBTQ+ run" while "nurturing bold, boundary-pushing talent."
Errant has announced a diverse group of artists, producers and songwriters on its label and management wings. On the label side, the first signings are Haitian-Canadian singer-songwriter Charmie, sofar best known as the cowriter of Nelly Furtado’s “Better Than Ever” for her latest album 7, and Toronto native Gus, who released “I Think We’re Worth Saving” earlier in 2025.
Errant's management division has signed two-time L.A.-based Grammy-winning engineer Emerson Mancini, Canadian-Japanese guitarist Hiroki Tanaka, formerly of Juno and Polaris nominated avant-garde band Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, and Los Angeles-based vocalist, producer and composer Maiah Manser.
Some industry heavy hitters are helping back the company, including David Massey, former president of Arista Records, and Shane Carter, president of Sony Music Canada. The label is headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario, and its releases will be distributed through New York-based media company the Orchard.
Errant will primarily focus upon Canadian musicians, especially those who are queer and/or Black, Indigenous or people of colour.
Oliva tells the story of how the label came to be.
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“I felt an affinity to music and the folks that make it because it expanded my world-view," Oliva says. "Wanting to be closer to music-makers and album projects, I started working in music marketing for labels in my teens. After various jobs in music: marketing, venue promotion, management and going to law school, in 2012 I asked [Canadian music producer] Hill Kourkoutis if she wanted to start a record label with me, and she kindly said, 'I don’t know how to do that!'
"I wasn’t happy with label options for clients and wanted to create a label centered around music artist services. Over the decade since that conversation, I made a personal commitment to learn what artists need to feel supported and to develop global relationships to help them. After working with labels and global music companies representing artist’s interests, and also being VP of business and legal affairs for Venice Music, I knew I had the experience to make the label dream a reality. David Massey called Shane Carter, who extended his resources with The Orchard team and that’s how Errant Records came to be."
Errant Records plans to mark its official debut with celebratory launch parties on September 9th at The Drake Hotel in Toronto and September 10th at L’ESCOGRIFFE in Montreal. Toronto will feature live performances by Charmie, GUS, Maiah Manser and Hiroki Tanaka, with Montreal presenting Manser, Hiroki Tanaka and more TBA.
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