standout artists IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY TWO PEOPLE (THAT’S US) - CHRIS WETHINGTON, AND CODY FRAIN. WE ARE ALSO THE ONE’S WRITING THIS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT’S ON THIS SITE.

AS STATED ELSEWHERE, WE ARE ARTISTS OURSELVES.

CODY PLAYS DRUMS IN A METALCORE BAND CALLED IF NOT FOR ME, AND CHRIS PLAYS GUITAR IN A POST-HARDCORE BAND CALLED SOFTSPOKEN.

WE’VE BOTH BEEN IN OTHER BANDS FOR OVER HALF OUR LIVES. IN 2017, SHORTLY AFTER SOFTSPOKEN FORMED, CODY WAS WORKING AS A BOOKING AGENT AT A SMALL BOUTIQUE AGENCY CALLED WAVELINK. CODY WAS SOFTSPOKEN’S FIRST BOOKING AGENT.

NOT LONG AFTER, CHRIS ALSO JOINED WAVELINK AS AN AGENT. SOFTSPOKEN’S FIRST TOUR WAS SUPPORTING CODY’S BAND AT THE TIME.

We became FAST FRIENDS, AND FOUND THAT we HAD MUTUAL interests IN THE BUSINESS BEHIND MUSIC… AND HOW TERRIBLE IT OFTEN WAS TO THE ARTISTS DOING THE THING.

IN 2018, CHRIS SPLIT OFF FROM BOOKING AND MOVED INTO MANAGEMENT. CODY CONTINUED BOOKING, AND ALSO TOOK ON NEW ROLES AS A PROMOTER, AND LABEL DIRECTOR FOR TWO DIFFERENT LABELS.

IN 2019 CHRIS began offering marketing services TO BANDS THAT WEREN’T A GOOD FIT FOR HIS MANAGEMENT ROSTER.

IN 2021, CHRIS AND CODY CAME TOGETHER TO LAUNCH THEIR OWN RECORD LABEL CALLED THEORIA RECORDS AND WRAPPED CHRIS’ MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING AGENCIES INTO THE UMBRELLA OF ONE SINGULAR COMPANY: THEORIA GROUP.

SINCE 2021, WE HAVE LAUNCHED FPMG DISTRIBUTION, A FEEDER LABEL TO THEORIA; STANDOUT TOURING, A BOOKING AGENCY; AND NOW STANDOUT ARTISTS.