Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Is Retiring Its Name After Trademark Dispute

In the fall of 2020, riding high off the success of her pandemic-era classic Punisher, Phoebe Bridgers launched Saddest Factory Records, a new imprint operating under the umbrella of Dead Oceans, the indie mega-label that puts out Bridgers' own records. She's since applied the Saddest Factory branding to her SiriusXM show. In its half-decade of existence, Saddest Factory has released records by Muna, Claud, Sloppy Jane, and others, and it's built up an identity. It may well hold onto that identity, but it won't be keeping its name.

A message posted Monday on the label's socials indicates that, due to a trademark dispute, the Saddest Factory name is being retired. "Moving forward all SFR releases will come out via Dead Oceans, with our logo sitting alongside the Dead Oceans logo to signify our involvement," the post explains. A rep for Dead Oceans affirms that Saddest Factory will not be choosing a new name. They're just affixing their logo next to the Dead Oceans logo. I'm not sure how they will communicate that message in words if they're not allowed to use the Saddest Factory name, but I guess symbols will have to do!