In the 12 years since Time Owen and Darren Walters started Jade Tree Records, the label has been associated with some of the most hype-heavy bands in the independent music world. But an eye for good bands -- not hype -- is what has kept people with differing musical tastes interested in what Jade Tree has to offer.

“I’m not sure anyone even knows what to make of the label,” says Walters.

A person’s perception of the sort of label Jade Tree is, he says, is generally a product that person’s particular tastes.

“In most cases you are kind of judged by who your biggest band is,” says Walters. “When the Promise Ring was still on Jade Tree and at its height, people were kind of like, ‘oh, they’re an emo label.’ Even back further, when we were less clearly defined, and Lifetime was one of the big bands, it was kind of like ‘they’re the hardcore label.’

Even bands being courted by Jade Tree misunderstand the label, according to Walters.

“We have this joke that all the punk and hardcore bands think we’re not ‘punk’ enough, and all the indie rock bands all think we’re not ‘indie’ enough,” says Walters. “We could never really win, which is great because we don’t want to be an emo label or a punk label or an indie-rock label.”

In reality, Walters and Owens put a lot of thought into keeping Jade Tree diverse, staggering releases so no one genre of music sticks out. In any given year, the label puts out everything from electronic pop to roots country, and yes, punk and emo too.

More than anything else, Walters says he doesn’t ever want Jade Tree to be connected to any one musical movement. It’s a tribulation he’s seen other labels struggle through and one he doesn’t want to face.

“You’ve got to spend years, if you’re lucky enough, to distance yourself from something that maybe made you very successful, like grunge for Sub Pop. When that dies, you’re lucky if your label doesn’t die with it.”