Founded by Face To Face manager Rich Egan in 1996, Vagrant Records is a true rags-to-riches story. From the label's humble beginnings with their Before You Were Punk compilations, to gold albums and MTV Video Music Awards, the independent label has been a dominant force in the indie scene for the past half a decade.

Launching themselves to the forefront of the collective indie consciousness with the 1999 release of the Get Up Kids' Something To Write Home About, Vagrant established themselves as a major player with subsequent big releases from bands like Saves The Day, Rocket From The Crypt, Alkaline Trio, Dashboard Confessional, and Face To Face. All this popularity earned Vagrant the attention of Interscope Records, who purchased a non-controlling part of the label early in the new millennium.

Vagrant scored a coup in 2002 with the signing of former Replacements frontman Paul Westerberg, proving to all that their label's vision was not one-sided and earning plenty of artistic credibility in the process.

While the label has been a haven for many side-projects over the years [such as the New Amsterdams, Reggie and the Full Effect, Grandpaboy, and Viva Death], Vagrant prides itself on having a strong, diverse, active roster which includes such bands as Hey Mercedes, Moneen, From Autumn To Ashes, No Motiv, and Audio Learning Center.