HELLBENDER VINYL
PITTSBURGH, PA – Hellbender Vinyl is a new artist-run vinyl plant located in the bustling neighborhood of Lawrenceville on the East End of Pittsburgh, overlooking the Allegheny River. Co-founded by Pittsburgh native Jeff Betten and musician/entrepreneur Matt Dowling, Hellbender Vinyl is a BBB-accredited facility and supports artists and labels at every stage of their career.
While Hellbender may be a relatively new company, it is already one of America's most trusted vinyl record pressing plants. Hellbender manufactures the highest quality 7", 10", and 12" vinyl records available today, and their commitment to delivering award-winning customer service is renowned within the industry.
A member of A2IM (American Association of Independent Music), Hellbender Vinyl supports artists and labels at every stage—from emerging talents to well-established names. As one of only approximately 40 vinyl record pressing plants nationwide, Hellbender combines creativity with quality in every record it produces.
With over 65 five-star reviews on Google (as of press time), Hellbender, as a nascent pressing plant, is already standing out in a crowd of long-established companies.
Hellbender’s roster of clients includes national names such as Guster, The Ataris, Sparta, Wheatus, Zao, DFTBA Records (John & Hank Green of Crash Course/Vlogbrothers), Ollabelle, Dizzy Reed (Guns N' Roses), Raymond Watts (KMFDM), Abigail Rose, Mol Sullivan, Beauty Pill, and more.
Locally, Hellbender is trusted by Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania artists including Jim Donovan & Sun King Warriors, Ghost Hounds, MCG Jazz, Meeting of Important People, Feralcat and the Wild, townsppl, Endless Mike & the Beagle Club, Moemaw Naedon & C. Scott, Kahone Concept, Different Places in Space, Slim Forsythe, Danny Rectenwald, Elliott Sussman, Silver Car Crash, Get Hip Records, Crafted Sounds, Willowtip Records, and others.
In the B2B space, Hellbender serves clients such as Urban Outfitters, Mountain Dew, Saatchi & Saatchi, Pereira O'Dell, and more.
Hellbender is run by independent artists, for independent artists. In addition to vinyl pressing, Hellbender also hosts an event series that brings together Pittsburgh’s independent community through live shows, album listening parties, art exhibits, podcasts, and film screenings.
Info on upcoming events including a Record Store Day party on April 12 at 5:30 pm EST can be found here:
https://hellbendervinyl.com/pages/events
About Co-Owner Matt Dowling
Matt Dowling is a musician, PhD scientist, and serial entrepreneur with deep roots in the DC/Baltimore music scene. Known primarily as a bass player, Matt has toured with notable bands such as Deleted Scenes (Park the Van Records), The Effects (Dischord Records), and Paperhaus (Misra Records). Through Paperhaus’s 2017 release on Misra, Matt met Jeff Betten. Currently, Matt plays as the frontman of SWOLL, bassist of Burial Waves, and multi-instrumentalist in How???. Outside of music, Matt is a PhD Chemical and Biomedical Engineer, the founder of multiple tech and life sciences companies, and the inventor of Rapid Seal Wound Gel, available in CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart. His scientific work has been featured on Brave New World with Stephen Hawking. After reconnecting with Jeff during the COVID pandemic, Matt found his passion for vinyl manufacturing—a unique combination of chemical engineering, music, and entrepreneurship.
About Co-Owner Jeff Betten
The creation of Hellbender Vinyl is the result of Jeff Betten’s long journey through the music industry. Starting as an acoustic singer-songwriter, Jeff later found success on the business side, taking over the indie label Wild Kindness Records in Youngstown, Ohio. His efforts caught the attention of Misra Records in Washington, DC, who asked him to become their general manager. In both roles, Jeff witnessed the growing demand for vinyl records and the corresponding increase in production wait times.
When Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto challenged him to help his hometown grow, Jeff proposed the idea of bringing a vinyl pressing plant to Pittsburgh. Known for its manufacturing prowess, it’s no surprise that Hellbender Vinyl has thrived in the Steel City.
Praise for Hellbender Vinyl:
“We love Hellbender Vinyl. We initially chose them for their regional location, wanting to bring business back to the community. What we found was a world-class team, excellent communication and speed, and an incredibly high-quality product. We won’t print records anywhere else. – DaLyn Bauman, Maple House Records & Ghost Hounds
“Hellbender is top-notch! They beautifully pressed our most recent release with excellent communication, flexibility, and quality control. If you’re pressing records in the U.S., Hellbender should be on your radar.” – Frederick McSwain, McSwain Studio NYC
“We had a great experience making a record with Hellbender! Jeff was incredibly kind and responsive in helping us cut a 7” record, and it turned out fantastic—it sounds amazing! We’ll absolutely work with them again. Highly recommended!” – Matthew Milligan, Wheatus