Griffin Signed to ATO

By Waldo Jaquith
We've heard from several trustworthy sources that ATO Records is in the process of signing Patty Griffin as the latest artist on their growing roster. The 37-year-old Griffin was signed to A&M Records in 1994, releasing "Living With Ghosts" and "Flaming Red" over the next few years, but she had an ugly breakup with them earlier this year over her new album, "Silver Bell." Interscope (the label that she was transferred to when A&M disappeared) refused to release the disc, saying that it didn't include any viable singles. Griffin requested a release from her contract, which she got, but she lost the rights to her album. However, during a June concert in Nashville, she told fans that she intends to release an album entitled "A Thousand Kisses," so she's obviously got more up her sleeve. Enter ATO: Griffin needs a label in order to survive, but she's wary of the big boys. ATO, who has signed just four artists so far (David Gray, Chris Whitley, Ben Kweller, and Gov't Mule), was initially created for David Gray, who was in a very similar situation at the time. The tiny label should be ideal for Griffin. ATO Records was founded early last year by Dave Matthews, Coran Capshaw, Michael McDonald and Chris Tetzeli.