Chris Swanson is a founding partner of the American independent record labels Dead Oceans (formed in 2007), Jagjaguwar (1996) and Secretly Canadian (1996), each operated primarily out of Bloomington, Indiana, with satellite offices in New York, London and Austin. These labels are home to such diverse acts as Bon Iver, Antony & the Johnsons, Yeasayer, comedian Tig Notaro, The Tallest Man on Earth, Jens Lekman, Dinosaur Jr., The War on Drugs, Foxygen, Phosphorescent, The Besnard Lakes, Okkervil River and Black Mountain, to name a few.