Richard Gottehrer is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of The Orchard, the largest distributor in the world for independent music and film. The Orchard currently works with artists including Jason Isbell, G Herbo, Ozuna, John Prine, Kelsea Ballerini and Jorja Smith. 

A true visionary who has used the power of a song to navigate through many chapters of his career, Gottehrer is a constant motor of creativity. He began as a songwriter and producer in the 1960, penning classics such as The Angels’ number one hit “My Boyfriend’s Back” and was a part of the team responsible for the 1965 chart-topper, “Hang on Sloopy” by The McCoys. He was a part of Pop group The Strangeloves and wrote the song “I Want Candy."

In 1966, Gottehrer co-founded Sire Records and began introducing underground progressive bands including Ramones, Talking Heads, and Madonna. He is a multi-platform producer who has worked with many music acts including Blondie, The Go-Go’s, and Richard Hell and has composed songs for David Bowie, The J. Geils Band, and Jerry Lee Lewis. 

Gottehrer founded Instant Records in the 70s and revived the company in 2013 with partner Scott Cohen. Instant Records’ projects include Dion, Black Angels, Au Revoir Simone, Fallulah, Pale Honey, and Instant Love. He also works with acts ranging from Paul Shaffer to Karen Souza, Dum Dum Girls, and The Raveonettes.