By Louis Clausi
Feb. 5, 2026 – I recently had the good fortune of catching up with one of the most ambitious people in Savannah: Ryan Graveface of Graveface Records & Curiosities. Ryan is a longtime friend, even though I rarely get to see him. When people think of Ryan, they think of someone who is successful and driven, someone whose record label, record store and museum have become cultural staples of the community. The Graveface influence now spans well beyond Savannah, and Ryan’s aspirations continue to grow into an ever-larger presence throughout the city.
What I think of most, however, is a man with an extraordinary ability to overcome adversity. Beneath the poised and accomplished exterior is someone who still wonders, at the end of each month, how he is going to keep it all going. Yet that uncertainty never stops him from pursuing new endeavors. He is gripped by ambition and has so many more ideas still waiting to take shape.
“I still have too much to prove to myself to stop now,” Ryan said. “Especially since we’ve survived this long when Graveface is truly an independent record label, an independent film distributor, an independent record store, and a music venue. I started all of this with no investment capital and made it through without external funding. Fortunately, now I’m in a situation where one entity can fund another entity to keep everything going.”
Whether it is the museum paying for the film production company, the record store paying for the record pressing plant, the record plant paying for the distribution center, it is all a financial juggling act running on perpetual miracles and Ryan is hoping that one day everything will find its equilibrium — though he’s not entirely sure what he would do if that day arrived.
As we talked, Ryan glanced over at Chloe, who was bustling around collecting belongings and preparing to move on to the next task to make sure everything continued functioning as smoothly as possible. Watching her work, Ryan noted the others still busy around us before we stepped outside into the sun.
“I don’t think I’d be able to accomplish all of this without Chloe and the people who show up and put so much heart into helping perpetuate my ambitions,” he said.
It is truly something to be grateful for.
Ryan rubbed his head, momentarily unsure of what he might do if he weren’t focused on business. He doesn’t see equilibrium arriving anytime soon, so he sticks to the work ethic his father instilled in him — an ethic built on old-fashioned hard work and ingenuity.
That humble ambition goes all the way back to when Ryan started the record label in Chicago, followed by the record store, which opened the door to booking tours for his own projects and others signed to the label. On one of those tours, Ryan passed through Savannah and was intrigued. On a later visit, he booked a ghost tour in a hearse driven by an ethereal MahdMahn — an experience that inspired the first Marshmallow Ghosts album and ultimately led Ryan to move to Savannah. We are all fortunate that he did.
Upon arriving, Ryan hit the ground running. He produced The Corpse Reviver 2 music video collection, opened the record store, and then took over the space next door where he operates the Terror Vision video store and museum— all while continuing to tour, book tours for artists on the label, and record and produce music. Sleep is not a priority.
That ambition continued with the creation of the Graveface Museum in its stunning space on Factors Walk. Later came the acquisition of a property on West Boundary Street, which housed a recording studio and inventory before eventually opening to the public and moving live shows out of the record store and into the Lodge of Sorrows.
The Lodge of Sorrows became a beloved music venue, known for its great sound and intimate atmosphere that allowed fans to truly connect with the artists they came to see. Necessity and ambition soon led Ryan to open a record pressing plant, which now ships out thousands of parcels per year — all while keeping the rest of the Graveface ecosystem moving.
Ryan’s hard work is paying off, even if not in the way that would allow him to take a vacation. But taking a break isn’t what Ryan wants right now. Instead, he continues to invest 100 percent of what would normally be his salary back into the business.
At present, that investment is focused on his most recent endeavor: repairing and building out what will become the new hub for all Graveface operations in a vacant warehouse on the corner of Paulson and Anderson streets. This development came after the Lodge of Sorrows all-ages music venue was forced to leave its West Boundary Street location, an unexpected shift that scattered large portions of Graveface inventory across multiple storage sites.
The West Boundary space had housed an enormous amount of material, and no single location could accommodate everything at once. Inventory was split between a borrowed warehouse on Louisville Road and storage units along Ogeechee Road, creating a web of inconvenience that required constant running back and forth.
“Getting this new place will be amazing,” Ryan said. “I’ll finally be able to consolidate everything into one location and actually get organized.”
The planned Graveface headquarters is expected to house record company stock, the film production department and its catalog, shipping operations, and vast amounts of inventory — and likely much more. Ryan credits Chloe once again.
“Thank goodness for Chloe,” he said. “I can come up with an idea, and she’ll make it 100 times better. She did it with the museum, and I’m sure she’ll do it again with the new headquarters.”
Ryan recognizes the rare fortune of having a life partner who shares his enthusiasm and drive, along with a team that often puts the business ahead of themselves. It takes a remarkable group of people to keep an independent label functioning at this level, and I have immense respect for the journey they’ve taken together.
The move will take several months and will require a community effort to transport everything to the new location. After that, it will take additional months to fully organize the space. Once the interior is built out for storage and operations, the next phase will begin — reestablishing an all-ages music venue, Lodge of Sorrows 2.0.
Ryan reflected on how he just began to figure out how to host shows that were financially sustainable and fair to everyone involved when the previous venue came to an end.
“I have those lessons to start with now,” he said, “and I’m looking forward to applying them to LOS 2.0.”
We talked about the importance of all-ages shows and the lasting impact they had on us growing up — how they allowed us to be part of something formative and inspiring. Ryan sees that many of the record store’s customers are underage and don’t have access to most venues today. He believes it’s essential to carry that tradition forward and give something meaningful back to the next generation.
Giving back has always been part of Ryan’s story — often to a degree that exceeds what he gives himself. From early shows inside the record store to the Lodge of Sorrows and beyond, that spirit continues to shape Graveface’s role in the community.
Realistically, it will be months at least before Lodge of Sorrows 2.0 becomes a reality, but I am filled with anticipation for the day it finally opens. Ryan has taught me that while great ideas matter, it is the act of bringing them into reality that allows their impact to spread far beyond oneself.
In the meantime, there is much work ahead — building out the space, moving inventory, and preparing for what comes next. If you have building skills and some spare time, consider stopping by the corner of Paulson and Anderson streets to see if you can lend a hand. Everyone involved would be incredibly grateful, and it would further strengthen the sense of community around Graveface.
Those of us who have watched Ryan navigate moments like this know that everything will unfold as it is meant to. He even hinted at the possibility of a future outdoor independent film space.
It will take hard work to make it all happen.
So keep your ears open and send some good wishes as the next phase of Graveface takes shape. I’ll see you there.
Past Coverage
Terror Vision: Graveface brings some local life to Oglethorpe Mall – Savannah Agenda
Funked Up Photos – Tis’ the Season: Graveface Releases New Marshmallow Ghosts – Savannah Agenda
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Read more by Louis Clausi
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