Safe House Records was founded in the late 1980s as an offshoot of the Independent Label Alliance (ILA), which financed, promoted and distributed artist-owned labels. Like ILA (and Jimboco Records), the label was founded by songwriter/producer James (Jim) Reynolds to develop new artists. Many of the artists signed to his companies were critically acclaimed and went on to sign to major labels, like RCA, Geffen, A&M and Blanco y Negro/Rough Trade.