Firebird Music and Red Light Ventures are backing Leo33, an independent label based in Nashville co-headed by industry veterans Katie Dean (pictured at right) and Rachel Fontenot.

Fontenot, most recently VP of Marketing and Artist Development at UMG Nashville, will oversee marketing and operations; Dean, formerly promotion chief for MCA Nashville, is in charge of promotion and artist development. Joining them are A&R execs Daniel Lee and Natalie Osborne.

Lee co-founded the label/publishing venture Altadena with the late busbee; Osborne was formerly with Downtown Music Publishing.

“As the industry evolves, so does the role of the label,” Dean said. “We’re trying to build a model for the future—an entrepreneurial approach that combines the resources of a major with the agility and focus of an independent.”

Said Fontenot, “The members of this team have experienced so many different facets of this industry—each has a unique perspective and passion."