Rocker Rob Thomas is to launch his own record label in a bid to develop and nurture acts who are left behind by music industry bigwigs. The matchbox twenty star and a business partner have formed R Tel Records and will operate their new venture under a new deal with Sony BMG's Epic Records.The duo's first act will be British songwriter Garfield Mayor, whose debut album is expected later this year (07).Thomas tells Billboard.com, "I'm doing a lot of writing with these artists and helping them produce, but it's not about me being a producer and having a writing credit on the record; I don't have to have any creative input whatsoever, but I'm definitely here if they want it."I'm like an in-house musician who's been through the last decade with really great success." Former lead singer of Matchbox Twenty Thomas went on to launch a solo career in 2005 after featuring on Carlos Santana's 1999 hit Smooth.His debut album Something To Be reached number one on the Billborad Top 200 and it was the first time in the Billboard's 50 year history that a male artist from a rock or pop group debuted at number one with their first solo album.