Hello and welcome to a new week of industry insight here on the official blog of Haulix. We have featured over a dozen notable industry writers up to this point, and this afternoon we could not be more excited to share another great mind with all of you. If you have a recommendation for a site or writer we should highlight in a future installment of this series, please do not hesitate to contact james@haulix,com and share your story.
Some say it takes a village to raise a child, and in a similar sense it takes a team of contributors to make a music blog great. Anyone can start a website with a few dollars and an internet connection, but without support from at least one other person the quality and consistency of content will suffer in time. Finding a good partner takes about as much hard work as it does luck, and for today’s highlighted blogger the search to find a like-minded individual crossed several state lines.
Matt Nistler is one-half of the creative power behind The Sound Alarm, a site which we first highlighted earlier this year during a conversation with co-founder Kayla Guyette. He went to school for graphic design, but thanks to positive reinforcement from people in his life decided to pursue an interest in writing (that also lends itself to design work from time to time). That interest lead to the launch of one of the most interesting blogs currently covering alternative music, and we could not be more excited to share his journey up to this point.
The Sound Alarm is not your typical website. They don’t see the need for news posts that could be found anywhere on the net willing to cover music and they rarely worry themselves with whether or not they post every single day. Their focus has always been quality over quantity, and through our discussion with Matt you’ll learn how that has made all the difference in their success. If you would like to know more, head over to The Sound Alarm and see what Matt has spent the past several years developing. You can leave any additional questions for Matt in the comment below.
H: For those unaware, please state your name, the site you work for, and your role at said site:
MN: My name is Matt Nistler and I’m the co-founder of a music website called The Sound Alarm.
H: If you had to pinpoint when it all began, what would you cite as the moment you fell in love with music?
MN: I’m not sure there is any one moment that I fell in love with music, as it is something that I’ve been drawn to throughout my life. But I would say the moment I knew I was in love with our music scene was when I first attended the Vans Warped Tour. There was just something magical about getting to see so many bands that I looked up to all in the same place.
H: What was the first album you purchased with your own money? Do you still own it?
MN: The first album I ever purchased was Sweet Dreams by La Bouche. I was so stoked walking down the cassette aisle of Best Buy knowing I’d be able to listen to “Be My Lover” any time I wanted. (Apparently grade school me was a Euro-dance fan?). I like to think my music tastes have slightly improved in the years since. I still have that cassette in a closet somewhere back at my parent’s house. The singer actually died in a plane crash in 2001, so there won’t be any more La Bouche purchases in my future. Kind of depressing.
H: You started The Sound Alarm in 2010. Did you have any experience in the music industry before that time?
MN: Yes, prior to The Sound Alarm I was a contributor for a different music publication, The Daily Chorus. It was probably most known for the “Top Unsigned” list. I also conducted a number of interviews for SmartPunk and managed an indie rock band as well. I enjoy taking on music-related graphic design projects too when I have time.
H: You studied Graphic Design in school. What drew you to the world of journalism?
MN: I always enjoyed writing essays in school and was often complimented on my writing, so pursuing the world of journalism just made sense. I was the layout editor at my college’s newspaper, so sitting in on the weekly meetings helped me fine-tune those skills even further. I love that I have the opportunity at The Sound Alarm to combine my passions of music, journalism, and graphic design.
H: What inspired you to start your own business, and how did you come to know co-founder Kayla Guyette?
MN: I came in contact with Kayla while coordinating an interview with the band that I was managing. She was an editor for a different publication at the time and I was very impressed with her professionalism. A few months later we came in contact again and realized we were both interested in starting up a music website of our own. We were seeking editorial and creative freedom and The Sound Alarm was born.
H: Where does the name ‘The Sound Alarm’ come from?
MN: The Sound Alarm is a play on words. Most people hear the phrase “sound the alarm!” when something bad happens that deserves everyone’s attention. “The Sound Alarm” flip-flops that idea by alerting our readers of good sounds that deserve their attention. That’s where our slogan “alerting you first of the hottest new music” originates from.
H: Kayla shed some light on this for us, but one thing that makes your site unique is the focus on features over news. Was this always the case? What attracted you to this approach?
MN: When we started The Sound Alarm, it was never our intention to post every possible news story. We knew there were many other publications already doing. Instead, we opted to devote our time towards actually checking out the music of the bands we post about and coordinating features (such as “Six Picks”) with our favorites. We do still post some news stories though, as it is important to have our readers up-to-date on what albums and tours to be on the lookout for, but everything we post is with an intentional filter.
H: It’s not about being better than anyone else, but what would you say separates the content found on The Sound Alarm from what is being offered on any number of sites covering similar areas of music?
MN : One of the reasons why Kayla and I started The Sound Alarm was that we both felt there was a lack of positivity and overabundance of gossip in the music press business. As fans of music we wanted to know what new music to check out and also wanted fans to get to know their favorite bands better. There were too many blogs that were quick to point out which band member was dating which other band member, who got arrested, and who had their…uhm…private parts posted online. We pride ourselves on the overall positivity in the content that we post, the fun features (such as contests and fan- interviews), and the quality of what is posted.
H: The Sound Alarm is an independently run site that has made no mentions of plans to introduce a payment plan anytime soon. What is the ultimate goal of TSA?
MN: As cliché as it may sound, if we can introduce even one reader to a new favorite song or band, then we feel we are accomplishing our goals as a music community. We would obviously love The Sound Alarm to someday be a profitable enough venture to be our only jobs, for now we are more than happy running things independently for the love of spreading great music.
H: You have helped many bands get their start through The Sound Alarm. Where do you look when hoping to discover new music?
MN: I generally get caught up on most of my music news through the press releases I receive in my email inbox. I’m also constantly browsing Spotify and Facebook Pages to find new bands to check out. I do miss the days when MySpace was more relevant. It was a great way to discover up-and-coming bands.
H: What advice would you offer talent hoping to one day appear on The Sound Alarm?
MN: Before you reach out to the press, make sure you have at least a few studio recordings. They don’t have to be completely perfect and mastered, but if your only samples are rough demos recorded on your MacBook, then we’re both better off waiting until you have a more clean recording. Having a solid press kit and promo photo help as well. Regardless, make sure to run spell check before reaching out to us, since if we can’t take your email seriously, we’ll probably have trouble taking your music seriously too. Lastly, make sure your style of music at least somewhat encompasses the genres we cover (mostly pop/rock, punk, indie/rock, etc.) too. It’s cool that you’re an aspiring yodeler, but we’re probably not going to post about it.
H: What is the biggest mistake you see young artists make?
MN: The biggest mistake I see young artists make is lack of accessibility. By this, I mean it is important to connect with your fans as much as possible, both in the real world and on social networks. Meet with fans before and after the show. Hold video chats or acoustic performances online. Be active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Stay humble. On the flip side, if you’re only focusing on promoting and not on writing a great song, then you’re completely missing the mark, too. It’s a delicate balance.
H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?
MN: As our staff is based all over the world, we prefer digital streams and digital downloads. I still have a place in my heart for physical copies, but when it comes to sharing music with our staff, it is much more convenient to share a hyperlink than to go to the post office to mail a CD.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
MN: I wish the music industry was still as booming and influential as it was in its heyday. I miss when the only way to hear new music was to go to the store and pick up the new cassette or CD, or turn on the radio. The digital age is great and has many benefits, but it has also led to a lot of job cuts in the music industry and I think some of the mystique has been lost of going to the store, picking up the album, and running home to page through the accompanying booklet.
H: Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what you have planned in the months ahead?
MN : This is an exciting time of year with all of the upcoming fall tours and album releases that are just being announced. Keep checking back on www.thesoundalarm.com and find us on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram (@TheSoundAlarm) for all of the latest happenings and features. Thank you for the interview!
