Hello and welcome to another edition of the Haulix Blogger Spotlight series. This week we have an unplanned theme of sites specializing in multimedia features over classic news posting, and I think it offers a rather interest take on where the digital journalism industry may be headed in the years ahead. Yesterday’s talent and today’s could not be more different, but their shared interest in film and how it can help further develop music communities puts them side-by-side on the forefront of music coverage, and we’re honored to share their stories with you.
Music, like many things, is often a family business, and in today’s feature that saying expands to the world of music journalism. Robert Herrera joined forces with his brother, Alberto, in 2008 after a mutual friend asked them to film footage of his band’s upcoming performance. The brothers were happy to oblige, and in the process of working of the project fell in love with the notion of sharing the music that interested them with others through the use of video.
Cut to a few months after that initial performance and the Herrera brothers are now inundated with requests from bands requesting their video expertise at an upcoming performance. The brothers realize a market exists for what they do, and not long after PunkVideosRock came into existence. The site was simple at first, offering performances captured by the brothers, but over time it evolved into a full fledged news outlet, offering far more than your basic live performance video. The brothers continued to refine their craft and in time realized there was a need to launch a second website to properly promote all their efforts. They’re still working as hard as ever today, but we were lucky enough to sit Robert down for a conversation about all they’ve accomplished, and the insight he offers on the industry is unlike any found on our blog before now.
Robert is one of the most active people in the music industry and will no doubt see his notoriety grow in the years to come. If you want to stay up-to-date with everything he’s working on, be sure to follow PunkVideosRock and FrontRowLive. Additional questions or comments can be left at the end of this post.
If you know of someone who would be a good fit for this series, including yourself, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your story.
H: For those unaware, please state your name, the site you work for, and your role at said site:
RH: Hey, I am Robert Herrera, Co-Founder & on-camera host for Punkvideosrock.com & FrontRowLiveEnt.com.
H: To what or whom do you attribute your interest in music?
RH: New Found Glory is the reason I got into music.
H: What was the first album you ever purchased with your own money? Do you still own it today?
RH: The first album I ever purchased was “Sticks and Stones” from New Found Glory. A friend of mine would always talk to me about them so she burned me a copy of the album to give them a listen and I instantly fell in love so I had to go out and buy it. I still own the record and I’m pretty sure I still have the burned one too.
H: We have a lot of ground to cover here, but if we’re starting from the top then we’re starting with your love of conducting interviews. What attracted you to the world of journalism in the first place?
RH: Actually it’s funny because I’ve always hated being in front of anything. Whenever I had presentations in school I would try and find ways around it even if it meant double the work. I’ve always been a camera operator so when Punkvideosrock began, we just wanted to shoot live videos and exclusives. I didn’t care for interviews. In 2008 I was asked to do a couple of interviews for Warped Tour so I gave it a try. I still didn’t like it. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I decided to try again and this time I really enjoyed it. I loved the fact that I got to see a different side of an artist that most people don’t get to see. Since then, interviews have been all I’ve been wanting to do. In fact, I want to go back to school but this time to get a degree in Broadcast Journalism.
H: You started PunkVideoRock with your brother, Alberto, in 2007. Can you tell us the origin story of your first publication?
RH: My brother, Alberto, and I started Punkvideosrock in March 2007 at a small coffee shop called No Future Cafe in Pasadena when our friends in RAYAH asked us to shoot a live video of their sold out show. After that show and video, various local bands began asking us to shoot their shows in various venues around California.
H: Where did the idea to focus on video content come from? Were you always the host and Alberto the cameraman?
RH: Ever since I went on tour and shot live videos with my friends in a touring band [RAYAH] I became fascinated with capturing the art of live performance. Since the inception of Punkvideosrock my brother has been the center camera on tripod as well as audio engineer and I have been the roaming camera and now on-camera host.
H: What were some of the biggest obstacles you faced as a young entrepreneur and blogger?
RH: In the beginning bands would cancel on us a lot, it was pretty disappointing because at times they didn’t bother to tell us before we left to the venue. But today one of the biggest obstacles is gas. We live 40 minutes from Hollywood and about 50 minutes from Orange County but there is always traffic. I’ve had to decline interviews just because I couldn’t afford to fill the tank for the third time that week.
H: Who is your biggest inspiration as a journalist?
RH: I was a skateboarder before anything else so I always followed Sal Masakela. He’s always been the household name for extreme sports hosting. I was also really into Carson Daly on TRL. The funny thing is that I never expected nor had an interest to be a journalist let alone on camera. I’m socially awkward. Always have been. I still follow [Sal & Carson] and love their work but at the moment my biggest inspiration is Ryan Seacrest, any show that has his name on it turns to gold. I want to brand myself like him someday.
H: When and how did Front Row Live Entertainment come into existence?
RH: Front Row Live began in January 2011. I wanted to expand to a broader audience as well as conduct red carpet interviews that will eventually get me a spot on tv. Our Front Row Live debut coincided with a debut live video we shot for late Actor/Musician Cory Monteith’s band Bonnie Dune at Chain Reaction.
H: Why two websites instead of one? Do you find branding yourself is easier or more difficult with multiple outlets?
RH: We have two websites instead of one because the audience of each site is completely opposite from each other. Some people don’t even know PVR & FRLE are owned by the same two people. It’s always nice when a PVR fan comes across a video of me interviewing Snoop Dog or Backstreet Boys and they freak out because I also interviewed their favorite hardcore band prior to it.
H: Video content has become a growing focus of essentially every news outlet in recent years, both as a form of content and an avenue for profit. Have you monetized your efforts yet? If not, do you have plans to do so?
RH: We are actually Youtube Partners on both channels so we do monetize from our content.
H: In the past year you have attended a number of major events, which has given you access to some of the biggest names in pop culture. Who is on your interview bucket list?
RH: My interview bucket list is One Direction, Foo Fighters, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Lil Wayne, Taylor Swift, and Justin Bieber.
H: In addition to covering all today’s top talent, you do a great job of exposing new talent as well. Where do you turn when looking to discover new music?
RH: I actually turn to facebook a lot when looking for new music. There are times when I just scroll down on the feeds and listen to various new music posted by other friends.
H: What are the most common mistakes you see young artists making when attempting to market themselves?
RH: The most common mistake I see with young artists is that they play shows in the same area or venue every single week or so, at this point your practically begging your friends and family to come and support you again and again. I think they should scatter their shows especially since every show has a certain number of pre-sale tickets one must sell to play. I also don’t see too many bands promoting at shows anymore, talking to potential new fans always works.
H: When it comes to receiving music for feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?
RH: I have always preferred youtube because it has a bigger reach but lately I have been thinking of giving Soundcloud a shot.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
RH: One thing I would change about the music industry is that they bring record stores back. It’s depressing buying an album at target, walmart, best buy, etc.
H: At the end of the day, what is your ultimate career goal?
RH: My ultimate goal is to become a mixture of Ryan Seacrest, Carson Daly, and Sal Masakela. I want to host interviews on tv and I want to give radio a try. I would still be running my sites but letting other up and comer’s host the interviews.
H: Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what you have planned in the months ahead?
RH: We have been getting ready for another season of The X Factor and The Voice. I have also been sending out applications to major networks to do some freelance hosting for them. Lastly, I’m looking into going to school again for a degree in broadcast journalism. Everything I have learned in hosting I have picked up as I went, it wouldn’t hurt to learn it the right way as well as having that degree in my possession.
