Hello and welcome to a very special mid-week edition of our popular Journalism Tips series. We normally hold these columns until Saturday, but due to the time sensitive nature of the content contained within this post we decided to run it a few days early. Don’t worry, there will be something new on Saturday too.
This blog exists to promote the future of the music industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your music-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
There was a time not too long ago when I would have thought we talked about Vans Warped Tour too much. While it’s true that many labels who use Haulix to service their artist’s latest releases have participated in Warped Tour at least once or twice in the past, it’s not true for every single one of our clients and we often worry about giving any one area of music too much attention via this blog. In 2014, however, Warped Tour is a far different beast than it has been during any other year that I can remember. The punk and hard rock elements are still firmly in tact, but the world’s largest traveling music festival has also expanded its musical offerings to include people from the world of EDM, rap, pop, and beyond. Some complain, but I think it’s ultimately for the best, and if you’re smart about how you approach your coverage of Warped Tour you may find it has the potential to be one of, if not the most rewarding coverage experience(s) you have all year.
I know that every writer has their own method and routine when it comes to interviews and live coverage, but that does not mean you’re incapable of improvement. To help get this point across, I asked Absolutepunk staffer and all-round badass music blogger Jake Denning to provide a few coverage tips and tricks for those who have yet to attend the 2014 installment of Warped Tour. He agreed, and after a few back and forth conversations we settled on a nice list that I think drives home the idea that you can never truly perfect your interview style. In truth, you can only plan, practice, and hope for the best. Put yourself in the best possible position to succeed and do whatever it takes to make your goals a reality.
Without further ado, here’s Jake…
I recognize the advice I’m about to share is not gospel, but I feel like it will help some looking for some tips when it comes to doing press the Warped Tour (or any festival in general).
BEFORE YOUR APPROVED DATE:
1. Make sure you’ve turned in the interview request form that was sent to you when approved for press. Some interviews (such as The Summer Set and The Ghost Inside) require advance approval, and if you don’t turn in the form well in advance of your show date, there is absolutely no chance you will speak to that band.
2. Make sure you have a plan for food/water. My personal preference is to pack the following: (1) Quest Protein Bar, (1) 3.25oz bag of Jerky, and (1) Small bag of Trail Mix, along with (1) Empty gatorade sports bottle (you can generally find these at any sporting goods store for about $2-5, VERY useful).
ON THE DAY OF THE SHOW:
1. Have your batteries charged, your memory clean, your bag/gear organized
2. Get to venue and find yellow Vans tent well in advance of check-in time (generally 10:30am local time). This allows you to be ready to go when it comes time to enter the venue, and find the press area as quickly as possible
3. Once you’ve found the press area and you’ve introduced yourself and signed in, find the performance schedule, typically located next to the interview sign-up sheets. From there, momentarily forget about doing interviews for the day, and build a schedule based on what bands you’d like to watch. Ideally, you shouldn’t have more than 20 minutes between sets, as to maximize the day. Once you have that schedule, THEN start to remove performances that conflict with press times for a particular artist (For instance, if Every Time I Die is doing press from 1pm – 1:40pm and you’d like to see Motionless In White at 1:20…well, looks like you’re not watching Motionless In White)
4. HAVE AN OUTLINE – I recognize this is not for everyone, but for someone who tries to hit on the album/release a particular artist is touring on, this is essential for me. I need specific notes detailing my critical thoughts on said release, as well as questions pertaining to lyrical content, etc. You will never get a chance to interview this artist again on this specific day, so be as detailed as you can be in this setting.
5. Be mindful of when a particular artist is scheduled to interview and be mindful of when they arrive. Be near the press table when they arrive, so that you have a better chance of getting to interview them. To be honest, not every publication that signs up on the list (even if they’re first to sign up) will get to interview. For example, I had an artist come in that 7 different people (including myself) had signed up for – the Tour Manager routed them to AltPress, myself, and then one other publication, and then promptly left.
6. After an interview is done, IMMEDIATELY find a way to upload to Dropbox (or favorite cloud storage provider) – Things happen.
7. Chances are that you’re probably going to end up charging your phone/laptop/etc at some point in the day – take that opportunity to connect with other people/artists in the room. Plague Vendor (Epitaph) ended up on my radar because I ended up getting to know them for 20 minutes or so, not knowing who they were before hand.
8. Last, but certainly not least, FOLLOW THE RULES given to you when approved – for example, if you’re in a venue that does not allow video, then DON’T shoot video and claim you didn’t know about the rule afterwards.
Jake Denning is an entertainment writer and critic with years of experience working online. He has interviewed dozens of bands and written about more albums than you have probably heard in your entire lifetime. He’s a smart go-getter with a blindingly bright future ahead of him and we’re grateful that he was willing to help us with this post. If you would like to learn more about his efforts in music and beyond, click here to follow Jake on Twitter.
“Watermarking” in the context of audio in a Haulix promo, is the process of injecting inaudible pieces of data into an MP3 or WAV file that can later be scanned and used for tracing back to the original listener.
Haulix employs a custom integration utilizing Fraunhofer watermarking technology. When questioning the robustness of said technology, Fraunhofer states:
[watermarks]…withstand mp3 or WAV encoding, time stretching & pitch shifting, changing the sound volume, dynamics compression, trimming and DA/AD conversion including microphone recording…
The Haulix watermarking process is split up into two parts: PRE-processing of uploaded MP3 or WAV files and the actual INJECTION process.
We have automated both parts of the watermarking process and made them completely web-based – meaning anyone on your staff can sign in from anywhere in the world with an internet connection using a browser, upload tracks and they will get prepared for watermarking automatically.
How does this benefit you and your company?
– No special software or plugins required
– Anyone on your staff who has promo permissions can upload tracks from anywhere with an internet connection
– Remote staff can collaborate on promotions
– The PRE-processing step is fast. On average it takes 39 seconds per track to process
– Because of the PRE-processing step, the actual watermark INJECTION process is even faster, taking mere seconds per an entire album
When it comes time to scan a track for watermarks, simply submit the tracks to Haulix and a staff member will scan them and send back the results – no extra work required on your part.
SUMMARY: Haulix has taken a very complex watermarking technology and made it point-and-click easy to use through a pure web-based interface.
Hello, everyone. We are absolutely thrilled that you chose to spend a few minutes of your day with us. It has been well over a week since we ran any interviews with our friends in the writing community, but that finally changes this afternoon with the official return of the Blogger Spotlight series. This blog exists to promote the future of the music industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your music-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
H: Hello there! Please take a few moments to introduce yourself to our readers:
MB: Hi, I’m Mariam (but you can call me Mary), a 22 year-old settled between Paris, France and Brussels (Belgium). I aim to live positively and I’m the co-founder and Editor for Plug-In, which is a European based web magazine.
H: Thank you for joining us, Mary. It’s an honor to have you take part in this series.
MB: Well, thank YOU, the pleasure is all mine!
H: Before we get into your work now, I want to learn a little bit about your history with music. When you think back to your earliest memories, what visions of music comes to mind?
MB: I think the earliest memories I have with music involved me, dangerously playing with my father’s vinyls and his old record player. I would listen to Michael Jackson, Supertramp, Simon and Garfunkel and The Beatles (who are still one of my favorite bands to this day). Later, I discovered how to expand my music horizons with my aunt who used to take me to the annual opening concert of the national philharmonic orchestra. Both of my parents listened a lot to French classics in the car, so I had a lot of Joe Dassin every day while going to school or during our travels. In my early teens, I finally discovered the world of the Internet and rock music. I was a huge fan of Green Day, Blink 182, Good Charlotte, Sum41…The first record I’ve bought myself was Avril Lavigne’s ‘Let Go’. I was about 13 I guess.
H: We ask everyone this question, but I promise we will have a few more unique ones in a matter of minutes. Can you tell us the first concert you ever attended? Bonus points if you include an early ‘fan girl’ story.
MB: I grew up in Morocco and concerts weren’t a thing back then (except for a very few particular artists only “adults” liked at this time). However, we had this great folkloric multicultural festival called “Mawazine” in my city and I enjoyed a lot getting there and listening to World music. But the first real concert of an artist I actually knew was probably Juanes’ (at this same festival). And I can tell you, it was a bloody great one! For the fangirl story, we were standing first row and it was the first few months after Juanes did cut his hair and we were completely obsessed with the “new and handsome him”.
However, the first concert of a band I loved and listened to for years was however Green Day’s in Antwerp (Belgium). From 2005 onwards, I’d watch their DVD Bullet In A Bible almost on a weekly basis and knew it by heart. Attending their show felt like a lifetime achievement!
H: Having an interest in music is pretty common, but taking it upon yourself to launch a blog and promote bands free of charge is a fairly unique trait. When did you first realize you wanted to be more involved in the world of music?
MB: I always had a drive in discovering smaller bands no one knew about, back to the good old myspace days.
When I moved to Paris, I started going to a lot of concerts, but it was mostly “big ones” such as Muse, 30 Seconds To Mars, Green Day, etc. But then I started discovering more and more smaller and younger bands and therefore attending smaller shows, that felt very special and intimate. I guess I fell in love with this environment and eventually started seeing those people as regular people that are passionate about what they do, no matter what it takes. I remember Madina Lake / Young Guns tour fairly well for that. I would stay at the venues after the shows and have a chat with the bands and other people out there. At this point, I was just happy to be able to talk with people who performed music I enjoyed listening to and it made me want to talk about them to my friends, make them listen to those bands. I didn’t really realize what was happening, but looking back, I think that’s where it all started.
However, it wasn’t until a couple of years ago, when I started befriending people who were actually “in/from the scene”, witnessing their challenges and their struggles, that I realized that was a world I wanted to be part of.
H: Did you have any writing experience prior to the launch of Plug In? If so, where?
MB: Yes I did and I couldn’t launch something like Plug-In without those previous experiences to be honest. A long time ago, I wrote a (very) few pieces for a web magazine (madmoizelle.com) which didn’t focus on music, but had a music column. Basically anyone could contribute, but not everything was approved (which I can understand, when you’re looking for quality). It’s quite a big publication in France, so when the album review I submitted was approved, I felt really overwhelmed and proud of myself and thought maybe this could be something I’d like to do more. But what took me to Plug-In was the previous website I was writing for. Sadly and for various understandable reasons it doesn’t exist anymore, but I’m glad I’ve been part of it for its last year of existence, because it taught me a lot and helped me “get in there”. I started off as a news contributor, then I got the chance to review records prior to their release, review show and eventually conduce interviews. I think that’s where things opened up to me because that’s how I started networking. To this day, I’m still working with these people I met thanks to this! I ended up being the chief editor for this publication and I can’t thank the people who trusted me in the first place enough.
I’ve always liked writing, whether it was about music or politics and I wanted to be a journalist when I was at high school (in the end I did something completely different).
H: How about education wise? Did you study journalism or any kind of communication in school?
MB: Not at all, I studied HRM at school (I’m currently finishing my masters degree in that field). Maybe it helped me at least for the communication part. Everything else I acquired was from the aforementioned experiences.
I really do think that working in the music field doesn’t necessarily require a university diploma dedicated to it, even though it probably helps and get you started maybe quicker because you already have an overview of this environment, contrary to people who never had anything to do with it. If you’re autonomous and motivated enough, you can make it. Get involved, meet people and get things done.
With that being said, I know I still have a lot to learn.
H: Okay, let’s dive into the reason we first began speaking: Plug In. Please tell us the origin story behind the site’s existence:
MB: We had already considered the idea of launching something music related where we could promote bands a couple of years before Plug-In was born but it was never anything concrete. Plus there were already a lot of websites of this kind at this moment and we didn’t want to be another number among the masses. At the same time, standing out from the others isn’t an easy thing to do, especially when this is not your primary job and all of your time isn’t dedicated to it. This is also why we took our time to figure things out and decide if we really wanted to involve ourselves in such a project. We eventually did and taking time to set concrete goals was probably the best decision we made, because this is the reason we managed to stay consistent and faithful to our original ideas.
What we wanted to do in Plug-In was – besides the classic news / reviews / interviews – to create a space where people can:
1. Express themselves
2. Discover new music
3. Give exposure to the hard working people out there who doesn’t get the exposure they deserve
Number 3 is something I care very much about, because somehow, media keep on givingattention to the same (and few) bands out there that are trending or buzzing every year or so. Some of them deserve it, others don’t. Or at least not as much as they do, but the thing is that it’s always about the same ones. Why is everyone bragging about those 10 same bands whether it is on the radio, the tv or online? I don’t really know and probably never will, but it works, so I can understand why publications are fighting to get the best coverage from these bands. I’m not here to say what’s good and what’s not either, but I do believe that there are a lot of bands out here, especially in Europe that deserve just as much recognition as Pierce the Veil or Bring Me The Horizon (no judgment here), but are still struggling only to play a 10-people venue in their hometown.
Too many people keep on focusing only on American, international acts (or from the UK when they’re a bit more open), while we also do have so many great artists also in mainland Europe. When they get to locally support those bigger acts I just mentioned, I still see way too many people ignoring them or voluntarily skipping their set because, you know, “they’re only locals”. Why wouldn’t anyone outside the Netherlands know about 18 Miles who are just as good as The Ghost Inside? I can’t tell, but I know for sure that it’s a shame.
On a more positive note, this tends to change. The process is still slow in my opinion, but I think there’s progress regarding this.
I could do a whole essay on the subject, but to keep things short, that’s mostly what we want to do with Plug-In : contributing to those hard-working artists’ exposure and showing the world that our scene is rich and deserves support to stay alive!
H: It’s hard to believe you have only been active for about 14 months, but I guess that goes to show that hard work pays off. Congrats on that. What has been the most exciting development as far as growth and exposure are concerned?
MB: Thanks! As cliché as it may sound, hard work definitely pays off! Plug-In is the result of long sleepless nights I had a year and a half ago, revising both my pre-masters finals and building the project. But that was only the beginning.
I think we had three major levels of excitement. First exciting step happened only within 6 months following the launch, when we earned our first press accreditations and interviews. It proved us that the past months we entirely dedicated to creating interesting and valuable content completely were not a waste of time and gave us even more motivation to keep up with the hard work, because industry professional trusted us and it was our role to prove them that they were right. We started receiving press releases and promo material and that’s when the amount of work nearly doubled.
Second level of excitement was when we started building our very first long-term partnerships with bookers and promoters (shout out to One Heartbeat Productions!). We’ve been doing this in two different countries and the list keeps growing. That’s also when the team started growing.
Third – and probably my favorite – was when professionals I reached for various purposes started giving me extremely positive feedback about our work before actually answering to my requests. Even better : Those who understood what was Plug-In really about and highlighted those traits in their response. It just feels absolutely amazing and overwhelming to realize that you’re slowly but surely reaching your goals, despite the hard times and persistent lack of feedback.
H: How would you describe Plug In and the content found within its pages to someone who has never visited your site before?
MB: Plug-In is a space dedicated to alternative music of all kinds, where we aim to put in the foreground young and local talents, rather than the same info about bigger acts everyone else talks about already. If you want to discover new music, especially in Europe, I suggest you to have a look at our website. Plus, we tend to give the floor to the people and the fans of music so they can share with us their experiences (see the ‘Crowd Report’ feature). Finally, we would like to make people aware that all the music they listen to and shows they go to wouldn’t be possible if industry professionals were not here and that aside from the bands and managers there are a lot of hard working people dedicating their days to make all of this work. They’re often put in the background, while their work is more valuable than any other (see our ‘Guest feature’). It’s interesting because we know for fact many of our young readers would ideally work in the music industry, without having a proper idea on what it is about, really. We’re only getting started with these features though, but we have interesting content lined up already!
H: What were your initial goals for Plug In and how have they changed, if at all, over the last year?
MB: Like I said before, our initial goals were mainly promoting the local scene and everything around it that keeps it alive, as well as the sense of sharing stories. These goals haven’t changed, however, things evolved positively as we initially had trouble getting to this point and making people aware that our website wasn’t just another news-proving web magazine. Things have only kicked off for real towards this direction recently and we couldn’t be more happy about that. I would like to say that without the help of some very supportive friends, it would probably have been way more difficult for us to reach this level this early in the process. We celebrated our first birthday two months ago and we couldn’t believe how far we’d come already. We’re still far from our ultimate goals but I think we’re getting there!
H: How many people do you consider staff at Plug In?
MB: At the moment, we’re 10 on board with 4 people guesting for us from time to time. But we’re constantly looking for more!
H: Are you currently looking for new writers? If so, how should people go about submitting their application?
MB: Absolutely! You have to know first that it does take time and even though we’re really cool and don’t put much pressure on our contributors, we need to get things done properly. Meaning here that we have deadlines to meet and feedback to give. Sometimes you’ll have time to do your task, other times you’ll be on the rush. But if you’re part of the team, you have to show some dedication for your work. We promise it’s always exciting and Plug-In is like a family!
To apply at Plug-In, we created a simple application form that can be found on our website.
Once we review the application, we usually contact you within a week to discuss in more detail.
For any further questions, you can always email us : contact@plugin-mag.com
H: What advice would you offer someone who may be reading this and considering their own pursuit of a career in music journalism?
MB: Journalism in general (and particularly) music journalism is a hard place to get into and it’s not easy to make a living out of it when you begin. I’m not a specialist, but from what I know and experienced, the key to succeed is to persevere, never lose motivation and work hard. You might not be the best writer ever, but you shall write as much as you can in order to develop your skills, your writing ability and your style. I think developing an identity as a writer helps a lot and will only value your work and attract the others. Think ‘these people at so and so publication need me more than I need then and I will prove it to them’. Also, to achieve this, I think you really have to be passionate about what you do.
Networking is also something important in music journalism and it’s important to socialize, get to know people and stay in touch. Be aware of what’s going on and don’t hide behind your desk.
H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which distribution platforms do you prefer and why?
MB: When I review music, I like to be able to listen to it anywhere at any time, which means that I mostly prefer being able to download it. I know some people don’t mind streaming it on Soundcloud and such platforms, but even though I do also enjoy listening to music this way, when it comes to reviewing it, I’d rather not be on my computer because I easily get distracted and lose focus on the music. Also, I never spend as much time on my computer as I need to for reviwing music. Therefore, I like Haulix a lot and I don’t say this because I’m answering to your questions. I’ve been using Haulix for the past 3 years and a half and that’s still where I enjoy receiving promo music. Aside from the fact that I can download my music on it, it keeps things organized by expeditor, due dates are visible and it’s all simple and clear. Also, special mention to the rating / submitting link it features, allowing us to directly submit our reviews instead of emailing back everyone and sometimes getting lost and forgetting to do so.
H: Have you taken any steps to monetize your efforts on Plug In? If so, what are you they? Do you have plans to expand those efforts in the future?
MB: Not really and money has never been a goal in the first place. I often got asked this question when I started, but this is something I didn’t have in mind and still don’t. For now, I want to focus on the content I provide and strengthen the website before actually thinking any further.
H: Looking towards the future, what are the biggest challenges you face as a side as far as growth and continued development are concerned?
MB: Being able to dedicate time to this project is my biggest goal, personally. As for the team, I think we all want to keep Plug-In alive as long as possible and reach our initial goals on a bigger level, reach even more people and help them interact as much as possible. Ideally, I would like to work with a wider team, both in terms of number and localization. I’d also like to work with more specialized people, because we don’t all listen to music of all kinds, nor have highly developed communication skills and I think the more we’ll expand, the more we’ll feel this need. At the same time, we’re very proud we managed to make all of this work without major experience beforehand and the feeling of achievement would only be greater if we progress all by ourselves.
H: What is your personal career goal?
MB: I’m currently involved in a HRM degree. After my current internship, I’d like to work in that field at an international firm. Ideally, I’d love to conceal both my specialty and my love for music by working at a music-related company.
I can also consider after working and saving money for a few years, transiting exclusively into music and being my own boss but for now, I don’t have a concrete plan in mind but who knows what happens?
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
MB: I would like people to stop thinking it’s easy. I would like people to stop thinking bands are rich and owe them everything. In a perfect world, I’d also love to see the more deserving people succeed. In Europe, I’d like people to acknowledge the existence of great talents locally, the alternative scene to grow and expand so bands are able to play to more than two people and their tour mates.
H: It seems we have reached the end of our time together. Before I let you go, are there any final thoughts or observations that you would like to share with our readers?
MB: There’s one last thing I would like to add, indeed. If you’re really passionate about music and your absolute dream is to be part of it, then be confident, work hard and make it happen.
See that band you love? They all split their time between writing, rehearsals, promotion, jobs and their own personal issues but they didn’t give up because they didn’t have anymore time left to chill or to sleep and that’s what makes a difference between those who succeed and those who don’t. Regarding what I do, I’m tired of people thinking I have a lot of free time only because I run a website of this kind on a daily basis. The truth is that ever since I started Plug-In, I went through one full time internship, two university semesters and therefore two sessions of finals, a part time job and now another full time internship. Did I stop working for my website? No. Did I stop having a social life? No. Did I failed my education? No. To all these people complaining about having to go to school or whatever else any other human does anyway and not being able to fulfill their dreams my point is : have you even tried? I don’t think so.
You don’t go anywhere if you give up before even getting started. Be confident, be strong and get started, that’s the only way you can achieve your goals.
Also, thank you for reading this, I hope I caught the attention of at least a few of you. If you want to join us, you’re more than welcome to do so and details can be found somewhere above this.
And last but not least, thank you James and Haulix, keep up the great work!
Hello and welcome to the dawn of a brand new week. We have been planning and working on the content you will see posted in the coming days for the better part of the summer, and to be perfectly honest it is a bit of a relief to know they will all soon be shared with you. This blog exists to promote the future of the music industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your music-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
The internet has changed essentially every aspect of the music business. From the amount of time between an album’s recording and release, to the way news is distributed and the way artists engage with their fans, nothing is the same today as it was even a decade ago. As someone who lived through it all and can clearly remember the days before everything you ever wanted could be found online, I constantly find myself blown away by the amount of change and evolution that has taken place within my own lifetime. It seems anything is possible these days, as long as you’re willing to work for it of course, which is part of motivation behind my decision to feature a relatively unknown band by the name of Knuckle on the blog this afternoon.
About a week ago, I received an email that brought to my attention a new duo from the UK who call themselves Knuckle. The two piece, as the press release explained, met on Halloween night in 2013 and decided to launch a band not long after. Their first single, “Living Hell,” can be enjoyed below:
I don’t know what you felt when you were hearing the song above, but the first time it met my ears I immediately knew Knuckle were onto something great. I reached out for more material, but their publicist informed me the guys only had a few songs completed and were focusing on developing their presence before releasing more music. This is a common response given to people requesting unreleased music, especially when talking about newer artists, but the more I pondered on Knuckle’s need to gain further exposure the more I became fascinated with the way the industry has changed. The members of Knuckle met less than a year ago, but already they have played with internationally recognized groups (Little Barrie), recorded some great songs, and released their first music video. Call me crazy, but there was a time when achieving all that mean you had ‘made it’ in some small way.
Anyone old enough to drive in the United States no doubt has a decent memory of the world before social media. In those days, if your band formed in October you would probably have a minimum of six months, if not more before you began playing shows. As for recording, you either needed to do it yourself with whatever equipment you could find or save enough money to enter an actual studio, but in order to that you first needed to generate income through playing shows. As a result, it was not uncommon to see even the greatest new artists take a year or two or more to find their audience. There was no Twitter to turn to with every thought you have, nor Facebook to post tour dates on. Bands that wanted fans had to hit the pavement and promote. They had to create actual press kits and pay whatever ridiculous postage was charged to get those kits into the hands of every record label, music publication, and management team whose address was available to the public. You may have an EP out six months after forming, but it would not hold a candle to the quality or quantity of content being produced today.
The world has changed since then, however, and whether you think it’s for the better or for the worse there is no denying that we are able to discover new artists and the music they create easier today than ever before. The hard part, at least as far as artists are concerned, is turning that person who discovers their music into an actual, financially supportive fan. That is the place where Knuckle find themselves right now, and it was one of the many things we discussed when I had the opportunity to interview them at the end of last week. You can read highlights from our conversation below.
Knuckle will be working on new music well into the fall, but I expect another single will surface before snow starts to fall. Follow the band on Twitter and Facebook to stay updated on their latest activity. If you have any additional questions, please comment at the end of this post and we’ll do our best to get them answered.
H: Why, hello. It’s a pleasure to have you with us. Before we begin, would you please take a moment to introduce yourselves to our readers:
K: Hello there! We are Knuckle, a two piece from Huddersfield consisting Jonny Firth AKA Jonny the Girth (refers to his waistband and not penis width) on Lead Guitar and Lead Vocals and Ben Wallbanks AKA Ballwanks on Lead Drums.
H: Thank you, Ben and Jonny. We have been looking forward to this interview ever since we first heard “Living Hell.” Tell me, how has the response been to that single so far?
K: Pretty good. We’re really happy with the reviews and radio play we’ve had from it. People have started singing it back to us when we play it live which is a bit weird, but awesome.
H: After hearing the single I had to look up your story, and I must say I am a little blown away to learn that you have been together for less than a year. Would you please share your origin story with our readers? Bonus points for descriptions of the costumes I’m told you were wearing at the time:
K: We met on Halloween last year (2013) at a gig Ben was playing. Jonny was the support act. Ben was wearing a potato sack on his head, a rice sack on his torso and gold sparkly tights on his legs. Jonny was dressed as himself (like an American trucker). Picture of Ben enclosed. After that we got smashed, went to a reggae night and decided we should be called Knuckle
H: Had you ever crossed paths before that night, or was this a random first-time meeting? You must have shared mutual friends.
K: We’d probably crossed paths around Leeds or Huddersfield before but never seen each other, either that or we’ve met a few times and been too fucked to remember. At the Halloween gig we met through a mutual friend that plays in the same band as Ben and fixes Jonny’s amps (The Amp Shack, plug plug plug).
H: So, who was the first to say ‘Let’s start a band’?
K: Ben was the first one to mention it, as soon as Jonny got off stage at the Halloween gig. I think the exact words were “You play guitar like I play drums, we should be in a band”.
H: Before we talk about this project any further, we should probably learn a little bit about your history. What other groups, if any, have you been a part of?
K: Jonny has a one man band thing called Jonnythefirth and is in a band with two girls that he can never win arguments with called Crybabycry.
Ben has played in all sorts of shit, from an experimental 18 piece ensemble to Space funk band Kava Kava and many other rock bands along the way.
H: I have read a number of articles about your music, and it seems everyone has their own way of describing your sound. How do you explain the sound of Knuckle to people who have never encountered your music?
K: We throw all of sorts of genres at them hoping to get one right from garage blues to surf punk. We just baffle them with bollocks.
H: Along with releasing the single “Living Hell,” you also released a music video. What can you tell us about the creation of that clip? Just so you know, we’ll probably embed the video into this story, so feel free to be as descriptive as you like
K: We were very lucky to be able to work with Marco Zafffino who is an award winning film maker. We wanted a dark and dingy performance video, so we went to the pub… Just so happens they have a dark and dingy basement. Jonny wanted there to be freaky masks involved because he’s a bit strange like that, so we got a load of mates to wear some… then we got fucked (can you see a recurring theme here?).
H: You’ve already played with a number of internationally recognized acts, including Little Barrie. How did you go about setting up your first shows, and what has the reaction from crowds been like thus far?
K: Like we mentioned earlier, we’ve played in a few bands before this one and people seemed to be excited that we were starting a band together, so they booked us! Luckily most of the people loved it. Some people have walked out because we played too loud, but fuck ’em.
H: How would you describe your live show?
K: Raucous and unpredictable, mainly because we never practice! Some nights we decide to jam, sometimes Jonny jumps into the crowd or climbs on tables, sometimes there are shameless drum solos.
H: You’ve been a band for less than a year, and even though you kick a lot of ass the vast majority of music fans have yet to discover your music. What steps have you taken to get your name out there?
K: We’ve gigged and gigged and gigged this year, playing around 45 gigs in 6 months, sometimes we have 2 or 3 gigs in one day. We also try to keep our social media stuff interesting, funny and/or dirty. Getting as many features in blogs and on websites is always a priority too, Wall of Sound pr have helped us with this massively.
H: What is the hardest part about gaining recognition for your music in 2014? There seem to be many channels for sharing your work, but getting people to pay attention seems like another battle altogether.
K: I think he hardest part of getting recognition is cutting through the bullshit. It’s so easy and cheap for anyone to put their music online so there’s a lot of competition… Even us two idiots did it!
H: Do you have any advice to offer others who may be considering starting a band in an age where marketing an recognition mean more than ever before?
K: Start a band because you love it!
H: What are the biggest challenges facing Knuckle right now?
K: The biggest challenge right now is getting over this bastard of a hangover! After that, I think it’s still getting our music recognised and listened to. We’re a long way off being able to sell loads of records.
H: Do you have any goals for this project? Go on, be lofty!
K: We want to give up our shitty jobs!
H: What is the hardest part about being a musician in 2014? Best?
K: The best part is the same as it’s always been, playing live and getting that buzz that can’t be replicated. The hardest is like we mentioned earlier, being noticed in a sea of bands all trying to get the same thing.
H: Okay, I think I’ve taken up enough of your time. Before I let you go, do you have any final thoughts or observations that you would like to share with our readers?
A lot has been written about the supposed dire state of the music industry, but truth be told there are a number of successful and growing companies, including record labels, that are thriving in 2014. In this column we bring together every job opening we can find from the companies responsible for building the future of the business and present them to you, our reader, in hopes of aiding you on your journey to join the global music industry professional family.
Each Sunday we scour the internet for the latest and greatest job postings throughout the music industry. You can help us better serve our community by sending any job openings you find or have to james@haulix.com. Be sure to include the name of the company hiring, a detailed description of the position being offered, a desired start date, contact information, and any additional supplemental information you feel may be needed.
Job summary: We are seeking results-driven and self-motivated individuals in the public relations department to work daily with Executive team, media outlets and clients; in conjunction with the new media, marketing and production teams. As a member of the Marketing & Communications team, the successful candidate will be instrumental in executing the agencys media relations strategy.
Job summary: The promotions department works towards developing awareness and exposure for priority records through various mediums focusing on but not limited to radio. The department works with marketing, sales, publicity, and digital marketing, creating grass roots and national promotion strategies to garner airplay at key lifestyle, club, and radio outlets.
Job summary: Surfdog Records/Dave Kaplan Mgmt – an independent record label, artist management, publishing, and merchandising company based in Encinitas, CA is looking for a Production Manager/Art Director. This position will be responsible for overseeing all production needs and deadlines. Must be able to manage small team and problem solve. Will also oversee the company’s design needs, including branding, album art layout, web graphics and content, photo editing, and posters/advertisements. In addition, the position involves website upkeep, design and troubleshooting. The ideal candidate will be involved in the marketing and branding of a broad range of artists.
Job summary: Fearless Records (Pierce The Veil, Plain White T’s, Mayday Parade, At The Drive-in, Motionless in White) is in search of an experienced Administrative/Executive Assistant for full time work. This candidate will be responsible for assisting the management staff with priority focus on the needs of the Owner, President, Accounting, and A&R department, as well as oversight of administrative duties regarding the office needs as a whole. Experience in a fast paced office environment required. High energy and great people skills. Knowledgeable about our industry. Clean. Attention to detail. Maintain confidentiality in all aspects of client, staff, and agency information.
Job summary: The position of Sales & Marketing Coordinator creates and coordinates set-up, sales and marketing information from a wide variety of sources to give the sales team efficient tools that will help them increase revenue. The position also will directly support the iTunes Account Manager and the iTunes account, and will provide occasional support for the General Manager.
Job summary: OPB Radio is looking for a highly motivated public media professional to serve as our Weekend Edition Host/Announcer. The Host/Announcer prepares hourly newscasts, promotion, weather and occasional traffic and ensures program continuity for OPB’s radio network. OPB is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Job summary: Lionsgate is the leading next generation filmed entertainment studio and is a major producer and distributor of motion pictures, home entertainment, family entertainment, television programming, video-on-demand, and digitally delivered content. Lionsgate has an immediate opening for a TV Music Coordinator. The successful candidate will be a highly motivated self-starter with a positive attitude, who is extremely detail-oriented, with strong organizational skills and possess the ability to multi task in a fast-paced environment.
Job summary: Hollywood Sound Studios / The Mantra is looking for an experienced Assistant to the in-house Booking Agent. You will assist in booking bands 3-4 nights per week in our Studio A Performance space. Must have a strong grasp of the local music scene. Industry contacts are a must.
Job summary: Heavy Data Entry. Manual review and matching of song and release details using on-line research of song and release information. Manual entry and update of administration data within custom software database.
Job summary: The Waldwick School of Rock is searching for a dynamic employee who will assist our Director of Music and Operations to maintain the day-to-day tasks of a very busy music school! Our performance-driven programs are available to students of all ages, and we are looking for an outgoing, friendly, extremely organized person to maintain the front-end of the school. This is a full-time position: 40 hours/week + occasional event work.We operate Monday-Friday from 1:00 PM-9:00 PM and Saturdays from 11:00 AM-5:00 PM.
Job summary: Under general supervision with latitude for independent judgment and decision, this position is responsible for negotiations, research, clearance, and issuance of licenses to affected parties of Company owned or controlled copyrights for exploitation.
Job summary: Part time job. The AnonymoUS Initiative is an anti-bullying non-profit that aims to end bullying for people of all races, ages, demographics and orientations through art and activism — and is currently in search of MUSIC PRODUCERS for its second non-profit charity soundtrack.
Job summary: We need to find a stellar Music Coordinator ASAP. Really looking for someone who wants to be involved with music publishing/licensing/A&R. Candidates should have an outgoing personality, good people skills, an ear for what is current, technically savvy, and be extremely organized. If you have these qualifications, you could easily become a part of our team.
Job summary: KLVE is looking for its next on-air star! Are you an experienced host/entertainer with a background in radio? Do you understand and respect the importance of music flow, and intuitively understand where you fit in? Can you do your content on-air without stopping the music? Can you engage fans in social media, on the phone, on the web, and in person? Great energy is a must! Understanding intuitively how much is enough, and when is too much is also mandatory! We are casting a uniquely experienced, versatile and confident performer – someone plugged into today’s world of increasing choices and technology. If you can digitally edit audio, run a tight board, and are obsessive about pleasing listeners, clients and doing the details to win them over, then you must apply for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Job summary: 24/7 News Source has an immediate opening for a part time overnight News Anchor and Writer. Our ideal candidate has strong news broadcasting experience and is a seasoned veteran on-air who is able to multi-task and takes direction well. You will work in a fast-paced, challenging and friendly environment with career advancement opportunity.
Job summary: This position is for a very organized person with experience running projects in a studio environment. This person will be responsible for ensuring the timely creation and approval of an ongoing series of children’s songs. This person will be working with composers, lyricists, curriculum members and creative stakeholders. The right candidate has a firm yet friendly attitude that will help move the process along, and is creative, well-organized, and comfortable working within tight schedules and deadlines.
Job summary: Shazam is looking for a Director of Business Development to work closely with Product Management and drive strategic partnerships with mobile, social, web, and digital entertainment companies. If you have a proven track record in business development, a strong existing network and a passion for making incredible deals happen, come and talk to us. This is a newly created, Silicon Valley based role and will work as a Director of Business Development reporting into our VP for Business Development based in London. Networking will be your forte, as will having shrewd commercial acumen and the ability to create truly incredible partnerships that will help our business to grow. It’s a big job but the potential rewards are massive; your work will be used and enjoyed by millions of people all over the world.
Job summary: TuneIn is looking for a creative and talented copywriter to help us build our brand voice and bring it to all communications. We’re looking for someone who wants to have a hand in everything, from app copy to promotional campaigns to radio ads. This position will work directly with our product and design team to make sure the TuneIn voice is consistent across all communication. The ideal candidate will show experience writing innovative copy for a wide range of material.
Job summary: Howl at the Moon is looking for a Content Manager to work in their corporate headquarters in Chicago. The Content Manager is responsible for developing and managing the voice of Howl at the Moon. Working within the marketing team, the Content Manager will write, edit, and proofread all content for social media, blog posts, website, email newsletters, and print materials. The Content Manager will manage SEO and PPC efforts to increase web traffic through content creation, lead generating and campaign management. The ideal candidate should have experience managing online marketing and outreach campaigns and have an analytical and creative mindset. Day-to-day tasks require strong technical skills and the ability to work independently.
Job summary: PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc., is a leading designer and manufacturer of audio-recording software, hardware, and related accessories. PreSonus’ software, microphone preamps, signal processors, digital audio interfaces, mixers, control surfaces, and other products are used worldwide for recording, sound reinforcement, broadcast, sound design, and Internet audio. The Documentation Manager is responsible for the management of the documentation process for PreSonus software and hardware products, and will coordinate the writing/authoring, production and integration of printed or electronic user manuals, tutorials, web text, and quick-guides. This person must be a self-starter with audio domain experience capable of authoring high-level documentation as well as simultaneously managing outside resources with the ultimate goal of developing a complete documentation team over time. This person also needs to have good communication skills in order to communicate to multiple geographic locations throughout the organization and outside contractors.
Job summary: Musicians On Call (MOC) brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities across the country. The organization is currently looking for an assistant, who will report to the President and provide general support for other MOC staff members as directed by the President. The Assistant will work with the President on all aspects of MOC business from travel arrangements, meeting preparation, and office paperwork to researching partnerships, donor stewardship and managing relationships with other executives and celebrity partners. He/she will oversee the upkeep of the office, will be responsible for donation and event-related data entry, in addition to being involved in event preparation and follow-up. Familiarity with Salesforce is desired. The ideal candidate will possess exceptional communication skills, be highly organized, have a sharp eye for detail, maintain professionalism at all times and express a strong interest in learning about the nonprofit sector. This is a full-time position.
Thank you for joining us for another installment in our our ongoing Journalism Tips series. We started this column as a way to help aspiring writers get their start in music, but over the couple months we have been evolving into a place writers come to have their questions about life in the business answered. Today we are running a special editorial by our very own James Shotwell about the importance of collaboration. If you have any questions about developing as a writer/blogger in music, please do not hesitate email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
No man or woman is an island. You may believe you can do everything and be everywhere, but the hard truth is that there will eventually come a day when your best simply is not good enough. When those moments arise, and with the way the internet works today those times will likely come sooner than later, your best course of action is to seek out like-minded individuals with whom you can partner and collaborate. Maybe they join your site, maybe you join theirs, or maybe you both drop everything and start something brand new. Either way, there is strength in numbers, especially in the music industry.
So, what should you look for in your new counterpart? That’s a good question, and to be honest the true solution is likely different for every individual reading this article because every person has their own set of wants and needs when it comes to the people who could be their new collaborator. The simple answer, however, is that you want to find someone who compliments your established set of skills while still pushing you to do bigger and better things. You need to promote and support one another just as much as you challenge each other. This sounds a bit like I am describing a romantic relationship, but that is only because there is a shared sense of intimacy when two creative minds work together. Creativity comes from the deepest parts of who we are as people, and the ability to share that with another person in a space that is free of stern judgment is a rare gift.
I have been fortunate enough to know a number of people in my life I would consider great collaborators, but none have had the kind of motivational impact on me that followed my introduction to Mr. Jacob Tender. I believe I was on the cusp of twenty-four when I first stumbled across his writing, and at the time he was just beginning to plan what he would do after high school. He had a music blog though, and after my initial encounter time with his writing I knew there was something special about his work. I can still remember calling the other people who were helping me with my site at the time and telling them about the discovery I had made, as if he were some untapped talent that was just waiting for an opportunity to shine. Something inside told me I needed to know the person behind the words I had enjoyed reading, and within days of that first visit to his blog we were emailing back and forth about each other’s plans for the future. We shared a common love for music, that much was clear from the start, but as time went on we realized we shared a lot more than that as well. We were both inspired by similar things, both motivated to do more with our lives than anyone else we knew, and both willing to do whatever it took to make a name for ourselves in music despite the fact most people who knew our dreams thought they were crazy. It was as if I had found a brother I never knew I had, and before long he decided to leave his blog behind and join mine.
The next few years passed like a whirlwind. Jacob graduated high school and went on to enter college with a focus on music business while I graduated college and went on to enter the work force. We continued to refine our writing efforts and master the world of digital promotion, building the site from unknown music hub to internationally recognized entertainment outlet, and along the way we recruited a team of more than 30 contributors from around the globe. We covered music festivals, film festivals, music video shoots, studio sessions, and everything in between. Each move we made was made together, we discussed everything far in advance and worked collaboratively to position ourselves as well as we possibly could for growth and additional exposure. We also fought, but we never grew so upset with the other that one of us chose to walk away, though it’s likely we both thought about it from time to time. For me, however, it always seemed like we had come too far and were on the cusp of doing so many more great things that the minor disagreements were just that – minor. They came and went like rainy days, and our relationship always grew stronger as a result.
Earlier this year, Jacob expressed to me that he was ready to take the next step in his writing career and would be moving away from the site we had built in hopes of finding paid work within the music industry. I was heartbroken. Devastated, in fact, and if I am being completely honest there were a few days where I was downright furious about the whole thing. How could he just leave? We had spent all this time working together, and then he’s just done? Because of money? What the hell?
It was a good week before my brain came to the realization that Jacob was not moving on from me or our relationship, but that he was simply trying to grow as a person. He didn’t want to leave UTG because he was unhappy with me or unsatisfied with the work being done, but rather because he knew in order to chase his dreams further he had to find new opportunities that would be able offer financial support. I had been in that exact same place, and as a result knew exactly how he must have felt realizing that UTG could no longer be his home if he wanted to continue chasing the dream he had spent the last half decade working toward. I gathered all these thoughts and expressed them to Jacob. He understand, of course, because that’s just the kind of person he is. I lose my mind at the first sign of trouble while he contemplates approaching danger and formulates a plan for escape. We talked and talked for what felt like hours, and once it seemed like there was nothing left to say we began to plan his next move.
Fast forward to late March 2014 and I am in the midst of a lengthy phone interview with Jason McMahon, owner of Substream Magazine. We’re talking about the increasing embrace of digital media over physical when Jason mentions that he has a need for someone with the skills to help the company further their web presence. He doesn’t mention money at the time, but if I have learned anything about this industry over the last decade it’s that those who prove themselves capable handling a role that needs to be filled will find themselves making money in no time, so I finish our call and reach out to Jacob before another hour has passed. I tell him about the opportunity and suggest that he take a call with Jason to discuss his ideas for the company to see where things go. He agrees, we set up a call, and less than two weeks later he’s signing paperwork to become the magazine’s latest Editor of Digital Content.
Jacob and I still talk every day, but I will be the first to admit that we do not collaborate the way we did when we first met. That’s okay though, because the things we have experienced and learned together have motivated us to dream bigger and work harder than ever before, so that when our paths do cross there is much to discuss and even more to plan. I don’t know where either of us will end up in this life, but I know we will always have each other’s back, and that provides far more happiness than any sense of job security ever could.
The music industry is a fickle place, and as a result it’s easy for people to begin to feel like they are replaceable or otherwise useless in the grand scheme of things. Through collaboration with others we learn everyone is different and everyone has a role to play. Find people with abilities that compliment your own and work together to be a force for positive change in this business. Jobs may come and go, but relationships have the ability to last a lifetime. Never take that for granted.
I don’t know about you, but I woke this morning with a small spring in my step. The day greeted me with a cool breeze and plenty of sunshine, but something inside me told me the pleasant weather was not the source of my joy. I hopped in the showed and applying shampoo when it hit me: IT IS FRIDAY.
Each and every Friday we like to take a brief break from our regularly scheduled programming to update and reflect on everything happening at Haulix HQ. We are far more than a music blog, as many of you already know, and posts like this give us an opportunity to share more our efforts with all of you.
The past week has been pretty crazy around headquarters. We continued to promote our latest promotional video, as well as the recently unveiled profile system, but the task that took up the vast majority of our time was a new update we’re just about ready to share. Yes, the rumors no one started are completely true, Haulix has another big update coming in just a matter of days and we cannot wait to share the details with all of you. For now, however, we will simply tease the fact that this update deals with something that lies at the core of everything we do here at Haulix. Without it, our company would likely not have survived as long as it has, and with this latest update we hope to secure our position in the industry for many years still to come.
On the blog end of things, life has been passing us by at 200 miles per minute. I believe we have worked on more than two dozen new features this week, including eleven interviews with various industry professionals. We plan to run all of that content before the end of August, so you know there are a few crazy weeks ahead. Before we get there, however, we should reflect on the 10,000 words published in recent days. Here is a list of everything you may have missed while working away your week:
Hello and welcome to the final Advice column of the week. We did not set out to run a series of in-depth editorials over the last few days, but sometimes content develops in ways you never expected. For this particular piece, we became fascinated with the struggles of signed bands and wanted to shed a light on their troubles to help developing artists prepare for the realities of life in the music industry. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
Today I was scrolling through the latest music headlines when I stumbled across a post from my friends at Indie Vision Music that captured my imagination. I Am Empire, a relatively popular rock band signed with Solid State Records, shared a photo on their Facebook page showing a quarterly streaming royalties statement. The image, which you can view below, was not exactly the kind of thing rock and roll dreams are made of:
The band offered an explanation for the image on the original post:
“A glimpse into being an indie artist on an indie label. This I Am Empire royalty statement shows nearly 500,000 internet radio streams/plays on one quarterly statement. Total royalty paid from this portion. $.58 per band member. Spotify streams.. nearly 50,000 streams.. paid $3.35.”
Anyone who keeps an eye on industry news knows that photos of royalty payments like this are nothing new in the world of music, especially in the realm of hard rock. In January of this very year, Darkest Hour guitarist Mike Schleibaum shared a photo of a check for $0.01. “This is what we call, “BIG TIME!,” he wrote on Facebook. "Don’t worry..big news is coming but for now..we got to spend all this cash!”
If you’re an artist dreaming on one day making music your full time career, seeing images like this being shared by some of the biggest people in your preferred genre of music can be incredibly disheartening. People have been saying for years that the music industry is either dead or dying, but it’s a lot harder to brush off as nonsense when you see the types of payouts headline artists are being given on a regular basis. Life should never be about the money, of course, but people must be able to make a living in order to provide for their own basic needs (not to mention the needs of their family).
There is not a lot you can do in the immediate future to change the tide of streaming payouts, but I do believe that we will see that area of the business undergo several more evolutions before it’s more or less ‘figured out. The give and take between the companies responsible for the platform, the labels who signed the talent, and the talent themselves needs to be addressed in a big bad way. Again, that’s nothing you haven’t heard before, but that does not mean it will never happen at all. It will, but things like this take time. You must be patiently pro-active, or in other words doing whatever you can to make the best of things while the powers that be workout the ‘big idea’ stuff for the rest of us. Even if you’re not giving part of your proceeds to a label, the amount of money you’re earning off each stream is a fraction of what you deserve. You have a voice, so the I advice that you put it to use and make your frustrations known. Things won’t change over night, but every bit of fight certainly helps move things along.
You are not helpless or alone in the war against streaming payouts and the ever-shrinking revenue streams made available to artists. The struggle to make a living in music is as real for you as it is for your favorite musicians and the professionals who work with them (most of the time). You cannot change things right away, but you can promote the continued support of live music and ask fans to buy your music whenever possible. Most people do not understand the way streaming payouts work, and because of that fact they sometimes see no difference between buying a single on iTunes for a dollar or streaming that same song through their premium Spotify account. Be honest with them about the realities of streaming and some will come around to the notion it might not be the ‘industry savior’ so many have made it out to be. They will remember your message and make it a point to financially support you whenever possible. Others will never listen, but that’s just life.
The best thing you can do for yourself in this situation is to set an example for others to follow. Support music. Go to shows, buy albums, share photos of your vinyl, tweet at musicians, and do whatever else you can think of to get the point across that you not only love music, but you care about those responsible for making it. Others will notice your efforts and follow suit. If you’re in a band, this means they will follow and support you. It’s not exactly rocket science, but it may work wonders for your career.
Hello, everyone. Thank you for taking a few minutes out of your day to join us for a little music industry discussion. We were not planning to run this particular feature today, but life has a funny way of telling you what needs to be done when you least expect it (as you will soon learn). If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
I was halfway through an editorial on stage lighting today when a new post from our friend Anthony at The Needle Drop caught my attention. In the clip, a fan wrote to Anthony asking him about his thoughts on cell phone usage at shows, and what he remembers from attending performances before smart phones. I was both fascinated and made to feel extremely old by Anthony’s response, as I had never thought of my life as having been lived in an era now known as ‘pre-smart phone,’ but I was also incredibly intrigued by the notion that such technological advancements have forever changed the way people experience live music. Before I ramble on, however, it’s only right that I share Anthony’s video first:
Most people discuss concerts and the age smart phones by beginning with the issues it presents, so that might as well be where we begin too. It’s no great secret or shocking revelation that cell phones causes light pollution, and any setting where a lack of lighting is used to set the mood is almost instantly ruined by the use of phones. Movies theaters are a common place to encounter this problem, but it can apply to concerts as well. When you’re waiting for a headliner to go on and the venue finally drops the lights, what is the first thing you notice? Phones. Lots of them. It could be any date of the tour in any city and there are at least a few people in the crowd that feel they absolutely must have the first few moments captured on their phones. Why? Who cares! It’s [insert band] and they were there, that’s all the reason needed to block the view of whoever is seated/standing behind them. Do people even watch these videos? If they do, does anyone ever ask themselves why they tried to film a clip while jumping up and down and holding a beer cup with their teeth. or do they simply hit delete and move on with their lives, never giving a second thought to the impact their actions had on other concert attendees? I hope for the former, but I assume the latter is far more often the case.
It’s not just light pollution, however, because if it were there would be far less people constantly complaining. Light is the tip of the iceberg of problems people have discovered in the age of smart phones, and it’s followed by an endlessly updating juggernaut known as social media. Between tweeting updates from the show, sharing photos on Instagram, capturing videos and pictures for Snapchat, checking email, texting with friends, and ever so often ignoring a phone call it’s not uncommon to see several people spend entire performances with their fingers wrapped tightly around a little glowing rectangle that refuses to go dim. You may even hear them complain to their friends and family about a lack of 4G, or that their ‘phone’s battery totally sucks,’ even though it’s simultaneously running a dozen apps that each require different bits of information to be shared from the device, bounced off a satellite, received by a computer, sent back via satellite, and returned to the phone within fractions of a second. Stupid, lazy technology. Why can’t you be perfect already?
Anthony talks about this a bit in his video, but there was a time not too long ago when none of this was common place at concert venues. The first sixteen years of my life I attended shows without ever seeing people with phones in hand, and even when they began to appear it wasn’t until closer to 2010 that their presence reached a point that it was, at times, overwhelming. That said, there have always been assholes in this world, and I am willing to wager that as long as there have been concerts there have been those who go to shows for all the wrong reasons and end up ruining the experience for others. Before phones, some of the common complaints overheard at shows dealt with noise levels from other people’s conversations and the pseudo tough guys who felt they could only express their excitement about the show be attempting to start mosh pits that never full took off. Instead, those tough guys ran into people who didn’t want to be covered in other people’s sweat, which gave that stranger a story to then convey to all their drunken friends, thus causing the aforementioned noise problem.
The worst noise problem I ever encountered was the first time I saw the band Mewithoutyou following the release of their sophomore album. It was a great release, but far more subtle and atmospheric than their raucous debut. As a result, several people in the audience who came with hopes of hearing music worth mousing to found themselves faced with an evening of acoustic instruments and sing-a-longs. They were respectful at first, for the most part, but as the evening carried on the number of random conversations taking place throughout the crowd began to build, which in turn considerably raised the overall noise level. You could see the frustration on the band’s face, but they powered on as all great bands do, and the moments I was able to make out through the white noise of distracted concert goers was sublime.
Noise pollution is still a problem today, but often it takes a back seat to smartphones because people are too caught up in their glowing screens to attempt a conversation with anyone by their side. That is one unintentional bonus to peoples’ obsession with their phones, I guess, but nine times out of ten I would gladly take a few loud voices over a room of glowing phones. You may disagree, and that’s okay too. Link me to your blog on this very topic and I’ll share it.
I’m not sure the music world will ever find a solution to the problems caused by smartphones, but there are those in the industry who are trying their best to curve its impact on the overall concert experience. Neutral Milk Hotel, for example, asks fans to not film or photograph any part of their performance. People still do, of course, but the number of people doing so are far less than they would be in a situation where no one had asked anything of the audience. People can follow instructions, believe it or not, but it’s needs to be presented in a way that does not come across as being too stern or threatening. As an artist, you have the power to try and downplay phone usage through leveraging similar tactics, but at the end of the day people are going to behave however they please. Treat fans with respect and ask them to do the same for each other, you never know what might happen.
For those of you reading this who stand in crowds instead of performing on stage, you also have the power to make a difference in these situations. Bullying or otherwise taunting those who use their phones extensively will get you nowhere, but taking the time to politely ask those around you to put their phone away is completely fine. They might not listen, of course, and in some cases they may even say some rather nasty things to you, but at least you will have expressed your opinion on the matter. You can also try to get to the show early enough that the number of people between you and the stage is low, which in turn lessens the likelihood of phones blocking your view later in the night.
I do think it’s important to note that not all cell phone use is bad. Back in April I had the opportunity to see Miley Cyrus perform at TD Garden in Boston, and at one point in the evening she asked everyone to pull out their phones as a way of illuminating the room. The visual that created, as I witnessed thousands of tiny screens bouncing up and down to booming top 40 production, is one I will never forget. Similar effects can be achieved in smaller venues too.
Additionally, several artists have begun developing apps that can enhance an individual’s concert experience. Dan Deacon, for example, created an app that syncs with and responds to his live show. A video of that application in action can be viewed below:
There may be days when it seems smartphone technology has backed itself into a creative wall, but I think we have only scratched the surface of innovation as far as the crossover between music and the little devices we all carry in our pockets are concerned. The problems caused by cell phone use at shows is bothersome, yes, but the possibilities for how those phones could be used to better the future concert going experience is almost too enticing too resist. The best thing you can do is take it upon yourself to be conscious of your own phone usage and encourage others to do the same. Some will listen, others will not, but at least you will have made an effort to better the world for everyone else.
Hello again, everyone! We usually save our big company updates for the weekend, but given the size of this new feature we thought it best to give our latest expansion a post all its own. If you read our weekly recap last week you may already know what we’re about to discuss, but this explanation will be slightly more in-depth than before. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
One of the biggest concerns we have had in recent months when speaking with clients about their Haulix experience has been the fear of having their press contact information expire or otherwise become useless. You can only set aside so much time to update and reaffirm the information on your contact list, and as the the number of journalists you’re trying to reach grows it becomes increasingly difficult to manage.
We recognize the need for up to date information and easy database management, which is why we have created a new, state-of-the-art profile system that not only allows members of the press to see what labels have them listed as a contact, but also gives them the power to control what email addresses they are contacted at and who can contact them. When a member of the press changes their information that data is then updated on the contact page for every label that has that person listed as a contact.
To access the Profile screen, you must first access a Haulix promo. Once on that page, click the ‘Promos’ button at the top of the screen.
Next, enter your 4-digit code. If you do not have one, or if you think you may have forgotten yours, click the help button located below ‘Submit’ and you will be sent instructions on how to reset this part of your Haulix experience.
On the ‘Promos’ screen, click the ‘Profile’ button in the top left corner of the page. There may be red lettering that says ‘NEW’ next to the button.
Welcome to the ‘Profile’ page! Here you can reset your 4-digit passcode, verify alternate emails, and view a complete list of every label that has named you as a contact. All verifications require email confirmation, but those confirmation emails are sent immediately after each request is made. Unsubscribing, however, is immediate. [Emails omitted for privacy]
As I mentioned above, as soon as this information is verified your contact information will be updated in the database of every label and PR firm that has you listed as contact. It’s of the utmost importance that you double check the information on this screen before confirming it to be accurate. If anything is misspelled you may see an almost immediate change in the frequency of promos being sent your way.
We are always on the lookout for new ways to improve our platform and better your user experience. If you have questions about the profile system, or if you have suggestions on how further improve Haulix in the future, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts.
