Hello, everyone! Welcome to the beginning of a new week here on the official blog of Haulix. We are thrilled to know you have chosen to spend a few minutes of your time with us. The content you are about to read has been in the works for well over a week, and we promise it will not disappoint.
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.
We try our absolute best to scour the internet on a regular basis in search of the latest and greatest blogs producing eye-catching content. More often than not these efforts help us discover the writers who later appear on this blog, but every now and then a person comes along who takes it upon themselves to bring their efforts to our attention. This past week that person was named Lav Nandlall, and today we are excited to share her journey in music with you.
I’ll admit to never having heard of Lav Nandlall before receiving her interview request to speak with Haulix founder, Matt Brown, at the end of July. I was immediately taken by the name of her blog, Heavy Metal Duchess, and knew right away we would have to highlight her work on our site when time allowed. Lav completed her interview with Matt a little over a week ago, and not long after she also made time to interview me (James). Once that was complete, we turned the tables and asked Lav to share her experiences with us. The results of that conversation can be found below.
Lav still has a lot to learn about life in the music industry, but she’s doing everything she possibly can to position herself for success in this business over the long term. Read her motivations and plans below, then ask yourself what you can do to improve your own standing in today’s music business. If you have any questions or thoughts you wish to add, please leave them in the comments section at the end of this post.
H: Hello! Before we begin, please take a moment and introduce yourself to our readers:
LN: Hi! My name is Lav Nandlall and I’m a freelance writer.
H: Thanks for joining us, Lav. I’ve never had the opportunity to interview someone who has previously interviewed me. It’s a little weird. Is this a first time crossover for you as well?
LN: This is a bit weird. Just like you, I’m the one who asks the questions. To be on the other side of the canon is strange.
H: Well I am incredibly grateful for your interest in Haulix, which is what initially brought your work to my attention, but I must admit I’ve become a fan of your work in general sense we first met. Tell me, do you remember the first time you thought about trying to make a career out of writing?
LN: Thanks, James! A little back story here: I have an older brother who emancipated my family when I was about 10 years old. Since then, I was the only child in my family and neighbourhood. To keep myself occupied, I began reading voraciously. I started writing plays too. I begged my parents to buy me a video camera and started making home videos using my plays. I found a lot of comfort in writing. I could create multiple characters, places and scenarios. When I was almost graduating high school I stated that I wanted to venture in journalism because I had never forgotten my love for words.
So, that is why I went about with a career in writing.
H: Let’s take it back a little bit further. When you think of your earliest encounters with music, what comes to mind?
LN: My parents had some Beatles and Jimi Hendrix records lying around the house amongst the Lata Mangeshkar and Bollywood pop.
I must have been around 14 years old when I developed my own taste in music.
A kid from my class bootlegged CD’s and sold them for $2 each. I asked the kid if he could make an Avril Lavigne CD for me. He agreed and handed it to me the next day. When I got home that afternoon, I realized that the kid gave me the wrong CD. Instead of Avril Lavigne, I was listening to something else. Those guitars, drums and vocals gave me goose bumps. I never heard anything like that before. I couldn’t decide if it was good or bad. It was new, fascinating and inviting. It was Pantera!
That was my gateway drug to heavy metal and I never turned back.
H: Do you recall the first album you purchased with your own money? Bonus points for the format and the reason why you bought it in the first place.
LN: Guess that rules out the Backstreet Boys. My first genuine jewel case album purchase was “Fragile” by Saron Gas (now known as Seether). I saw them play a few hours before that in a dingy back room with a red door. Their set was hyped and I was blown away. I also overheard somebody in the crowd say “Saron Gas are Nirvana influenced” and so my hunt began for a Nirvana album.
H: Okay, last bit of history before moving onto your career – First concert experience? Go on, tell us an early ‘fan girl’ story:
LN: I was fortunate to go to many small pub shows in the middle of nowhere, South Africa. However, my first amphitheatre style concert was in my first year of university. I went to see a band called The Parlotones. At the time, The Parlotones were big in the South African pop music charts and were carving their way to international success. After the show, a friend and I spent the night partying with The Parlotones and their crew. I do remember making an oath with the band saying that one day I’ll be the best band manager in South Africa. If that didn’t happen then I shall buy them a chicken and mayonnaise pie. Now that I mentioned it, I owe them that chicken and mayonnaise pie!
H: Okay, back to writing. We already covered when you first thought about writing, but when did you actually get your start? If you kept diaries or journals that’s one thing, but I’m curious about your first writing for someone else, or at least for an audience.
LN: In 2010, I was living in Germany. The winter was a bit harsh and I spent most of my evenings indoors. Everyone I knew had a blog of some sort. So to keep myself occupied at night, I started a blog called Air Guitar. The aim was to write about heavy metal from around the globe. I was definitely inspired by Sam Dunn’s documentary Global Metal. The blog took off (after a few months) and people started noticing. I was soon “poached” by Raymond Westland (former Chief Editor of Ghost Cult magazine) to write for a few of his projects. Raymond was my first editor and I learned a lot in terms of style, deadlines and target audience.
H: Do you remember what some of those first posts were about? Why did you choose to begin with them?
LN: My English teacher once said, “Write about what you know and the rest will fall into place”. That is exactly what I did on my first posts for Air Guitar. I visited several festivals in Europe that summer so I could write from my own experiences and share it with others. I also wrote about heavy metal in different countries using the viewpoint of a traveller.
H: You studied English and Art in college. Was writing a motivation behind that decision?
LN: Absolutely. I aspired to be a journalist. Living a cocooned lifestyle makes you think anything is possible and it’s easy. However, the outside world taught me otherwise. An ‘aspiration to be anything’ is not enough. Passion can only get you so far and the rest is about how well one can hustle.
English and Art are difficult on tertiary level and I worked hard to earn the credits. It does feel like a slap across the face knowing that most companies and businesses don’t value English and/or Art graduates.
H: We go back and forth on this topic a lot, but how do you feel your time in college aided you in becoming prepared to enter the music business – if at all? Would you suggest others who want to work in music go to school? If not, why did you?
LN: If I could construct a time machine, I would go back to the day I picked an expensive Arts university to study a degree that cannot feed an individual. You don’t need a fancy degree. If you want to be a writer then don’t go to journalism school. If you want to be a good writer, write. If you want to be a better writer, read. If you are worried about grammar and spelling, use that brown covered book your teacher handed to you in fourth grade. That book is gold because they don’t make them like they used to.
If you get into Berklee then that is excellent! If you don’t get accepted start making lunch plans with music industry professionals. Find someone who does the job you want to do and take them out to lunch. Talk to them. Really talk to them and find out all the nitty gritty. Swap contacts, make friends and keep promises. It will save you from being in academic debt and it forces you to learn on the spot.
H: Did you write for any websites before launching your own? If so, what lead you to step out on your own?
LN: Air Guitar was my baby that I abandoned because it was too demanding. Since then, I wrote for several music-related websites before launching Heavy Metal Duchess this year. Some of my work is archived on thisisnotascene.com, MusicReview.co.za, themusic.com.au, metalobsession.net and heavymag.com
The decision to step out into blogging again is partly due to something I read in The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin. A few months back, I was office based and it felt routine, tight and quite frankly boring. I quit that scenario to move forward. I needed to explore, let go and try my hand at full-time freelancing. I managed to get a few freelance writing gigs and now I have time for a blog too.
H: Your site, which I cannot believe I haven’t mentioned before this point, is called The Heavy Metal Duchess. I assume you are the duchess, but what is the origin story behind the name?
LN: Correct! I am indeed the Duchess. Playing dress-up and collecting vintage items is a bit of a hobby of mine that went slightly out of hand. My friend mentioned to me that I look like I stepped out of the 50’s waiting to meet Her Majesty. It got me thinking that heavy metal and royalty can work side by side. I’m no queen but I’m certainly the duchess that drinks tea and listens to heavy metal.
H: What were your goals in launching this site, and how have they changed in the time since your first post went live?
LN: To be honest with you, I had none. Then I found a post on Haulix about blogging goals which changed my view in seconds. Now it’s more about starting a conversation with the people that read Heavy Metal Duchess. The content does not have to be controversial but it must be quality and open the floor to new questions or opinions. The art of conversation is often sandwiched between assumption and ignorance.
H: How would you describe the content found on Heavy Metal Duchess to someone who has never visited the site before?
LN: The blog contains fragments of the Heavy Metal Duchess herself. It has a bit of my voice in there, my favourite things, influential people and the unsettling nerves of freelance writing.
H: What are the three reasons people should visit your site on a regular basis?
LN: It’s honest, real and relatable. Readers are invited into my world and I’m trying to fix myself in their memory through words. If I made you think, speak or act upon something then my efforts are rewarded.
H: A lot of aspiring professionals launch blogs to build their recognition in the industry, but you’ve taken things one step further and added a ‘Hire Me’ tab to the top of your site. Has that been there since launch? Have you received any feedback or job offers through the site yet?
LN: I picked up that idea from Seth Werkheiser. (Thanks Seth!)
I put it there to see if it worked or not. The CV attached to the ‘Hire Me’ tab is in a Buzzfeed format. I dislike Buzzfeed and more so their click-bait journalism. I believe content is key. However, the mocking Buzzfeed CV did work. I got a small time writing gig for vintageshopper.com and it is right up my alley too.
H: In addition to that page, you also have a portfolio page that is updated regularly. What platform do you use for your portfolio, and what advice would you give other up and coming writers on cataloguing their older material?
LN: I’m using Issuu. There are several ways available to keep an online portfolio. Online portfolios are easy to access and can be edited or updated easily. Gone are the days of paper trails.
It keeps things neat and whenever I am asked for a portfolio, I simply send the link to a prospective client. Writers should have some sort of cataloguing not only for prospective work but also to reflect on. In retrospect, every piece written should be reworked twice more from different angles for different outlets.
H: I’ve noticed there are no ads on your site at this point in time. Do you have any plans to add them in the future? Do you have any additional plans to create potential revenue streams through the blog?
LN: Advertisements in general frustrate me. If the blog grows then I will create potential revenue by placing tasteful advertisements.
At the moment, I’m snooping around companies for advertising on a joint project with UK-based writer, Mark Angel Brandt. We are co-founders of Broken Amp magazine, a music-related website with print intentions. Both of us are in the midst of behind-the-scene work as launch date is edging closer and closer. We find that music journalism is getting stale and tacky. So, we are taking a chance to stand up, stand out and make a difference.
H: If you could offer one piece of advice to aspiring industry professionals, what would it be?
LN: Good question. I used to say this to all the bands I managed: Always have back-up plans.
H: How about bands? What’s one thing you’ve learned about this business that may help developing artists spread their brand?
LN: When I managed bands, I learned that their musical talent counted very little towards their success. Some tips that I gathered over the years came from paying attention to people who have been there and done it.
1. Touring on the road and selling merchandise is just as important as chart success.
2. Have some musician etiquette (no matter how big or limited the band is) because being an ethical human-being can get you far in life.
3. Research. Learn more about management, social media, recording, labels and platforms that will push the band forward.
H: I know you don’t do a lot of reviews, but when you do receive records for feature consideration are there any streaming services/platforms you prefer PR outlets to use?
LN: Haulix is preferred. I’ve been using Haulix for the past three years and most of the websites that I have written for use Haulix too. It is efficient and of course, highly recommended.
H: What is your current career goal, and what are the biggest challenges you face in attempting to achieve it?
LN: My current goal is to be a full-time writer. At the moment that is what I do but not on the level I would like to do it at. When I took on a writing job about crime, rape and Oscar Pistorious – I knew that hard news is not the journalism I want to be in. It pays the important bills. Music journalism isn’t big in South Africa. There is a small market but it is not valued or rewarded.
H: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Where do you think the industry will be in that time?
LN: In 10 years time, I’ll be older and that’s a fact. Other than that, I hope to achieve something with Heavy Metal Duchess and Broken Amp. Perhaps a book published too. The music industry is currently shifting so hopefully in a few years time, it has cut-out the middle man and put money into the artists’ pockets. Clearly, I’m an optimist. In terms of music journalism, I would like to see writers being paid for high-quality music criticism. Crafting a critique takes time and research. It’s a skill and it should be remunerated.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry today, what would it be and why?
LN: Like every avenue of entertainment, music journalism has had its place in the industry. However, the quality of writing has dropped dramatically since the Internet opened a platform for everyone to write, and an uncountable number of blogs sprang up, multiplying like flies and buzzing around like them too. Everybody started claiming they were a writer, from Lester Bangs’ wannabes through star-struck fans to shrewd click-baiters. We (Mark Angel Brandt and I) want to restore the reputation of music journalism. As I mentioned, we are working on launching Broken Amp magazine. This venture is designed to collect together some of the best writers out there, and publish consistently high quality content. No more hit-and-miss where stunning feature articles sit next to shoddy throwaway pieces. Just interesting and engaging writing. We also aim to rejuvenate the alternative music scenes, specifically rock, punk and metal. Due to a number of factors, of which the Internet is definitely one, there has been a seismic shift from active participation in your scenes to passively consuming it. Through a variety of methods, we are looking to reintroduce fans to the scene, and get them engaging with it again; whether it is in discussions, or going to concerts, buying merchandise from bands that deserve attention. This last bit is crucial, and leads me onto my next point. Music journalism, and particularly online music journalism, has quite frankly degenerated into circle-jerking over the same big names, or jumping on bandwagons of new releases that are soon left to rot when the next big thing comes along. In the mainstream conscious, particularly in metal, there seems to be less of a focus on sniffing out the truly interesting and ground-breaking bands, or shining a spotlight on scenes that deserve attention. We intend to focus our energy on these bands: rather than interviewing the same musicians on the same topics, we want to pick either new topics or new musicians. No more tired rigmarole of describing the writing process of each new album, no more wooden structures of questions where you know exactly where the interview is headed before you reach the halfway point. No more reviews that feel like a PR wrote them, no more articles that look like copy-pasting of press releases. Away with all those corners cut, and a return to high quality, consistent and reliable writing that we as journalists and you as fans can be proud of.
Of course, we are not stopping at print and are going to focus on being proactive too. All shall be revealed soon when Broken Amp launches later this year.
H: That covers everything (I think). Before I let you go, are there any final thoughts or observations you wish to share? The floor is yours…
LN: My upbringing revolved around organized religion. Even though I’m no longer a part of it, there is this saying from the Bhagavad Gita that helped encourage me and hopefully anybody that reads this:
“It’s better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection.”
The last thing I want to add is, enjoy rejection. It helps you grow.
Thank you for having me on the Haulix blog, James!
