Hello, everyone! Thank you for taking a few minutes from your hectic schedule to scroll through the latest content on our blog. Today’s feature just so happens to be the first interview of the month, and I think it sets the bar pretty high for everything that will follow.
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.
If you have been following the blog on a fairly regular basis over the last two months you have no doubt noticed a handful of guest columns contributed by a man known as Andrew Jones. We typically feature our guest writers through interviews ahead of their content’s debut, but Andrew’s schedule has been so hectic we ended up running his work before letting you know anything about the man who brought it all to life. Today, that long-awaited insight into the mind of the man behind Checkered Owl is ready to be shared.
Not long ago, Andrew Jones and I connected over the phone and spent thirty minutes discussion the music industry. Andrew told me about his childhood in Canada, his earliest memories of music, the years he spent making a name for himself in the states before heading back north, and beyond. We talked about his efforts to help independent artists gain the exposure they deserve, as well as the problems with the way labels and management groups approach working with talent today. You can read those thoughts, as well as comment on a number of additional topics, below.
The world needs more people like Andrew Jones. He is a brilliant and passionate music fan who puts the creative endeavors of the artists he supports before everything else. He’s setting the curve for how artist management will be handled in the future, and it’s an honor to share his journey up to this point with you today. If you would like to learn more about Andrew, please follow him on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: Before we begin, go ahead and introduce yourself.
A: Sure, my name is Andrew Jones and I run Checkered Owl Media. I do a mix of artist management, artist development, video production, and everything in between.
H: You wear a lot of hats.
A: I think that is the modern manager’s goal, to be able to handle whatever tasks are present. Sometimes you book a show and realize you need someone to do a poster design. It all ties together, so it’s all worth learning.
H: When you think about your earliest memories of music, what experiences come to mind?
A: I was always into music, but the first thing I clearly remember is being at a garage sale and finding a turntable. We took it home and my dad put on The Beatles’ White Album. I knew the band, but I had not experienced a lot of music in depth, and listening to that album just completely blew my mind. I fell in love with music in a big way, and it has been that way ever sense.
H: Do you remember your first concert?
A: My first concert was actually a local band. I don’t know how to pronounce their name, but it is spelled K-Y-R-I-E. They were a band that had members who just so happened to work with my dad and he took me to see their show.
H: When you say local, what are you referring to? Where are you from?
A: I’m from Alberta (Canada). Edmonton is the nearest place people may have heard of. I’ve been here most of my life, though I did spend a few years in Calgary and even worked in Nashville for a while. I’ve thought about going to the west coast, but haven’t gotten there yet.
H: We have not had many opportunities to speak to people from Canada about working in the music industry. Tell me, did you experience any kind of ‘lightbulb’ moment when you realized a life in music was the one for you?
A: I was in high school and I was playing in bands, but I eventually realized that I was not going to be the guy who grew up to play in bands professionally. I still wanted to be involved in music, so I decided to promote a show, and sense I was in high school and didn’t know any better I booked a national touring band called Thousand Foot Krutch. There were flights, a $5000 guarantee, and a huge venue to fill, but for whatever reason I don’t think their booking agent ever caught on to the fact I was 16. Luckily, things were really well. better than most first shows could hope to go, and from then on I was pretty much hooked on music.
H: I started in booking as well, but I only worked with local bands at first. Taking on all the responsibility associated with bigger productions must have been daunting, especially for someone your age.
A: I probably should have started with local bands (laughs), but I was 16 and did not know any better, so I went for it. I’m happy I did. There was a moment before the show when the sound and lights company explained they were double booked and had to pull out. I panicked, but it came together, and it was in that moment I learned that no matter what you have to do whatever has to be done in order to make sure shows happen.
H: Did you pursue any secondary education? Perhaps to study the music business?
A: I did go to college, but my degree is in Performing Arts.
H: That’s pretty close.
A: Mine was mostly in theater. You know, a mix of everything.
H: I’ve interviewed at least four publicists who have degrees in Performing Arts, so I think you’re in good company. Did you continue booking through college, or was it more off and on.
A: It was off and on for a while. I was eventually running a family theater program, and during that time I started booking heavily again. In college I had no money, so that had to wait until I could start working again. One of the bands that came up was fronted by Luke Dowler, who I now manage, and it was there that my journey in that area of the industry began.
H: What is the origin story behind Checkered Owl?
A: I’d been working from Nashville for about a year, and to be honest I was getting tired. I wanted to be more involved than my career as an agent would allow, so I decided to start my own Management group. I spoke with my wife about it, and together we came up with the name.
H: Is there a story or any kind of significance to the name Checkered Owl?
A: Not really. We liked that owls are up at night and the fact the industry is usually most active at night, but that’s about it. My wife thought of it, we both thought it was rad, and we decided then to run with it.
H: I think that was a good decision. Even in the last week there has been at least one occasion when the name crossed my mind and captured my imagination. It’s the kind of name that you want to know more about, even if you cannot explain why. Kudos for that.
A: I like that. Thanks.
H: The reason I wanted to talk to you about Checkered Owl is because I believe it’s built on an idea that many companies will begin to follow in the years to come. It’s not about doing one thing for artists, but doing as many things as you can under one roof.
A: That’s completely right. I think that as labels start to change in the years ahead that management groups are going to become hubs in the industry. Artists are pulling from a number of revenue streams these days, and as we move forward I want to create a place where we can handle a wide array of tasks for artists. If you have a management, publicist, and booking agent there is a lot of down time in those people’s various roles. What I want to do is create a place where all that is happening through one time. Working with artists to develop and grow their career.
H: There is a blog element to Checkered Owl that I also wanted to touch on. Could you tell us a bit about this part of your efforts and what you hope to accomplish through your content?
A: The goals are 1. To really help artists out and give them one more place to learn from a slightly different angle. Everyone has their own preferred writing style to learn from, and I just wanted to add my voice. 2. Is just to connect with artists and other in the industry. It’s a great way to network and meet other people in music.
H: What are your current career goals?
A: I would say my goal is to reach a place where I have all the tools needed to be able to help the artists I discover and want to work with.
H: That’s pretty selfless.
A: What can I say? I want to work with artists and help culture by giving it more of the art and creativity it needs.
H: What would you say is the biggest problem in the music industry today?
A: I think too often, and this is improving in recent times, but too often the business and creative side of the entertainment industry do not always jive as well as they should, and if they don’t the business side of things will take over. That is bad for art and bad for people, as well as bad for the industry over a long enough timeline.
H: Do you have anything in the immediate future should be checking out from you and Checkered Owl?
A: My artists all have releases in the coming months. I will also be releasing a music video from a country artists I am working. There will be more blogging too. I also offer artist consultations and lyric videos, so I’ll do those as well.
H: Thank you for talking to me today. It’s been great learning about your journey.
A: Thank you for the opportunity. I’m sure we will be in touch in the weeks ahead.
