Velvet Hammer Music And Management Group, a boutique artist management, record label and publishing company based in West Hollywood, CA, is looking to hire a full-time Digital Marketing Manager, who will report directly to the Senior Vice President and CEO.
Responsibilities include:
Working with executive management, record labels, and third party agencies to
strategize and develop digital marketing campaigns around the release of recorded music and tours for Velvet Hammer’s roster of clients, with an emphasis on driving sales and engagement.
Managing and growing social media properties and digital mailing lists for Velvet Hammer and its clients.
Project managing website and creative asset development for Velvet Hammer and its clients.
Staying abreast of best practices and current trends in social and digital media, as well as emerging technology, and selectively and appropriately incorporating these components into digital campaigns.
Pursuing and developing relationships with 3rd party partners, and strategizing and executing partner tie-ins and endorsements.
Tracking and reporting analytics for all web properties and campaigns.
Required Skills:
2-4 years experience in marketing or digital marketing.
Experience in managing social media for business and/or clients.
Music industry and direct, client-facing experience strongly preferred.
Strong verbal and written communication skills a must.
Technologically capable, with a strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, and working knowledge of Photoshop and HTML.
Ability to effectively manage a high volume workload, and thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment.
9014 Melrose Ave. West Hollywood, CA 90069 Tel (310) 657-6161 Fax (310) 657-0310
I woke up at 5 AM on a summer morning to the sound of rain pounding on my windowsill, building in intensity by the second. Two hours later, I arrived at Manhattan’s Webster Hall, armed with ponchos, umbrellas, and enough food to survive an apocalypse. Despite the torrential downpour, I took a rush hour train, navigated the subway system by myself for the first time, and walked in circles in NYC’s East Village just to sit outside of the venue for 12 hours.
Nobody seemed to understand. Passerby’s stared at me as I sat alone on a city sidewalk with the bitter wind chill and rain drops soaking through my clothes and into my skin. My mother called me every 20 minutes with a sense of worry and confusion in her voice, wondering why her child would do something so crazy. My friends rolled their eyes when I told them where I was…and they all asked, “Why?”
Why did I want to wait half a day to see the band PVRIS? It is because concerts give me the self-confidence that I have been unable to find in any other section of my life. Being in that crowded venue allots me a few hours to be myself, but the waiting in line and finding new friends can be just as exciting.
As the line wraps around the block, I share my ponchos with a few fans who soon become friends. The small talk slowly turns into conversations usually shared with best friends after months (maybe even years) as trust is built up. Before I know it, we are exchanging stories of middle school bullies who left us crying on the bathroom floor and how it fueled our internal fire to become better than those broken fragments.
Suddenly, all the weight on my shoulders is lifted. How is it that these people who were just strangers a little while ago are the reason I feel less alone? I can’t even begin to tell you about the relief that comes from knowing that someone else has fought off the same demons as yourself. The concert community taught me not to be ashamed of the nights I spent questioning who I was or the petty mistakes that I kept hidden in the depths of my chest. And to think, all this empowerment before I even step inside the venue!
Once the wave of darkness overtakes the sweaty room, the real magic happens. For me, this isn’t the music. It’s those brief moments in between where the drummer and guitarists are tuning their instruments and the vocalist has to entertain the rambunctious crowd. While I’ve had a plethora of amazing encounters during these fillers, a few have sent chills through my bones despite the blazing heat created by being in close contact with sweaty kids.
Since this all started with PVRIS, it only makes sense that I talk about Lynn Gunn. In a music scene lacking in female representation, Gunn is the much needed bright light–even though she wears only black–that will inspire a younger generation of girls to pick up a guitar. Watching her on stage, I am mesmerized. Not only by her impeccable vocals, but by the confidence she has in herself that somehow makes me feel just as secure in myself. As someone who has struggled with identity for way too many years, there’s some comfort in seeing an openly gay female musician proudly sing a song she wrote for her girlfriend (Love, Robot vocalist and fellow role model Alexa San Román.) People say it gets better, but I only actually felt the potential for things to improve after seeing someone who has probably gone through similar tribulations and emerged on the other side.
Speaking of “the other side,” I must also bring up Tonight Alive vocalist Jenna McDougall. Like Gunn, McDougall transforms a concert from a night filled with music into one of hope and fading feelings of self-doubt. She doesn’t use the lulls in a set to just interact with the crowd, but to inspire them. On the Future Hearts Tour this past spring, McDougall adopted a mantra: “From this day, I refuse to live in fear of someone else’s judgement.” I may have been to a few shows on that tour, but the words hit just as hard each time. When she repeats this phrase with passion and asks the audience to recite it back, I scream it while tuning out the world around me. It’s one thing to hear someone else say it, but hearing the sentence roll off my tongue actually makes me feel and believe every single word.
Before discovering concerts, I was always a quiet, soft-spoken kid who hated seeing that reflection in the mirror. Then music came crashing in and welcomed me into a new world where I was encouraged to wear those pizza converse my friends made fun of me for and where nobody cared who slept on the left side of my bed. From the petty to major things, concerts gave me the confidence take the person I was inside the venue and bring her into the light of day.
I will forever be grateful for the songs, band members, and music-obsessed friends who broke through my thick skin and pulled out a person I never knew existed. Because of these events, I can look at myself and smile, because I love me just the way I am and I no longer live in fear of anyone’s judgement.
Emma stumbled into the music journalism field when she saw an ad for a blog in need of writers. Since that day in January 2015, she has been a founding member of the team over at ShuffleBeatMusic, a blog that interviews musicians and reviews shows. While cataloguing the success of performers helps her to stay engaged in the scene, Emma’s dream is to some day be on the other side of the industry. A self-taught musician who plays drums, guitar, bass, and keys, she has just recently formed the band Heartless Bones and hopes to grace the stages of Warped Tour someday. Of course, there must always be a backup plan. Emma is currently studying Public Relations and music business at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. Wherever life leads her, it will always circle back to music.
If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.
Something dawned on me the other day that had admittedly crossed my mind about a billion times before without ever being given a second thought. We as consumers spend so much time talking about the songs that matter to us and why they hold such great meaning that we rarely ask the creators of the music what experiences lead them to create in the first place. The song that helped me get through my best friend dying last fall could very easily have been written by someone trying to get over a break up or deal with the fact they had to move away from everyone they loved. The reason for the materials’ creation may not mean as much to me as the material itself, but as all art is the product of experience it is important to try and appreciate what someone else was going through when they decided to lay pen to paper and form a melody with words mirroring feelings held deep within.
The reason this crossed my mind is because of a little known band called Sad And French. Last year, Sad And French released an incredible debut acoustic album through Black Numbers that was promoted through Haulix. The album was written following one member’s experience with a rough breakup, but when I heard the record lost love was the furthest thought from my mind. 2014 was, for me, a year of learning to take life by the reigns in spite of whatever negative bullshit may come my way. I have learned more about myself in the last year than I had in the half-decade prior, and a lot of my learning was the result of dealing with hardships. The Sad And French record came into my life at a time when I felt the weight of everything happening around me pulling me down, and if we’re being entirely honest I felt as if I were reaching the end of my rope. Depression had swept over me on like a ghost with a bone to pick, complete with fits where I felt unable to pull myself out of bed, but something in the music of Sad And French gave me hope. It wasn’t that music was uplifting in any way, but rather that the group seemed to thrive on wallowing in their mistakes. They dealt with what was bothering them by working through it rather than working around it, and I realized after several dozen listens I needed to do the same.
This week, Sad And French return with a new album released under their new name, Make War. The band’s music is now about much more than a single relationship, but the way their material works is very much the same. Make War, like Sad And French, thrives on pulling apart the bullshit of everyday life, examining it, and realizing that we as people are much more than any one moment in time. It’s not about moving on as much as it is making sense of everything that has happened, learning from it, and finding new ways to exist in the wake of everything we have gained from the experiences we have had. It’s beautiful, chaotic, and infectious all at once, and I cannot recommend enough that everyone finds time to experience the album in full. For now, here’s a little taste:
I chose Make War for this week’s Motivation Monday because I feel we could all learn something from the way this band chooses to deal with life. Growing up is not about shaking off the rough times in our youth, but rather learning to take things in stride and accept the fact we cannot control what comes our way. The best we can do is to face life head-on and give it everything we’ve got. If we fail, at least we tried, and that is still better than most.
Make War will be released August 28 via Black Numbers and can be pre-ordered here.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder ofAntique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.
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 2015. 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 week 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.
New openings:
INTERNSHIP Artist Management (New Age Media Management – NYC)
Job summary: NYC based New Age Media Management is currently seeking interns for the Fall 2015 semester. Candidates must be enrolled in college and able to receive college credit. Responsibilities include assisting in day to day tasks in areas including but not limited to management, marketing, public relations, social media and more. The right candidate will be self-motivated, detail oriented, hard working and most importantly have passion for music. All interested applicants should email acowsert@newagemm.com with ‘Fall 2015 Internship’ in the subject line.
Digital Marketing Manager (Velvet Hammer – Los Angeles)
Job summary: Velvet Hammer Music And Management Group, a boutique artist management, record label and publishing company based in West Hollywood, CA, is looking to hire a full-time Digital Marketing Manager, who will report directly to the Senior Vice President and CEO. Anyone interested in learning more about this position should contact info@velvethammer.net.
Job summary: trillfit is looking for interns for the Marketing and Events division. Events including, but not limited to the trillfit pop-up fitness series and other new brand partnerships and event series. trillfit’s events are aimed at young (20-34), active, urban audience who likes to workout. The fitness pop-ups are designed to attract key influencers and celebrities within the hip hop and wellness spaces.
Job summary: To direct, create and distribute world-class advertising and content that inspires a generation of passionate Beats followers. Build great work that gives Beats a powerful voice and drives business.
Job summary: The Programming Specialist, Digital Music will program owned and third-party playlists to get Red Bull Sound Select artists heard millions of times over, across leading and emerging music platforms. The Programming Specialist, Digital Music is responsible for choosing the best tracks and creating the best playlists for all of Red Bull Sound Select’s third party streaming partnerships, including: Soundcloud; Spotify; 8Tracks and more. He/She will have a through understanding of how and where consumers listen to digital music today. This person will ensure that the right Sound Select songs are delivered to the right consumers on the right platforms at the right time. Just like a DJ carefully curates his song catalog based on venue and audience, this role will expertly curate the Sound Select song catalog for each music platform to delight listeners every day.
Job summary: Want to help change the way music is sold and made working with some of the world’s top artists? Do you want to be the owner for groundbreaking products with a customer base that spans the globe? If you answered yes, you may be right for this opportunity
Job summary: Cornerstone Agency has an immediate opening for a Junior Music Publicist with 2-3 years minimum Public Relations experience in the music and entertainment industry. Candidates must be highly motivated with existing entertainment/music experience. We’re looking for a strategic, creative thinker who is pro-active, eager to learn and a self-starter with established media contacts.
Job summary: The department is looking for a qualified candidate to work as an assistant to the EVP of Marketing and Brand Solutions in our New York office. Ideal candidate must have a strong interest in marketing and making a career in the entertainment industry.
Job summary: Career Artist Management, a full service music management company, is seeking interns for the Fall. Department focus can be in Artist Management, Tour Marketing, or Digital Media. Interns need to be able to commit to at least two full days and must be able to receive school credit. Desired skills include being an AMAZING listener and learner, having a solid foundation of common sense, and being able to get tasks done quickly. Must be proficient with Microsoft Excel and Word for budgets and Itineraries. Career Artist Management is a subsidiary of Live Nation and part of their Artist Nation group. We have an average of 20 artists ranging from Super Stars to development acts. Come intern to learn how a major music management company runs.
Job summary: Enthusiastic, creative, self-motivated with passion for live music. Approx 15 hrs/wk. Assist w/ all marketing on & off line. Must have laptop, be internet savvy & have vast knowledge of social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…) Familiarity w/ Excel, Google, Spotify, Apple products. Graphic design a plus.
Job summary: LUCK Media & Marketing is a full-service boutique entertainment publicity and marketing firm seeking a full-time Jr. Publicist in the L.A. area with experience in music who is looking for an opportunity to learn and grow within the company, and work with exciting clients.
Job summary: Nabi Music Center is the only marketplace thriving to give families and children a chance to grow and explore new things musically. We are seeking someone to blog regularly and create unique resources to help drive leads, subscribers, awareness, and/or other important metrics (examples include ebooks, whitepapers, infographics, guides, templates, etc.).
Job summary: The Fader is looking for a dynamic and strategic Director of Marketing. This is a BIG opportunity for someone to make his or her mark in a successful and fast growing environment. Day-to-day responsibilities include building strong and lasting agency/client relationships, ensuring the performance of the marketing team and their ability to execute branded events and content programs and collaborating and influencing across departments to get buy in with out director authority.
Job summary: An appetite for engaging business owners, C-Level executives, marketing directors and advertising agency contacts is a prerequisite. Prospecting, cold-calling, effective client needs analysis, idea integration and proposal creation are all core competencies of an AMP account executive. Primary candidate characteristics include affability, strong work ethic, persistence and a competitive and positive attitude.
Job summary: We’re looking for amazing Account Managers to join our new video and non-music audio content team in New York and Los Angeles. Spotify has already connected millions of listeners to music and artists they love and now we want to give them news, information and entertainment shows for more moments of their lives. You will be the human connection point for our new content providers to all areas within Spotify to help create the most entertaining Spotify ever!
Job summary: We are looking for an Interactive Marketing Coordinator who is passionate about music, creative marketing, tech trends and analytics. In order to provide top-notch service to our clients, you will work with labels, artists and managers to conceptualize creative and compelling campaigns and then execute measurable initiatives in order to increase interaction, sales, views and subscribers for our clients.
Job summary: Music Box Films seeks an organized, enthusiastic Marketing & Publicity Coordinator. This position contributes to every facet of Music Box Films’ efforts to grow audiences and exposure for a robust slate of independent films, from acquisition through theatrical, home entertainment and digital releases. This position is ideal for a junior publicist seeking experience in entertainment marketing and publicity as a part of a fast-paced, exciting Chicago-based film company.
Job summary: Do you have a way with words that will make Miley Cyrus blush? If you can craft stories like whoa! and consider yourself an avant-garde alliteration aficionado, you may be just the person we’re looking for to join our talented team. You see, Crosley Brands is on the hunt for a copywriter to work directly with the Marketing Manager to develop, implement and manage the Crosley voice across our social media presence, websites, blog, PR campaigns, and other channels of communication.
Job summary: The Assistant, Business Development & Partnerships will provide administrative and organizational support to the Business Development team tasked with generated revenue via festival sponsorship, content monetization, and creative agency work. The BD team works diligently to develop deep relationships with bold and creative companies looking to impact culture. Our ideal candidate has previous administrative experience, is extremely detail oriented and organized, and has an infectious positive attitude! We are looking for someone who will excel in the role of Assistant with the desire to learn and grow within our team.
Job summary: STE is searching for a self-motivated individual who works well within the music/entertainment industry. We are a management and production company that prides itself on creativity and developing big ideas into even larger realities.
Job summary: The Reverb Marketing Campaign Manager will be responsible for organizing the marketing campaign schedule and implementing various components including email, print, social media, digital campaigns, and more. Reporting directly to the Reverb Brand Director, this staff member will work closely with graphic designers, content creators and other Marketing Team members to plan and execute ongoing campaigns.
Job summary: CBS Radio is looking for a Manager of Programming and Music Initiatives. This position works in a high-energy, fast paced environment assisting in the development, implementation and execution of integrated marketing programs and events . As a member of CBS Radio’s Programming department, you will provide support with research, content analysis, and communication related to all 117 radio stations. You will also facilitate the development, customization and fulfillment of the event sponsorship process, which includes timeline management, interdepartmental communication, and sponsor execution. The Manager serves as the point person between all departments at CBS Radio corporate and in the field including marketing, sales and programming departments, to ensure all marketing and sponsorship assets are delivered according to the pre-determined timeline, and in accordance with the programming and marketing vision for the event and/or program.
Job summary: Nonprofit Theatrical Ministry seeking marketing assistants to reach out to businesses and churches. Must be able to call businesses and churches to discuss group sales and playbill advertising. Reply to this post with information about yourself, resume, and contact information.
Job summary: IHM Boston is looking for on-air personalities for Boston’s NEW Hit Country station, 101.7 The Bull! We need vibrant personalities who get today’s new generation of country fans and understand how to tie it all together for New England. Excellent digital/social media skills required – self-starters with excellent hustle encouraged. Send an aircheck of course, but also include examples of how you promote your show, station and the lifestyle via digital/social, plus any favorite local promotions you have hosted or great marketing ideas you have executed. We want your vision of an air personality ON and OFF the air. Music scheduling background/knowledge and/or imaging, creative services skills a major plus.
Job summary: Townsquare Media of Buffalo is looking for a creative and highly organized individual to write radio commercials for all four of their radio stations.
Job summary: CLIO is currently seeking a Content Manager in our New York office. This role is responsible for creating content and strategy for social media channels and increase traffic and visibility. This is a relatively new and flexible position, and CLIO is seeking a candidate who will bring fresh ideas to the table.
Job summary: EarKandyRadio.com is an online internet radio station based out of Akron, OH. We have 100,000 listeners worldwide (as we are presently in over 140 different countries), and we’ve also had over 3 million hits to the website. We are expanding our market… So I need some marketing reps. You will sell printing services, marketing services, graphic services and advertising services to other businesses and music artists. You will be paid a percentage of all your sales. Paid weekly by PayPal.
Job summary: The Digital Project Manager/Producer will work with and manage a cross-functional team and will be ultimately responsible for the successful delivery of interactive (iPad and kiosk)/digital video (2D and 3D production and post production) projects. They must ensure that projects are delivered on-time and on budget according to defined scope, timeline and cost parameters. The Project Manager plans, schedules and controls all project activities toward these objectives while building positive professional relationships with clients and associates. As the account and creative team bridge, they will insert themselves at varying degrees into the project lifespan to ensure successful and collaborative completion. The Project manager understands the scope of work for every project and has the ability to adapt accordingly to ensure project delivery.
Job summary: SpinMedia Group, Inc. is a digital media company connecting entertainment and music fans to the content, communities and brands they love. You will be responsible for cultivating and maintaining relationships with business partners around the world.
Job summary: Facebook is seeking a seasoned Consumer Communications professional to support public relations campaigns and partnerships in broadcast and print media. The candidate should have strong consumer/entertainment media contacts—in print, broadcast and trade press outlets with a focus on entertainment and music. This person will work closely with Facebook’s entertainment team, internal communications organization, strategic partnership team, and our public content team to amplify proactive press campaigns on how public figures are using Facebook.
Job summary: Serve as a talent buyer and project manager working on talent acquisition locally and nationally. The role will require working with agents and managers to identify, negotiate and execute promotional agreements with a wide range of artists. Position is expected to coordinate with buyers locally and nationally to book content in to AEG Live preferred venues. The position will also require coordinating new AEG Live owned/operated venues with the talent and operational teams at the corporate office.
Job summary: The Client Support Representative will be responsible for providing customer service and support to our amazing clients, while working with our in-house sales team and outside vendors. The position reports to our Client Relations Manager. It is a full-time position located in Austin, Texas. You must be able to work a flexible schedule that will include day, night and weekend shifts.
Job summary: Assisting publicists with daily requests/projects in the field of publicity, including writing/editing press releases and bios, coordinating production of press mailings, coordinating materials for National and local television performances as well as press days.
Job summary: Under the supervision of the Director of Admissions Marketing and Communications and with a close “dotted line” relationship to the Associate Dean of Admissions Marketing and Recruiting, the Marketing Automation Manager oversees the administration of the Office of Admissions’ day-to-day use of Marketo to deliver timely, relevant email communications to prospective students, help optimize the effectiveness of marketing programs, and increase overall yield in key enrollment segments. Working in collaboration with Admissions Recruiting and Operations teams, this role oversees the use of automation to support integrated communication plans incorporating personal outreach, triggered actions, batch messages, and email engagement programs. As such, this position serves as Admission Marketing’s primary user of Salesforce, and will play an important part in helping Enrollment best manage the interrelationships between Marketo, Salesforce, and related technologies to support business objectives. The Marketing Automation Manager also is responsible for executing all email programs and reporting on both email response rates and marketing campaign results.
Job summary: We are looking for someone to be responsible for the complete creative vision of the company. We seek a person with the experience and talent to create a unified look for our brand across our website, platform, sales materials, etc. This is not a ‘from scratch’ situation. We need a craftsperson to come in, assimilate the best of what we do and help us keep our marketing brand at a very high level.
Job summary: The role of the Assistant Director of Choral Programs is to assist the Director of Choral Programs in the administration and direction of all choral groups and the Choral Program on campus.
Job summary: Under the supervision of the senior marketing staff and directly reporting to the Vice President of Marketing, this position entails general graphic design, digital media buying, and social media strategy.
Job summary: The Style Vibe is a start-up company seeking an artsy Social Media Marketing Assistant. This person should be passionate about creating marketing campaigns and have experience managing multiple social media accounts. We’re looking for someone with a lot of personality, drive, and passion. Duties will range from working with the Editor-in-Chief and, the editorial team to taking professional quality photos, creating short videos, communicating with readers, and covering events. While we offer on the job training, it is important that you begin willing to execute your creative ideas.
Job summary: The Performing Arts Outreach Coordinator is responsible for raising awareness of the Performing Arts Department and its activities in music, theatre, and dance at UMass Boston and beyond. The incumbent will be responsible for coordinating, facilitating and expanding marketing initiatives for the department by updating and maintaining web presence, including social media and by establishing and developing relationships with the community and performing arts programs to facilitate attendance at events. S/he will also be responsible for scheduling department performances and activities; updating and maintaining online sale of tickets for performance; and responding to ADA accommodation requests for performing arts events and performances.
Job summary: The Culture Marketing Specialist (CMS) is responsible for driving the development and execution of Culture Marketing programs, Culture events, identifying and supporting Third Party events and the tracking and managing of the use of multiple Red Bull marketing assets for the Business Unit (BU) as directed by the Culture Marketing Manager (CMM) and working closely with Culture Event Marketing Managers (CEMMs). The CMS will also serve as a project leader for selected Culture Marketing projects, interfacing with all key stakeholders to maximize the impact and leverage of assigned marketing properties to achieve targets. Responsibilities include all elements of project execution from concept, creative development, planning, execution and evaluation. This role will manage and coordinate agencies, partners and suppliers.
Job summary: We are moving from pioneering to leading via brand storytelling this is simple, visual and radical. We tell our stories in places and contexts that are bold, progressive and capable of carrying the brand story with conviction and clarity. Quality matters more than quantity. We are looking for a Campaign and Media Director for the AMPAC region that is passionate and ready to help us lead in this audio revolution.
Job summary: The iHeart Media Account Executive will identify and solicit new business; service and grow existing account. They are responsible for developing persuasive proposals in response to client needs and/or opportunities. They will guide their clients based on market, platform or station information. They are responsible for ensuring client satisfaction through cooperative communication. They will also negotiate rates consistent with iHeart Media operating goals and budgets and ensure prompt payment. They will utilize all available iHeart Media resources to create effective marketing campaigns.
Job summary: O-Town Music Group is seeking an Artist & Repitoire Manager. A&R Managers are creative people with good business skills and a solid understanding of the music marketplace. It is not enough to like the music, an A&R Manager needs an excellent knowledge of the contemporary music scene and to understand what sells.
Job summary: The Music/Production Coordinator reports to the Vice President for Artistic Administration. Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to scheduling and budgeting music events, as well as artist relations.
Job summary: The Administrative Assistant, Publicity is responsible for providing administrative support to the Publicity department at Columbia Records. The Assistant will help to ensure the efficient day-to-day operation of the Publicity department at Columbia Records by successfully accomplishing the following responsibilities:
Job summary: Independent music label seeking highly motivated publicist candidate with existing pr experience in the music industry This is a full time position to start soon. Candidate must be highly motivated, self-sufficient, pro-active, and a great communicator who possess the ability to think outside the box and is tenacious. The ideal candidate should be very social, have strong relationships with all forms of media including online, blogs, print and TV a must. Must come with a deep list of contacts and relationships. Must have a minimum of at least 7-10 years of full time experience and relationships in the entertainment pr field.
Job summary: Naxos of America is hiring a full-time Assistant Publicist in Franklin, TN. Our PR/Social Media team is based in our office near downtown Franklin TN, with our Director of Media Relations splitting time between NYC and Toronto. Our team handles all press and promotion, social media, media partnerships, and online branding/marketing campaigns for our very full schedule of releases.
Job summary: We are currently on the lookout for a dynamic content producer with a passion for music and culture that will support editorial team creating and producing digital content for a global lifestyle brand.
Job summary: The Promotions Assistant will assist in the execution of station events and promotions. The Promotions Assistant will interact with listeners at concerts, promotions and other events while representing the station in a professional manner. If you have an outgoing personality, love dealing with the public, and have a desire to get into the exciting career or radio this is the position for you. Assist Promotions and/or Marketing Director in executing station marketing and promotional initiatives. Oversees on-site promotional activities.
Job summary: IGA is currently searching to fill a new role in our A&R Administration and Business Affairs team. The position will perform a variety of duties, that will be providing key assistance to the Head of A&R Administration. The candidate for this job must liaise with all levels of departments at the label and corporate parent, including Business Affairs, Production, A&R, Marketing, Licensing, etc. to help assist with the release of music and videos by label artists. This position has a strong focus on clearances and problem solving, and doing the necessary work to help accomplish the goals of the label and its artists.
Job summary: Under the direct supervision of the Summer Programs Enrollment and Marketing Managers the Marketing and Communications Assistant coordinates front-line staff and secures complete and effective marketing programs. The position also fields tasks directly from Marketing and Communication Managers.
Job summary: This role requires the ability to quickly and effectively execute workflows in a fast paced environment and will report to the CEO and Senior Vice President. An existing list of music and lifestyle media contacts is required. Applicant must have strong communication skills and a high attention to detail.
Job summary: Primary duty is to develop and manage all station promotions and contests. Uses independent judgment and discretion to create; plan and oversee remote promotions. May Supervise and regularly direct the work of Promotions staff. May also function as a Marketing Director.
Job summary: The successful candidate will handle the scheduling, publicity, and on site production of events at Lang Concert Hall, and provide support for other Music Program performances and events in Lang Music Building. This includes publicity, audio/video setup, program production (layout, printing, and compilation of program notes), and the hiring of student workers (house manager, ushers, stage crew, technical crew) for each event. The Concert and Production Manager also maintains the space reservation calendar for Lang Music Building and works with faculty, staff, and students to find suitable spaces for rehearsals and events.The successful candidate will maintain space use guidelines for Lang Music Building. The Concert and Production Manager will coordinate with the Facilities department to schedule maintenance and upgrades to the building and with a piano technician to arrange maintenance of our instruments. The successful candidate will also attend a biweekly meeting with members of related departments on campus (hosted by Public Safety) to discuss upcoming events and coordinate space use.
Job summary: A not-for-profit organization, Music Before 1800 is the longest-running early music concert series in New York City, having presented vocal and instrumental chamber music at Corpus Christi Church for 40 years.
Job summary: The Publicity Assistant is responsible for providing confidential administrative support to the West Coast Publicity Development at RCA Records. The assistant is also responsible for ensuring the efficient day-to-day running of both departments; building and maintaining relationships with the artists, managers, press, production companies, as well as executives within the company.
Job summary: The Manager of Publicity will work full-time in our Weehawken, NJ office and alongside our music and comedy publicists on all campaigns. The ideal candidate should should be a strong writer, have 3-5 years of publicity experience in the entertainment industry, and have established relationships with journalists, editors, bloggers, bookers, etc. Applicants should be very detail-oriented, organized, and able to multi-task. A strong passion for music and comedy, as well as the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, energetic environment are a must.
Job summary: TrendKite helps PR professionals and agencies build a timely, highly accurate picture of their brands’ media coverage with ease. We are an innovative platform that is transforming how companies like BP, Pinterest, Campbell’s Soup, and CDC measure the impact of earned media. We are a venture backed, high traction startup that is disrupting a huge existing market.
Job summary: The Vice President, Customer Relationship Marketing is responsible for creating and planning integrated marketing programs that drive business growth through the entire consumer journey – email, direct mail, statements, websites, loyalty programs and social marketing. This person will be responsible for building and leading a team of experts in CRM and automation. In addition, the VP, CRM will implement direct marketing programs designed to generate the profitable acquisition of new customers.
Job summary: As an Artist Marketing Associate you will support marketing strategy and execution for the Artist Marketing Platform, Pandora’s artist-facing suite of insights, promotion tools and experiences. You will work with cross-functional team members from industry relations, events, corporate strategy, marketing, product management, design, engineering, communications, and more. We are seeking candidates with expertise in the music industry who possess exceptional skills in product marketing, go-to-market execution, communication and project management.
Job summary: Experienced agency/client engagement, B2B marketing + communications professional needed to execute various high-level client programs and other marketing initiatives within the Advertising Industry. Must have deep understanding of Advertising Industry and Agency Landscape. Reports into the Vice President of Client Relations + Industry Marketing.
You will be tasked with guiding our opportunity owners through the listing creation process, ensuring that each listing meets the quality standards we’ve set here at Sonicbids. You will be responsible for providing guidance through the listing creation process, and provide feedback to our product team to ensure the listing creation process is as efficient as possible.
Job summary: If you have a knack for forging consensus in a creative environment…If you’re a fearless, thick-skinned communicator who can defend your ideas in a group setting…If you’re an energetic self-starter who has superb time management and prioritizing skills……we want you to apply today! Consider joining the team that markets artist such as Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney and Miranda Lambert.
Job summary: The Creed Company is seeking a mid to high level Digital Marketing Manager to oversee social media presences of artist across the entire roster and develop, communicate and execute strategic digital campaigns.
On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell speaks with Burn Halo frontman James Hart about his band’s new album and state of rock music today. They also discuss Hart’s old band, Eighteen Visions, and whether or not they have plans to reunite in the future.
The music you hear in the intro to INSIDE MUSIC this week is Fuck You” from Burn Halo.
You may already know this, but ‘Inside Music’ is now available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.
Hello, everyone. Thank you for stopping by our blog. Whether it’s your first visit or your hundredth, we’re happy to have your attention. This is our weekly recap post, which runs every Friday, and in it we talk all things Haulix. Before we get there however, we like to share a song that has been on repeat in our offices this week. With the weekend only a few short hours away, this track will help you celebrate your impending freedom like no other. Enjoy:
As I mentioned above, each and every weekend 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.
DEVELOPMENT NEWS:
Work on our impending relaunch continues, but at this point we have no new information to share on the development front. We completed several new screens this week, as well as the drag and drop functionality of the new promo customization screens. Everything is coming along smoothly, so hopefully we will have new stills to show you soon. Stay tuned.
BLOG NEWS:
We are incredibly proud of this week’s content. I know we say that every few weeks, but something about the last five days has been incredibly special. Not only did we deliver a wide array of content, but we managed to cover a number of interesting subjects along the way, including feminism and the current state of mainstream rock and roll.
In case you missed anything, use the links below to catch up before a new week of content begins:
That’s all the content we have to share right now. Check in over the weekend for a new episode of INSIDE MUSIC featuring Burn Halo vocalist James Hart!
We spend a lot of time talking about the worlds of rock, pop, hip-hop, and even EDM, but there is a big world of music we have barely been able to scratch the surface of so far on the Haulix blog. It’s not that we don’t want to cover more areas, but we do want to be sure we know what we’re talking about. The content produced on this site is the result of direct experience, so if we’re going to post about something our team doesn’t fully grasp we’d rather find an outsider to come and write for us. The best content is created by the people most informed to write about that particular subject, after all, so when we knew we wanted to cover strong women in music we knew we needed to have classically-trained vocalist Erika Llyod help us out.
Erika Lloyd is a vocalist unlike any other we have featured on our blog. She has studied with world-renowned early music performers, earned a Bachelors of Voice Performance Early Music from Indiana University, and she was a featured soloist in the revered choral ensemble, Pro Arte. Erika’s work in cross-genre performance and composition led to the Grammy Award-winning ensemble, Chanticleer, arranging and performing Erika’s song, “Cells Planets” on its international 2010-2011 Out of This World Concert Tour . She’s an early music renaissance women if there ever was one, and there is still much she hopes to accomplish.
Along with her husband, Brad Whiteley, Erika has been able to hone in on a sound entirely her own that the world is quickly learning to love. Her debut album, Power, will arrive in stores September 18. You can view the lyric video for the title track below:
Erika recently penned a wonderful blog about powerful women in music, or the lack thereof, and we begged her to let us share it here on the blog. You can read here thoughts below.
If you would like to learn more about Erika Lloyd’s work, click here to visit her official website. Power arrives in stores September 18.
Feminism Through Song: Erika Lloyd Celebrates Powerful Women in Music
As I prepare for the September release of my debut solo album, “Power,” I’ve been enjoying digging in to the meaning and inspiration behind the album’s name and title of the first single. The word “power” has a lot of connotations both positive and negative, as well as a ton of different meanings, which made for an intriguing title. Influence, energy, capability, and strength are the positive meanings that I chose to reference in the song and recurring themes of the album.
Western classical music and musical theater are where I got my start in training and performance. I studied piano, trumpet, and voice, later receiving my Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Indiana University. In learning about the way music history was recorded, I noticed something peculiar. After taking seven semesters of music history classes, covering over 800 years of music, I can count the number of female composers discussed on one hand. Looking through collections of The Great American Songbook, I find only a few women’s names in the composer indexes. This is even true when studying anthologies of 19th and 20th century American folk, blues, and country music. In the 135 years of the Metropolitan Opera Company’s existence, they have only performed one opera written by a woman! This does not mean that women weren’t composing music all along, it was just attributed to men. Or, it wasn’t printed, distributed, or performed outside of the home at all, because it was written by women.
Okay, so many people know that women weren’t credited for their contributions to music hundreds of years ago. That’s totally in the past though, right? Nope. This year, it was misreported so many times that Björk’s recent album Vulnicura was produced solely by the man who co-produced it with her, that she put out a statement trying to correct the mistake. (This had happened regarding previous albums as well.) She was recently quoted in a Pitchfork interview explaining, “I learned—the hard way—that if I was going to get my ideas through, I was going to have to pretend that they—men—had the ideas.” The cultural roles of women only being up front singing, and men being the creators and shapers of the art form, were created long ago. They are not based in reality and yet, they are still widely accepted even by other women. This past fall, writer, performer, and engineer, Imogen Heap blogged about her false assumptions about Taylor Swift before co-writing “Clean” with her for 1989, “I had done what I HATE others do of me, which is to pre-judge a person based on assumptions. I had assumed Taylor didn’t write too much of her own music and was likely puppeteered by an ageing gang of music executives… How wrong was I?”
“Power” is not about all of the obstacles created because of sexism in the music industry though. It’s about all of the people who write, record, perform, arrange, produce, engineer, and tour in spite of them. I want to thank all of the female artists who make my life so much better with their music. They are 100% who they are and won’t compromise their artistic integrity for anyone: creating their own roles, on their own timelines, breaking boundaries, and changing the rules for the next generation. These artists are as vital, relevant, and as hip as they want to be at any age, with whatever gender identities they choose for themselves. In the “Power” lyric video I illustrated my top nine favorites: Grace Jones, Björk, Kate Bush, Nina Simone, PJ Harvey, Elizabeth Fraser, Joni Mitchell, Jane Siberry, and Tori Amos.
As a music teacher, I want all of my students to know that gender has absolutely nothing to do with creative capacity, intellect, knowledge, or skill. I want to celebrate the power of music and the musicians behind it at all levels of notoriety. I will leave you with one more quote from Björk’s Pitchfork interview, “You’re not just imagining things. It’s tough. Everything that a guy says once, you have to say five times… I definitely can feel the third or fourth feminist wave in the air, so maybe this is a good time to open that Pandora’s box a little bit and air it out.” We need to first acknowledge the unfair treatment of women in the music industry, and then join our powerful influences in the quest for proper recognition and equality by doing what we do best: making and sharing great music with each other. Now, that’s power.
Some say life is for the living, but in order to truly live I believe life is for the dreamers. The creative people who put no limits on their exploration of the world around them, who take risks when others would play it safe, they are the ones who truly live. They accept that their perception of reality differs from everyone else and they embrace it. They find a way to hold a mirror to their soul and they show it to the world. Things don’t always work out the way they desire, but when their body is lowered into the ground and people throw dirt on their coffin they can rest knowing they tried. When everyone else turned back, they forged ahead and embraced whoever they felt they were meant to be.
This brings me to Rivers Of Nihil, otherwise known as the Metal Blade Records artist you should probably be listening to, but for some reason haven’t gotten around to completely devoting your life to just yet. Their new album Monarchy drops this Friday, August 21, and it is absolutely killer. The growth from The Conscious Seed Of Light to now is undeniable from the very beginning, and the evolution in storytelling, not to mention technical skill, is downright jaw-dropping. We have been jamming the album around HQ for the last several weeks, but you can get a taste right now using this handy stream:
Rivers Of Nihil are at a pivotal point in their career. They are largely a support band in the world of touring, making very little to open for large bands while hoping their brand builds to the point they can one day headline. This means every show is as much about selling the new album as it is simply trying to make people give a shit. That’s a tough balance to manage, especially when your new album is the second in a planned four-part concept album that takes place in a reality that is nothing like the world we know today. Somehow, the band is pulling it off, and with each round of live dates their recognition in metal seems to further develop. We believe they are the future of heavy music, and we know they’re reaching that point by being entirely themselves.
Recently, Rivers Of Nihil bassist Adam Biggs hopped on the phone with us to discuss Monarchy, touring, and the state of metal today. It was a fascinating conversation that shed light on the band’s work in the studio, as well as their hopes and goals for the future. They know they have big plans, but they’re determined to make them. You can read highlights from our conversation below.
H: Monarchy is a great record. I’d love to talk a bit about the concept behind the album, as well as the outside influences that added to its final sound. You have a story that runs through your catalog, but I’ve read there was also a lot of real life influence on this album. Can you shed a little light on the creation of this record for us?
AB: Great question. You’re actually talking to the right guy about this because I’m the guy who writes 90% of the lyrics. The influence from Brody is based on the actual music itself. Brody has always written the majority of our music and I think you can really hear him dealing with some personal struggles as the album progresses. That’s where his role in this album’s sound comes into play.
As for the story of the record, it’s kind of a complicated plot, but it continues a thread that was started on The Conscious Seed Of Light. That album dealt with a bunch of stories from different people who inhabited this planet throughout history as they ascended into a state where they are one with their planet. They become this voice, the conscious seed of the planet. At the end of the record everything unravels when a solar flare kills the majority of life on the planet. Now, millions of years later, there is a new race of life developing on that planet, and that is the story we are telling with this record.
H: I love big concepts. You are essentially the member of the band responsible for maintaining the narrative found within your albums, as well as our ability to follow it. Can you tell us about the challenges you face in telling a story as big and unique as this through music?
AB: It has admittedly been kind of a bumpy road as far as that is concerned. On our first record, there were a few songs I felt really served the narrative well, but there were also tracks from our first EPs thrown in that kind of diluted the story. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted from a concept album, but with this one we got a lot closer. We were able to start from scratch musically, and before we wrote anything I knew the direction I wanted to take with the story. I knew the title, I knew the story I wanted to tell, and I was able to present to the band up front. Brody is going to write what he’s going to write. I don’t rule with an iron fist or anything, but I do tell everyone where I feel certain things need to go in order to tell the story or set a certain mood. I think things worked our pretty well with this record.
H: Could not agree more. I have to say, my favorite part of the record is the middle. The concept as a whole works, but I think you find your stride somewhere around “Ancestral, I.”
AB: Interesting. I was initially worried that part of the record may be a bit too close to death metal for our fans, but what I’ve heard from people who have the record already is the opposite. They seem to dig the heavy stuff, and once the album starts to pull back a bit they go along with it. That kind of feedback is really sick.
H: Is there anything behind the title Monarchy? I have to say, I expected another title along the lines of The Conscious Seed Of Light.
AB: Originally, the title I had in mind was ‘The Monarchy Of The Sun,” which is pretty much the tag line from the title track. I decided to draw back a little bit though, just because I liked the idea of having something short and percussive. Monarchy. Bam. There it is.
It ties into the concept as well. The people living in this society have a Monarchy, and throughout the album we detail the way they live their lives. Hopefully people pick up on that (laughs).
H: I was actually going to bring up the sun because he appears in your new video. How did you manage to wrangle the most popular star in our galaxy to appear in the footage?
AB: You know, we just sent him an email. We told him we appreciated his work and wanted him to appear, and thankfully he got back to us.
H: Did he hang out at all?
AB: Yea, he hung out on set all day. I gave him a high five and it pretty much torched my hand. He had to leave at one point to heat the other side of the planet, but we understood.
H: Let’s talk about the single a bit. What lead you to choose “Sand Baptism” as the track to promote the new album?
AB: From pretty much the first time I heard that song, even in instrumental form, I was telling everyone it was the one we needed to share with people. Something about it just clicks.
H: When it comes to bringing the new material and story elements into the live show, what can fans expect to see this fall? There is something awesome about catching you live because there is a story being shared, and before now your shows basically shared that story without issue because there was only one album of material to pull from. The new album adds more songs, which I imagine only complicates your ability to tell a clear story in a live setting. Is that something you concern yourself with much right now while on the road?
AB: Most of the sets and tours we are doing right now are support slots. That kind of thing is something I want to work on in the future. Maybe after the story is completed we can do something to commemorate our work before moving on to the next thing, but for now when you catch us live you’ll see a collection of tracks from both records.
H: That makes sense for a band in your position. Right now it’s about getting people to care at al. Once that happens, then you can share your story.
AB: Exactly. Once we’re in a position to make a production out of it we will see what happens. Until then, we just want to put on a great show.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder ofAntique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.
A little over a month ago my website lost its Facebook page after seven years of uninterrupted, yet slowly dissolving free exposure on the world’s largest social networking platform. I wrote about the incident on this very blog roughly six weeks back. Many of you reached out with words of support, and I want you to know those emails and tweets brought a smile to my face. Others reached out with suggestions for potential resurrection, but after many unreturned emails and calls I was ultimately forced to launch a new page instead. Goodbye 7 years of content-sharing and audience insight. Goodbye 10,000+ Likes.
I wish so badly that I could tell you that a month without the increasingly limited free exposure offered through Facebook pages to people who have already requested to see the things we post didn’t impact our traffic, but that would be a lie. Facebook may have lowered the per post exposure for all pages year over year since Pages launched, but it remains a vital platform for content exposure. We can complain about the changes the company has made to its UI and policies, and we often should, but as long as Facebook has a stranglehold over the vast majority of social media users it’s going to be a place every brand worth its weight in salt needs to be. This is undeniably true if your brand only exists online. The enormity of the battle for clicks is literally impossible to grasp, and it is essentially impossible to build any kind of following or recognition without direct connection to people on a user-to-user basis through apps and platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, etc.
Within the first week of my site being removed from Facebook I noticed a 40% slide in our traffic and I 60% decline in our shares. I’ve put a lot of work into our SEO over the last few years, so we were able to stay afloat with a steady flow of timely articles and features, but try as we might to leverage our other social media platforms there were none that could come close to the kind of clicks we had received from our presence on FB. Twitter was the best of the bunch, with Tumblr not far behind, but their numbers were only a fraction of what we would typically see from our Facebook engagements.
By the end of the month, those traffic stats had declined further to 45% lower than the month-to-month site average for 2015. The site was tanking, and to make matters worse it often felt like no one could hear our cries for help because again – we had no presence in the place where everyone talks about things. Staff shared their posts on their own networks, but no one wants to post a link to every story they write every day in their personal feeds, and more importantly no one reading those feeds cared for the sudden rise in entertainment news coming from a non-brand oriented channel. Hopes sank. Posts slowed. Things looked dim.
After much deliberation, a new page was created on Facebook. It felt weird walking through the process all over again, but I knew it was a necessary step to reclaiming the traffic and reach we once had. The response was overwhelming. As soon as the page was live, I wrote a quick update alerting people to the removal of our old page, and within minutes the Likes began flowing in. By the end of the first night we had over 700 Likes in total. It was a far cry from the 10K we had known a month before, but the fact anyone still gave a crap was enough to humble me a hundred times over.
If I learned anything from all of this it’s that Facebook, good or bad, is still a dominant force in content sharing. Whether you like to admit it or not, your wittiest blog post is only as good as the amount of people it can be exposed to, and right now there are few platforms making it easier to share content with targeted audiences than Facebook. I also learned that true followers and friends do exist. They number far fewer than your analytics may lead you to believe, but they do indeed exist. They are rooting for you. They depend on you. They are fighting the good fight right alongside you.
A question I often ask students and conferences when speaking on the road is whether or not anyone can name a music blog they organically visit every day. More often than not there are a handful of hands in the air, and if time permits I will ask those individuals to promote the sites they frequent, but the vast majority of people I’ve encountered on my journeys claim to love music sites far more than they directly support them. People, and I mean that in a very general sense, find their news through social media. They learn through the brands they follow and the friends whose timelines have yet to be hidden. If you want to reach new readers, or in some cases any readers at all, you need to have a presence on social media. It’s that simple.
What worries me, and I guess what inspired me to write this update in the first place, is the thought that we may no longer be able to develop news and opinion brands without the help of social media. The sharing capabilities provided by these platforms make them a necessary tool for promotion, yes, but have we crossed a threshold where people no longer commit the vast majority of URLs to memory? I think of the days and nights I spent reading copies of Alternative Press and Rolling Stone over and over again in my bedroom. I cherished those moments. I didn’t want to read just any magazine. I wanted to read the magazines that spoke to me and I supported them to make that happen. I want someone to be as excited about the writing my team and I are creating as I was reading physical publications all those years ago, but I don’t know that such a thing is possible. It’s not the end of the world if it’s not, but it would break my heart.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.
One of the big inspirations behind the launched our Blogger Spotlight series was a shared desire amongst all our employees to highlight the individuals who have taken on the responsibility of keeping everyone informed on the latest and greatest music available today. We’ve found that music bloggers, for the most part, live in the shadows of our business. They post the articles you enjoy and promote the bands you depend on to make it through the week, but nine times out of ten you probably don’t even know their real name. Some don’t even make their real names public. Our goals with this column is to commend bloggers for their hard work, as well as learn about the motivation behind their dedication to keeping people informed about the music community at large, and I can think of no person more deserving of acknowledgment right now than Chris Hampton II.
If you’re an active member of the alternative music community there is only a slim chance you have yet to encounter Chris Hampton’s work. He’s the guy who found himself attending Warped Tour the same morning news broke that Front Porch Step, an artist accused of sexual misconduct with fans who are/were minors, would be playing an unannounced set on the very tour that had removed him from their lineup months prior. Chris could have easily gone about his day as if it were any other and enjoyed the bands he came to see, but instead Chris took it upon himself to be the eyes and ears for concerned music fans and professionals around the globe. He followed the developments around FPS’ appearance, captured video of his time on stage, and made it a point to keep a constant eye on his feeds for questions or information requests from followers. He did more to bring attention to the Front Porch Step controversy in one afternoon than many had been able to do in month, and I know on that day we needed to bring Chris and his journey in music to the Haulix blog.
Today, about six weeks after that busy day, I’m proud and excited to finally share a lengthy conversation with Chris about his work with you, The Haulix Daily reader. Chris is much more than the day he spend covering Front Porch Step, and in the interview that follows we dig into his long history in music, as well as his hopes for the future of his career. I think there is something for everyone to take away from the experiences Chris has shared, and I hope you feel the same as you read our discussion. If you want more from Chris, click here to follow him on Twitter.
H: Hello, Chris. Will you please help us begin by telling our readers a few places where your work can be found?
C: My home on the internet is switchbitchnoise.com and most of my writing is published there.
H: I first discovered your writing through Twitter, actually. Have you found that to be true for others?
C: It’s pretty interesting that you mention that because I feel that’s how I connect with most people. Twitter is a fun place and can also be pretty great for making that first contact. I’ve gained a lot of clients and gotten a lot of work through Twitter connections–I’ve also been turned on to some great music and found a few breaking stories based on Twitter connections. It’s a great, short-form medium that can lead to some substantial relationships.
H: It’s funny how the age of social media has changed the way we discover things. I’m sure someone shared an article of yours, or maybe we followed one another and I learned about your work from there. Either way, I’m happy it worked out. How long have you been writing?
C: Hey, I’m glad we’ve connected as well! I’ve been a fan/user of Haulix for a bit and I really enjoy your work. I’ve been writing seriously since 2006. In high school I was involved with the school newspaper and had a zine that I distributed to my friends. In college I studied History; a subject which involves a great deal of intense writing and research. I also had an underground newspaper that I started with one of my best friends. I did not get involved music journalism until very recently…probably around 2013. That’s around the time SwitchBitch Noise was started. I was able to get in with a bunch of people I really respect, including my “mentor” of sorts, Mike Abusio.
H: Do you have an idols or people you look to as inspiration for giving the world of writing a chance?
C: Absolutely. I’ve always obsessed over the intellectual circle that took part in the French Resistance during World War II. Those guys didn’t have conventional weapons but they use the power of information to take every shot they could at a really oppressive, evil thing. They found the way to remain objective in their purpose and reporting without being disconnected or apathetic. I used to have this portrait in my office when I was younger of Albert Camus, that’s a guy I really respect.
Gerard Way is another big inspiration for me. My Chemical Romance has been and will always be one of my favorite bands. I really appreciate the stance that band took on a lot of issues that seem to still plague the scene today; however, what sticks with me the most is how Gerard has always stayed true to himself and really let his creative energy define who he is and what he does. Having idols can be a be cheesey, especially when you are getting older and you see some the less-than-favorable traits they possessed. I think it’s important to accept that our past, especially our interests and idols, sets the stage for who we become but they don’t have to define us forever.
H: You are a part of the SwitchBitch Records family, which I guess may fall under the heading of your ‘main job.’ Can you tell us a bit about your role with the company?
C: I was actually part of a band that was signed to SwitchBitch Records in 2013, “Ramsey.” Touring and music play a smaller part of my life right now but I’ve been a touring musician since I was 5 years old. Mike really took me under his wing and taught me so much about the music industry. He’s helped me, in so many ways, accomplish the goals I set for myself. It’s interesting you used the word “family” because that is what most accurately defines SwitchBitch Records. Everyone works together as a team. After my band broke up I was in a strange limbo, like most musicians are when that sort of thing happens, and SwitchBitch helped me find role. We started SwitchBitch Noise as fun project but I feel it’s quickly turning into something more substantial.
H: Your career in writing has really been taking off in 2015, thanks in no small part to your role in sharing Front Porch Step’s return to Warped Tour with the world. You were on site the day FPS performed in Nashville earlier this summer, and it was your video that made the rounds on essentially every music blog in existence. Can you tell us a bit about that day, how everything developed, and how you felt about the way things unfolded in the days following the release of the video?
C: Warped Tour in Nashville was a complete mess this year. I think it took me over an hour to find the production/catering area on the fairgrounds, even after asking staff and security. The rain made everyone pretty miserable and when it rains in Nashville it almost always floods. Most of my interviews were cancelled that day due to the weather moving or suspending set times. I was actually informed through twitter of the rumor that Front Porch Step was playing in the Acoustic Basement. A few people reached out to me to tweet photos to confirm this, so I did. I spoke with Danielle, Warped’s PR liaison this year, to confirm and she did only to add that Front Porch Step would not be available for press and that Kevin was not making a comment on the issue.
I was aware of the controversy surrounding Jake and felt a bit concerned about his presence. I made an attempt to speak with Kevin, not as a member of the press pool but as someone who has been apart of the tour as patron for many years and has played at Warped Tour in the past as a musician. This was also declined. I understand Kevin had other issues to deal with that day and I don’t hold that against him; I have always respected what he brings to the music community. What did concern me was the laissez attitude toward the incident in the aftermath. I knew that this was going to be a big issue because of the way that society is more rapidly becoming of aware of these social concerns that were always swept under the rug before. I feel concerned because of the damage it has done to the Warped Tour brand and that some people have turned this into a “witch hunt.” I really would never wish harm on Jake Mcelfresh; although, I would say that there are a lot of issues which remain unaddressed about his situation and that needs to be corrected.
H: When you were on the ground, did you have any idea your perspective on the events of that day would be used and reinterpreted by people around the world? Did you think you were the only one on top of the story?
C: I had no idea that I would receive any attention, at all. I was very surprised to see that my twitter feed was being published on Alt Press and that Billboard Magazine was asking to interview me regarding the situation. I thought I had just posted some photos and videos and the issue would move into the hands of more major players in music journalism. I certainly did not cover the story thinking that I would become an object of interest and I felt I remained objective in my writing and reporting on the issue.
H: What kind of blow back or criticism, if any, did you receive from your coverage of the FPS events?
C: I received minor criticism from some anonymous posts who managed to find my tumblr blog (which is essentially nothing but pictures of cats and Gerard Way) but I did feel that most of the people who supported Jake being on Warped Tour had the prescience that their opinion would not be well received by the majority of people within the scene and the music community. Unexpectedly, I did receive a word of caution from my current employer–one of the primary sponsors of Warped Tour–that I should not speak too harshly in public about Warped Tour or Kevin. As of yet this has not affected my job. It has affected a few people I know in incredibly negative ways and I certainly feel the least disparaged. I am either unaware of most of the criticism or I haven’t received any serious criticism. I feel badly for those that have and hope that they will be encouraged by the positive response to speak out and know there will be support for them.
H: Your role in the FPS story extends beyond Nashville. Can you tell us a bit about what came next?
C: I feel that the root of the issue–why Front Porch Step playing Warped Tour was such a big concern and why other, similar incidents in the scene remain unaddressed–is that there is a lack of personal accountability for one’s actions. We live, as we previously talked about, in a society driven by social media and that can be very problematic because it creates an air of competition and selfishness in areas of life that are about community. I found myself in a position to be of benefit to some people and I used that opportunity to do what I could to make my environment a better and, what I feel is a safer, place. I won’t go into any specifics regarding my involvement or what happened after Warped Tour because that is not my story to tell, but I have been able to speak with Autumn Lavis as a result of this situation. Kevin Lyman made a challenge though his twitter account to come up with solutions rather than lodge complaints. We have coordinated with various music industry professionals and women’s groups in Nashville and in other cities to discuss possible solutions to this and other issues that exist at Warped Tour and virtually every venue and green room you can think of.
H: Some may say you’ve smeared the lines between yourself and your story. Would you say that is true? You have become a pretty integral character in certain events.
C: I think there is a different in remaining objective in reporting and apathetic on an issue that affects so many people. My duty to the world around me outweighs my duty to a publication and I do not feel that this should be a controversial issue on which to voice an opinion. My original story did not contain any opinions, nor did I inject them in so many of the tweets that were published and the videos I posted. I felt it very important to have an objective record so that others would be able to see this event and form their own opinion. I would never use some of the platforms that I’ve been given to spread my opinions because I feel that is insincere. Most of the “blurring” has been in my personal life. There are parts of this story that I do not talk about because it is not for me to tell, regardless of my involvement. It is equally important to know when your silence on an issue allows a more informed voice to be heard and your actions can make a bigger statement by allowing a space for that perspective to be recognized than writing or speaking on an issue.
H: I believe you are more than this one story/summer, so I don’t want to spend all our time talking about it. Before we move on however, I would like to know what you would like to see happen within the scene as far as people taking action against sexual misconduct and the perpetrators of it are concerned.
C: Well, I am working on that. I can’t speak for every perspective and I certainly would never try to represent the women and, let’s be honest about what they are, children who have been wronged as an authority on the female perspective. Autumn and I have been consulting with pretty much anyone that will offer an insightful opinion on the issue. I have been speaking with a lot of music industry professionals in Nashville, including some bands that have had a major presence at Warped Tour over the years, to gather real ideas that can be turned into simple, tangible solutions for the specific issues that Warped Tour has had and to hold the right people accountable. I would love to have Kevin take this idea seriously and to speak to him about it. I think that’s a start to fixing a serious problem. I think it also runs much deeper than Warped Tour. What an ideal solution looks like, to me, begins with education and is one where we hold the right people accountable without any unnecessary crossfire.
H: I know you didn’t expect to be as involved with FPS as you have been, but have you started to think about what you next big bit of coverage might be?
C: Nashville is my home right now and I’ve become increasingly attached to this city. I’m looking to find the right ways to get involved and bring a degree of serious writing about ethics in music industry. You can never accurately predict where you are going to end up, especially when it comes to music journalism, but I would love to see my writing become part of a bigger movement to effect positive change. Whatever I’m doing next, I hope it allows me to help other people as much as I would be help myself.
H: After a summer as busy as yours, I’m curious what goals you’ve set for the fall. Do you have anyone you wish to work with? Stories you feel need to be told?
C: I think there’s still a bigger story concerning Warped Tour and what Warped Tour 2016 is going to look like. I would love to be apart of that dialogue. I would also like to find the person or group of people who would be interested in speaking on an regular basis more broadly on the landscape of the industry as so many big names and professionals clamor to find “the new model.”
H: At the end of the day, what is your goal as a writer? How about as an industry professional?
C: My goal is always to speak the truth and to always be true to my own feelings. Sometimes you have to separate those two desires; although, that doesn’t mean the two ideals cannot exist in the same person. There are times where one may have to give way and in that case, I hope that honesty always comes forward in the most obvious way. As an industry professional I try to be as equitable as possible and give as many opportunities to the real artists who try to make something more than a product. I really admire and respect those who work so hard to let their inner voice ring out.
H: As someone who has worked on stories big and small, what advice would you give to those reading this who may be considering a career in music or music journalism?
C: If you are considering a career in music my advice would be to learn how to balance the projects you are passionate and those projects which allow you to have the means to seriously focus on what you are passionate about. If you are looking to go into music journalism I really encourage you to take it as seriously as you would any historical publication or more “scholarly” look. Make sure there is more substance to what you are saying that style.
H: You’ve also worked with a lot of artists, so do you have any advice for them?
C: Stay true to your passions and never stop growing. Never downplay the importance of community and know that reputation is easier to lose than it is to gain.
H: I’m a big fan of your work, Chris, and I’m excited to see where you go next with your coverage. Tell me, where do you see yourself in a year? How about in five years?
C: Ideally I see myself able to focus more solely on the issues I am passionate about. I would love to find a way to marry my love for touring and my more recent role as a writer. In five years? I just hope to be still working in the industry I love and mentoring others in the way that I’ve been mentored.
H: That’s all I have for now. Before we go, are there any additional thoughts or observations that you would like to share with our readers?
C: If you ever feel like you could be creating more, you are probably right. Ryan Adams is about to put out his 7th release in 2015 and that simultaneously blows my mind and intimidates me.
