Riding high on the success of his band’s debut album, Dead Poet Society’s Jack Underkofler talks all things promotion on Inside Music.
The music industry at large is trying incredibly hard to ignore the reality of the present day. The world is changing faster than ever, and the methods of promotion that worked as recently as early 2020 are no longer reliable. We live in a new world that demands creative thinking that, frankly, many seem too afraid or too insecure to attempt.
But the fact remains that people still want new music, and many are hoping to discover the next song or artist that can change their lives. The musicians and labels willing to try anything to reach those curious listeners are in a position for massive success, and Dead Poet Society is doing everything they can to seize the moment.
-!-, Dead Poet Society’s Spinefarm Records debut album, hit stores in February 2021. The alt-rock release serves as the culmination of nearly a decade spent writing, recording, touring, and grinding as hard as anyone can to make the band’s name known. Its existence is a testament to what happens when people fully commit to their craft, and it’s quickly turning heads throughout the rock community while other acts sit on the industry sidelines.
In this episode of Inside Music, Dead Poet Society member Jack Underkofler chats with James Shotwell about the journey behind -!-. He recounts how a fan in Mexico gave the band an international stage and how a move from Boston to Los Angeles put the group in a position to reach mainstream success. Jack also shares what he’s learned about promoting music in a post-COVID world. Check it out:
High Notes, the world’s first addiction and recovery podcast set in the music industry, returns in March.
Today – Tuesday, February 23, 2021 – Haulix.com, the music industry standard for promotional distribution, announces an exciting content development partnership with leading independent record label Season of Mist. The two long-running and successful music companies are joining forces to create a mini-season of HIGH NOTES, the critically-acclaimed and first of its kind podcast about addiction and recovery in the music industry. The new episodes will debut in March on all streaming platforms. https://linktr.ee/highnotes
“We at Season of Mist are extremely thankful for the meaningful work that James and Haulix are doing with High Notes,” says Katy Irizarry, North American Publicist for Season of Mist. “We are so proud of our artists and friends of the label who came together to share their addiction and recovery stories, a feat that requires much courage as there is still a dark stigma attached to this often misunderstood illness. We hope to help erase that stigma and, more importantly, that these stories will help those who are struggling to know they are not alone and that recovery is possible.”
Hosted by Haulix’s Director of Customer Engagement, James Shotwell, HIGH NOTES features exclusive, in-depth conversations with rock and alternative musicians in various recovery stages. Guests from the first two seasons include Shannon Larkin of Godsmack, Brian “Head” Welch of KoRn, Craig Mabbitt of Escape The Fate, Eric Christopher of Hospital Bracelet, Clint Lowery of Sevendust, Amanda Lyberg of Eva Under Fire, Donovan Melero of Hail The Sun, Bert McCracken of The Used, Anthony Green of Circa Survive, and more. Each episode delves into a different guest’s journey to sobriety and the role the music business played in helping (or hurting) their recovery.
“At Haulix, in addition to taking care of our customers, we take pride in using our industry reach to educate and shine a light on topics less heard about, like addiction and recovery,” says company founder and CEO Matt Brown. “Our High Notes series lets us tap into real-world experiences spoken by the artists themselves.”
Besides sharing new episodes, HIGH NOTES is also debuting a new logo for use exclusively in their partnership with Season Of Mist. The logo is the craftsmanship of designer Nick Ferran, who created all promotional art for the series.
Seasons 1 and 2 of HIGH NOTES are available now on all streaming platforms. The show is produced by Landon Defever, with additional help from programming consultant Laura Haggard. The show’s theme music is from the band You, Me, And Everyone We Know. https://linktr.ee/highnotes.
Hot on the heels of their latest EP, rom-coms + take-out, The Vaughns stop by Inside Music to discuss their career so far.
Every artist we know is facing a brave new world in 2021. After a year without performances, which is how many make a living from their music, musicians must embrace today’s reality or risk extinction. That story is universal, but The Vaughns have faced more than a pandemic since their last album was released, and today they’re sharing that journey with us.
rom-coms + take-out, The Vaughn’s new EP, is the product of two years where almost nothing went as planned. The group saw their membership split in half, a pandemic made touring impossible, and a break-up brought new lessons in growth that were welcomed, but not anticipated. The result is a three-song collection that finds hope by working through the pain of loss and change. It’s a record that reminds us that it’s okay not to be okay, which is what many of us need to hear right now.
In this episode of Inside Music, recent Equal Vision Records signees The Vaughns chat with host James Shotwell about everything that led them to where they are today. They discuss the uncertain future of live music, processing heartache through song, and landing a deal with the legendary alternative label Equal Vision Records.
Inside Music is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.
Ahead of his band’s debut album, Summoning The Lich vocalist David Bruno stops by Inside Music to talk all things death metal.
Nothing compares to the rush you feel when experiencing new music for the first time. The moment those sounds hit your ears and your entire body lights up in response are the instances when you’re most alive, and recently, that happened for us with Missouri’s Summoning The Lich.
The combination of several regional metal vets working together to pursue a singular artistic vision, Summoning The Lich is the latest American death metal act to the world by storm. Their music takes the heaviest sounds known to humankind and pairs them with fantasy storytelling that pulls listeners into a brutal world where anything is possible. It’s a sonic journey that the group plans to stretch over several releases, beginning with the release of their Prosthetic Records debut album, United In Chaos, on February 26.
Summoning The Lich vocalist David Bruno shares the origin of the band, the story behind their album, and much more on the latest episode of Inside Music. You can stream the audio version of the interview on Spotify or any other podcast platform. A video version is available on our YouTube channel. You can also find the conversation below.
Ahead of their Sophomore album hitting shelves worldwide, Australia’s Werewolves stops by Inside Music to all things death metal.
Australia’s Werewolves burst onto the international death metal scene in early 2020 with a ferocious debut album that quickly garnered praise from critics and fans alike. Unable to tour, the band focused their energy on creativity, writing enough material to fill six full-length albums. They also found time to record their second album, What a Time To Be Alive, which hits stores on January 29, 2021, through Prosthetic Records.
Some may say Werewolves is cursed. After all, production on the band’s debut album coincided with history-making wildfires that burned across Australia. The COVID-19 pandemic almost immediately followed the release of the album. What A Time To Be Alive is arriving just weeks after the riots at the US Capitol and the recent discovery of a more infectious strain of the coronavirus.
But Werewolves have a different outlook on life. Perhaps the chaos surrounding us is the world trying to prevent the most exciting death metal group in recent memory from dominating the planet. Maybe the universe understands the righteous power the band possesses, and it is going to great lengths to prevent them from growing even stronger.
The truth is anyone’s guess. On this episode of Inside Music, host James Shotwell connects with Werewolves’ bassist and lyricist Sam Bean to discuss his group’s new music and his outlook on the insanity that is life in the modern age. Sam tells James about his writing process and even shares the hysterical truth behind some of the band’s most iconic song titles.
Inside Music is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.
The latest artist to join the award-winning Fearless Records roster, American Teeth, plans a global takeover in 2021.
2020 was a disaster for most artists, but not American Teeth. The vision of musician Elijah Noll, American Teeth is a genre-blurring musical project that capped off a year of strong singles by signing with Fearless Records.
We first heard American Teeth while browsing new and emerging talent on Youtube. His self-released single, “E-Girl,” is a chaotic and timely anthem for internet-addicted punks in love. His attitude and talent were undeniable.
A week later, TikTok‘s For You Page brought American Teeth into our lives again. His presence on the popular looping video service has helped bolster his career while live performances are on hold.
Given his quick rise to fame and the potential for an absolutely massive new year, Inside Music host James Shotwell called Noll while he was in transit amid a busy day in Los Angeles. Their conversation coincided with the riots at the US Capitol, a topic the pair discuss briefly between a much longer talk about marketing, creativity, and preparing for an unpredictable year. Noll doesn’t know what will happen in the months ahead, but he’s an optimist, and his hopefulness radiates throughout our time together.
Inside Music is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.
In the midst of a massive press push for Scattered Storms, Good Bison’s Pablo Alvarez stops by Inside Music to discuss his tireless work ethic.
Pablo Alvarez has a problem, and he believes it has hurt his career. Despite releasing a steady stream of music that fans and critics alike praise, he fears he never pushes his work as wee as he can. Like many artists, Pablo is obsessed with his craft. He pours himself into each song and project, pushing every ounce of creativity he has within himself to the absolute limit. It’s an exhausting effort of self-expression that has built a healthy following, but he believes he’s capable of more. If he can find the drive to promote himself as much as he works to create, Pablo is confident that he will excel in ways that have previously felt out of reach.
Good Bison’s new EP, Scattered Storms, is Pablo’s chance to live differently. For the first time in his career, Pablo is determined to make this release as big and inescapable as possible. He’s working hard on promotional materials, press opportunities, and fan engagement. He’s doing everything artists are taught to do if they wish to succeed, and he’s finding a lot of joy in the process. What comes of it remains to be seen, but Pablo can rest knowing he’s fully committed to doing the work.
On this episode of Inside Music, one of Pablo’s many interviews ahead Scattered Storms, host James Shotwell asks about the creative process behind the first EP of 2021 that everyone needs to hear. Pablo shares how his family and life experiences inform the material on the record, as well as stories behind some of the EP’s most notable tracks. Check it out!
Inside Music is brought to you by Haulix.com, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Join thousands of musicians, including Slipknot, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks, I Prevail, and more, in promoting your new music with the world’s most trusted service. Learn more and started your free, 30-day trial by visiting http://haulix.com/signup today!
Riding high on a wave of critical and fan acclaim, VRSTY’s Joey Varela stops by Inside Music to discuss his debut EP for Spinefarm Records.
The rockstars of tomorrow don’t need bands to be successful. They need band members to tour, of course, but there is a new breed of musicians creating elaborate records entirely on their own. These swiss army knife artists carve a relationship with followers that allow fans to experience the full extent of their talents. It’s a type of career made possible in large part by the internet, and Joey Varela is one of the artists leading the way.
Joey Varela is the mastermind behind VRSTY, a genre-bending rock project that recently released its debut EP, Cloud City, through Spinefarm Records. He uses his time on Inside Music to discuss songwriting, finding bandmates and maintaining creative momentum amid a global pandemic. It’s a must-hear conversation for DIY artists everywhere, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you today.
Inside Music is brought to you by Haulix.com, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Join thousands of musicians, including Slipknot, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks, I Prevail, and more, in promoting your new music with the world’s most trusted service. Learn more and started your free, 30-day trial by visiting http://haulix.com/signup today!
The world’s first recovery podcast set in the music business, High Notes, returns with ten new episodes available today worldwide.
Today – Tuesday, December 15th – Haulix.com, in partnership with heartsupport and the Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation, has released HIGH NOTES, a podcast about addiction and recovery in the music industry. The full 10-episode second season debuts today on all podcast platforms. Listen and subscribe https://linktr.ee/highnotes.
“At Haulix, in addition to taking care of our customers, we take pride in using our industry reach to educate and shine a light on topics less heard about, like addiction and recovery,” says company founder and CEO Matt Brown. “Our High Notes series lets us tap into real-world experiences spoken by the artists themselves.”
The second season of HIGH NOTES features exclusive, in-depth conversations with rock and alternative musicians in various recovery stages. Guests include Shannon Larkin of Godsmack, Craig Mabbitt of Escape The Fate, Eric Christopher of Hospital Bracelet, Ben Liebsch of You, Me, And Everyone We Know, Clint Lowery of Sevendust, Amanda Lyberg of Eva Under Fire, Donovan Melero of Hail The Sun, singer/songwriter Janet Devlin, Trevor Hedges of Sundressed, and indie newcomer Kat Hamilton. Each episode delves into a different guest’s journey to sobriety and the role the music business played in helping (or hurting) their recovery.
“We believe in the power of conversation,” says host James Shotwell. “The second season of our show looks at addiction and recovery from a variety of fresh perspectives. The discussions we have can be tough to hear at times, but we always emphasize hope. We want everyone listening to know that there are always people who love and believe in them no matter how bad things appear. Our team and our guests want to cheer on our audience the same way they cheer for their favorite musicians.”
The first season of HIGH NOTES premiered in July of 2020. The 8-episode season featured Brian “Head” Welch of KoRn, Tommy Vext of Bad Wolves, Bert McCracken of The Used, Anthony Green of Circa Survive, Haley Butters of Absinthe Father, Nick Martin of Sleeping With Sirens, Ronnie Winter of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October.
A recent star of the indie punk scene, Eric Christopher of Hospital Bracelet, discusses the relapse that led them to reconnect with music and launch their career. They also share the importance of mantras, finding a supportive community, and sharing your journey.
Hospital Bracelet’s debut album, South Loop Summer, arrives in 2021 through Counter Intuitive Records.
2.2 Ben Liebsch (You, Me, And Everyone We Know)
For Ben Liebsch, a lifetime spent trying to outrun childhood traumas inevitably led to years of drug and alcohol abuse. His problems reached a boiling point in the spring of 2011 when every member of his band quit, leaving Ben to sift through the things he’d worked so hard to avoid. Ben tells us how confronting his past allows him to live in the present and how processing his experiences ultimately led him back to making music.
2.3 Amanda Lyberg (Eva Under Fire)
Amanda Lyberg has known the destructive power of addiction her entire life. Raised by addicts, Amanda spent years trying to understand their struggles, which eventually led to a career in clinical psychology. In this episode, Amanda shares her pivotal life experiences and how she works to make the world a better, more understanding place both in and out of music.
2.4. Clint Lowery (Sevendust)
Clint Lowery is a modern rock icon. He’s done everything a rockstar can, but he realized many years ago that the version of stardom found in movies and television shows is no way to live. Here, Clint recounts the day he chose to change his life and details how the Serenity Prayer’s lessons changed him for the better.
2.5. Donovan Melero (Hail The Sun)
Once a shy teen with dreams of making a living in entertainment, Donovan Melero saw drugs and alcohol as a way to escape his insecurities. Over time, however, he realized that running away from your problems never leads to peace. Here, Donovan tells us how opening up about his difficulties helped him find a community that supported him on the path to recovery.
2.6 Trevor Hedges (Sundressed)
Sundressed vocalist and founding member Trevor Hedges knew he had to make a change after a run-in with law enforcement nearly derailed his life. Thankfully, he found purpose in making music to help others, and his devotion to developing his talent has kept Trevor on the path to recovery for over a decade.
2.7 Janet Devlin
Fame is difficult for anyone to handle, but it’s perhaps hardest on young people. After gaining international attention through reality TV at the age of 16, Janet Devlin fell into addictive behaviors while feeling isolated from the outside world. She uses her time on High Notes to tell us how a combination of recovery groups and therapy saved her life on more than one occasion. It’s a darkly funny look at the work involved in getting betting, but it’s as honest as any conversation we’ve shared.
2.8 Craig Mabbitt (Escape The Fate)
When Craig Mabbitt joined Escape The Fate, his image was a hard-partying rockstar with a look and attitude similar to Motley Crue in their prime. That lifestyle was fun for a while, but deep down, Craig knew it could never last. Fast-forward to 2020, and Craig is in his first year of sobriety, which has unfolded amid a global pandemic.
2.9 Shannon Larkin (Godsmack, Apocalypse Blues Revival)
Shannon Larkin is music royalty. Best known as the drummer of Godsmack and The Apocalypse Blues Revival, Larkin has contributed to some of the most influential rock records of all-time. He’s been everywhere and done everything that musicians dream of achieving, but his most significant accomplishment happened just four years ago when a motorcycle accident pushed him to get sober.
2.10 Kat Hamilton
Kat Hamilton is a fast-rising musician who channels the years she spent dealing with intense addiction and trauma into her songwriting. Kat uses her time on the show to discuss the therapeutic qualities of sharing your truth and lessons learned in recovery.
Fast-rising Canadian alternative project Year Over Year stops by Inside Music to discuss recording and maintaining momentum amid a global pandemic.
Since the dawn of the digital age, no year has been as difficult for indie artists to navigate as 2020. Between the lack of performance opportunities and the fact that everyone is distracted by the numerous fires (both literal and figurative) raging around the world, staying afloat without a label’s support is hard. Many musicians have put their careers on hold in hopes 2021 is better, but the bravest artists are forging ahead and adapting in whatever ways they can. Year Over Year‘s Dorian Pintaric is the type to never give up or give in, and music fans everywhere are the beneficiaries of his unflinching dedication to creative expression.
In this episode of Inside Music, host James Shotwell chats with Pintaric about his work as Year Over Year. Dorian shares the work that went into the band’s EP and details his creative process. The pair also discuss the legitimacy of so-called “writing tips” offered in books and blog, as well as their hopes for 2021.
Inside Music is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Join today and gain instant access to the same service used by Slipknot, I Prevail, Flo Milli, and more. Start your free trial by visiting http://haulix.com/signup.
