Tag: Blogger Spotlight

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Blogger Spotlight: Chris Hampton II

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.

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Blogger Spotlight: Legendary Kids Press

Back when Haulix Daily was simply known as the Haulix company blog we admittedly had very few content ideas. We knew we wanted to not only reach, but also celebrate the people who depended on our service seven days a week. This meant speaking with the label owners, publicists, bands, and journalists who use our platform on a daily basis, which we absolutely loved having the opportunity to do. As time went on however, we started finding new paths to content creation that seemed to work just as well, and slowly we began to move away from what had been an almost constant production of interview content. We can’t say we will ever produce conversations at the rate we were creating them at our peak during that era, but we do have a goal of bringing more interesting perspectives on life in music to you through this blog in the months ahead, starting with this very feature.

A couple weeks ago, we were plugging away at ideas for the new version of Haulix when our clients at The Catalyst Publicity Group linked us to a story about one of their bands on a site known as Legendary Kids Press. The name of the outlet was completely foreign to us at the time, but after catching a glimpse of their well-designed site and equally well-written content we knew we needed to learn more about their operation. An email was sent, followed by one or two more in the weeks that followed.  We discovered they had already been reading this blog, which is always a pleasant surprise, and then we asked if they would like to appear on it sometime in the future. They entertained our curiosity, answered some questions, and gave us clearance to share their journey with all of you.

The entire purpose of highlighting sites like Legendary Kids Press is to help the contributors gain exposure for their hard, often unpaid, work. If you enjoy any of the content or quotes in this feature please make a point to visit and/or support Legendary Kids Press whenever time and finances allows. Please make sure to bookmark their site, follow them on Twitter, and Like their Facebook as well. Additional questions and comments may be left at the end of this post.

H: To help, us get started, please introduce yourself.

C: I’m Clare Fitzgerald, a 20-year-old history major and the founder of music news site, Legendary Kids Press.

H: Thank you for joining us, Clare. I have to admit that I wasn’t familiar with your site or writing until a few weeks ago when one of our clients, Catalyst Publicity, turned me onto your work. How long have you been writing about music?

C: I’ve been interested in writing ever since I was in elementary school, but I didn’t specifically start writing about music until last year. I’d been forced to take a year off school for medical reasons – and thus had a lot of free time on my hands – so I thought, “why not start now?” I joined a few sites and eventually plucked up the courage to start Legendary Kids Press last July.

H: Is Legendary Kids Press the first site you have been associated with?

C: I starting writing artist features and reviews on Buzznet, which helped me further develop and strengthen my writing skills, as well as find my creative voice. Not long after, I was approached by CultNoise Magazine, who I currently write and copy edit for.

I started putting together and designing LKP in June 2014 and, as I previously mentioned, launched it that July – so we’re still relatively new. Since the launch, I’ve gone on to also write, and become news editor for, YouTube magazine, TenEighty UK.

H: Considering the overwhelming number of music blogs in existence today, could you please talk about what lead you to launch a site of your own?

C: Journalism has always been an interest of mine, music journalism specifically ever since I discovered Alternative Press. Beforehand, I’d never even thought about being able to write about my love for music and the bands I listened to, and AP showed me that I could take that route if I wished. I’d had the urge to create my own site, but I didn’t know how to go about it and I was too insecure about my writing skills to reach out and try to strengthen them. But as I started to delve more into the “underground” and “alternative” music scenes, I started discovering sites like PropertyOfZack and Musicology Online, which I learnt were started by people my age who had just as strong a passion for music as I did.

That realization and the abundance of free time I had are the factors that pushed me to launch LKP. I never even considered the amount of blogs already around – I just wanted to get involved in the scene I loved so much.

H: Some sites have a mission statement, but I cannot find one for your blog. What would you say is the purpose/goal of Legendary Kids Press?

C: I would say the main purpose of Legendary Kids Press is to help fans discover new music and bands. We cover news from both established bands like Pierce The Veil and Bring Me The Horizon to up-and-comers, as well as numerous genres. So I hope that diversity introduces someone to their new favourite band or a genre they never even considered listening to.

On a more personal level, I hope the site helps get my name out there and shows that I do have the ability to pursue journalism as a full-time career.

H: How would you describe the average reader of your site?

C: Honestly, I’m not too sure. I would obviously expect them to be a music fan in some respect, but other than that, I don’t think I’d be able to say. From the statistics I’ve gathered, the majority of our readers are in their teens, but I also see the occasional hit or two from adults, so we have a broad spectrum. However, that being said, those hits are probably from my parents being curious about the “weird” music I listen to, haha.

H: How big is the LKP contributing team?

C: Currently, excluding myself, the LKP team consists of nine members: four writers and five photographers. Each one is very supportive of the site and I’m very thankful to have them aboard the team.

I manage the writing team, who normally deal with reviews, editorials, features and interviews, and my friend Alex Liscio manages the photographers. Honestly, she’s a godsend. I don’t know a thing about photography, so having her by my side is a real help!

H: Are you looking to add to your team? If so, how would you describe the ideal LKP contributor? I’m sure a few of our readers may want to apply.

C: Ideally, I’d like the team to be around 10-15 members, just so there’s regular output outside of news stories. So yes, we’re definitely looking to add a few new faces to the team – primarily writers.

The ideal LKP contributor would be someone willing to grow in their respective field and who has an interest in the music the site covers. It’d also be great if they had the availability to write one piece a week, but I understand that life is unpredictable, so that’s not a requirement.

H: I’ve noticed that you highlight a lot of smaller, lesser known artists on your blog. Is there anyone you would recommend our readers check out in the immediate future?

C: Locally, I’d say definitely check out The Ocean Cure and Crystalyne. I’ve been jamming both a lot lately. I’d also recommend The Truth Today, who unfortunately broke up earlier this year, but released some killer EPs in their time.

On a more broad scale, I’d say either Jule Vera if you’re a pop/alternative fan or The Relevant Elephants if you’re into indie rock with a splash of funk.

H: If any artists are reading this and thinking you might enjoy their work, where and how should they submit content to you?

C: All inquiries can be sent to legendarykidspress@gmail.com

I normally check out all inquiries, but the ones that grab my attention are those that give me everything I need: a brief history of the band, links to music and social media, and what the their interest in the site is. It’s also appreciated when bands get the site’s name write…  I understand it’s not necessarily the shortest or most memorable, but it’s not that hard to do a quick check, you know?

H: What do you think of Haulix and the service we provide?

C: Honestly, I love what you guys do. I discovered your blog a few months ago and have been an avid reader ever since. You cover a lot of different topics relating to music and the insight offered has been really helpful. I definitely think you’re a go-to if someone is interested in learning more about the industry.

I’ve also had the opportunity to work with your promotional services through the labels and PR companies that have contacted LKP, and I find them to be some of the simplest and most-straightforward, which is much appreciated.

H: There has been a lot of talk about the need for blogs to find a way to monetize their efforts. What kind of strategies do you have to help generate income for your writing?

C: Currently, Legendary Kids Press doesn’t generate any income, but that’s not to say I haven’t considered it – it’s been on my mind a lot lately. I’m currently in the process of revamping the site and would like to integrate the likes of Google AdSense and even paid advertising into the new layout, whenever that comes around.

H: If we could fast-forward five years, where would we find Clare and LKP?

C: In five years time, I’ll hopefully be finished university (only two years left!) and will have a job in some aspect of the journalism or music industries. I’m hoping LKP takes off; the site’s already afforded me more opportunities than I thought possible, so I’m excited to see what the next five years bring in that respect.

The site itself? I hope it will become a go-to for those interested in the latest music news. I also hope for it to have expanded to support more editorial and featured writing, as that was one of my goals from the start. I was also thinking about launching a podcast, but seeing as everyone has been getting into that world lately, I’m currently rethinking that.

H: I think that’s everything I have to ask at the moment. Do you have any additional thoughts you would like to share?

C: I want to thank Haulix for taking the time to ask me about LKP. I’ve never done anything like this, so I was pretty excited about it – a highlight, for sure. It’s nice to see someone take an interest in something I’ve dedicated the majority of the last year to, so thank you.

Also, thank you to Catalyst Publicity for spreading the word about Legendary Kids Press!

If you or someone your know has a music blog or publication that we have yet to feature on our site, please read the interview above and shoot us an email (james@haulix.com) telling us about the outlet, its readership, and who amongst the staff we should aim to highlight. We do our best to feature every zine users request, but not everyone likes to have their entire life story posted online. That said, we’ll do our best to meet your demands. Enjoy.

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Job Board News

Blogger Spotlight: Joel Funk (36 Vultures)

A little time has passed since we dusted off our beloved ‘Blogger Spotlight’ feature, but just last month we found a reason to resurrect the once thriving series, and if all goes as planned we will have several new installments for you to enjoy posted throughout the summer. We apologize for the time away, but sometimes you have to take a step back and think about whether or not continuing a series actually makes sense. In this case, it does, and we hope that remains to be true for the foreseeable future.

36 Vultures is a site that first came on my radar thanks to outreach from founder Joel Funk. Joel had learned of my label, Antique Records, and was anxious to speak with one of our artists. Having never heard of his site prior to receiving his message, I quickly pulled up the zine’s homepage and began to click around in hopes of finding something special. What I discovered, which admittedly did not take long to find, was a growing collection of well written and insightful content geared toward promoting musicians big and small to a new, younger generation of music fans. I was so impressed, in fact, that I immediately replied to Joel and pitched him about appearing on this blog. We also connected him with our talent, of course, but I knew it was important to share Joel’s perspective on the music business through this site. Thankfully, he agreed.

You can find my conversation with Joel about 36 Vultures and everything he hopes to accomplish with his still young site below. After you do so, please make it a point to follow the site on Twitter. While you’re at, go ahead and follow Haulix as well.

H: It’s great to be able to feature you on our site. I have to be honest and say I didn’t learn of 36 Vultures until you and I discussed the band Well Kept Things over email about a month ago. What is the origin story for your site?

J: I’m excited to be featured on the site! I love reading interviews like these because not only does it let you get to know some of your favorite bloggers, but it gives you a little bit of insight into how they keep their site afloat. It’s a huge help. The origin story for the website sounds so boring to me, but it’s the honest truth. At one point, I wrote reviews for a website called FuckYourScenes – and they were absolutely terrible. I look back at those reviews and cringe. Anyway, I eventually just stopped writing for the website, but wanted to continue writing somewhere else. I was still confident enough in my own writing and had applied to write for PropertyOfZack and when I never heard anything back decided to start doing my own thing. The first review on the site was for an album I actually did the cover art for, Speak Low If You Speak Love’s original release of their debut album ‘Everything But What You Need.’ That was late 2013/early 2014. We didn’t start posting news until May 28th of 2014 when approached by a band called Pissghetti to post about a music video and a tape that saw all proceeds going to charity. Here we are now. Thanks Pissghetti!

H: The name 36 Vultures is pretty peculiar. What’s the story behind it?

J: I ended up using the name because it was my [personal] twitter handle at the time and I couldn’t think of anything else to use. The name comes from a lyric to a You Me and Everyone We Know song called “A Little Bit More.” The line reads “I’ve got fifteen elephants sitting on my chest/thirty six vultures picking at my flesh/solo-man overboard without a life vest/Now I’m a little weighed down, but I’m doing my best.” YM&EWK is my absolute favorite band, and I’m happy to have a name that reflects that. I still sometimes wish I could say something cheesy and dumb like “Yeah…vultures. You know, because they pick things apart? That’s an album review and it just suits us very well” just so I could laugh about it afterwards.

H: What kind of music and coverage can people expect to find on your site?

J: When I describe the website to inquiring older co-workers, I tend to paint a really broad stroke and claim to cover “alternative” music. I say this because to most of the 30-somethings I work with, “emo” is a word that will elicit not only dismissal, but jokes at the same time. When talking to friends or family, I very proudly say that we focus on emo, pop punk, and hardcore bands. It really boils down to whatever we’re feeling in the moment, which is usually pretty well reflected in the news posts and content.

As far as coverage, that’s something that I’m always looking to expand upon. Right now, we have a loose schedule that we like to follow. We post news from press releases whenever we can and then a schedule kicks in. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Noon are usually when we try to push album reviews. We don’t always have one to go up on Thursday, but if it’s a busy week, we absolutely will. Every other Wednesday we run a new feature called Press Play in which we introduce you to new bands that don’t get a lot of attention and [in our opinion] should have no trouble flourishing if given the opportunity. We want to give those bands that opportunity. I’m working on getting more comfortable with writing interviews and getting over this daunting fear of over the phone interviews so that we can start featuring more of those.

H: You’re a smart guy, so I’m sure you’re well aware of how many competing music blogs are in existence today. What makes 36 Vultures a unique destination?

J: I feel like that first sentence was a very fluid inflation and immediate deflation of my ego. Props. I think what makes 36vultures a unique destination is still a work in progress. We really care about the music we cover and the people involved in it, and we strive to make that the true focus of our actual content as opposed to just the news that we post. We run this really cool monthly feature on the site called The Mixtape Project. Originally that was going to be renamed, but it came time for the launch and I hadn’t thought of anything better, and so it is. That feature sees me asking people involved in the scene [bands, bloggers, pr, label-heads] to curate a mixtape following one of two structures. You can choose a theme or you can do a culmination of your favorite songs. An interesting point is that our current run is 50/50 on those structures. Our first came from Ryan Graham of Speak Low and State Champs talking about love. That bad boy came out on Valentine’s Day. Our last came from one of my dear friends, Sherridan of Punk Talks. She chose to make a mixtape full of songs that helped make her the person that she is, and it’s one of my favorites to actually listen to. tl;dr We care about the music and the conversation it creates. Fuck a page view.

H: I believe there are only five people listed on the staff page right now. Do you have additional contributors at this time, or is your team only those listed on that page? Do you have any plans to expand?

J: The team is still very small. We’re actually bringing in a second editor/new writer very soon, so we can add another name to that list. We’ve had one guest contributor and that was Luke Granered of Better Off. I would love to have more of those on the website because it usually brings forth content that people want to read. We’re also looking to just add more writers in general. Mainly people who want to work on reviews and op-ed pieces. We could use another reviewer or two to help lighten the load and allow for better written content, it’s just a matter of getting people who want to write to notice this site that’s still in it’s infancy.

H: There is a clear lack of advertisements on your site. Are you planning to try and profit from your efforts in any way moving forward, or is that not something you are currently concerned with?

J: Would I like to profit from what I’m doing? Absolutely. I just don’t know that I want to see a profit come from advertisements. I like the idea of what PropertyOfZack and The Runout are doing with funding via Patreon. It’s a great service that only asks you to support what you believe in. Before I can even think about that, we need to focus on building a reader-base and writing content that’s compelling enough to get people coming back. I think we’re just about there, we just need a little something to push us into people’s lives.

H: What would you say are the goals for 36 Vultures in the next year? How about the next five years?

J: The goals for 36vultures in the next year are to solidify what I’m already trying to do with the site. I want it to feel more like a “zine” type deal than I do a blog, and I’m trying to work on content that reflects that. Things like The Mixtape Project, Press Play, our very new Let’s Talk column, and hopefully some one or two more features will help to make that a reality. I want readers to be able to come to us for more than just album reviews and news, I want people to stick around, find something to read, and feel compelled to share it with the people they know. As for the next five years…who knows. Does that sound unprofessional? I would love the website to continue doing what it’s doing while seeing growth [in both popularity and creativity] but things are unpredictable. I try to set very realistic goals for myself that I don’t constantly feel defeated when the big ones don’t work out. So for now, I’m looking at things one year at a time. Hopefully, I’ll eventually feel comfortable enough to tell you how I see things going down years and years down the road, but who knows. Time is a fickle thing.

H: Outside the site, what are your own future aspirations? Are you hoping to work in the industry full time?

J: You mean besides paying off my student loans before I die? Well, the goal would be to do something in PR. There’s something about it that keeps drawing me to the idea. I think that stems back to really caring about the music and the people involved. I want to be able to have a hand in making a band/label/product that I believe in flourish. I’d love to have a plan to fall back on, and once I’ve paid off enough debt that I accumulated while thinking I wanted to teach small children and become a pawn in the governmental chess game called the Common Core, I want to go back to school for advertising. Ironic, isn’t it? How I don’t want ads on the site and I want to have a hand in making those obnoxious ads. I guess we all become the thing we want to avoid. I am Ultron’s little speech in Avengers: Age of Ultron talking about how men of peace often create tools of war. Only, you know, on a WAY smaller scale that doesn’t deal with life and death or existential crisis.

H: If you could offer any advice to others currently thinking about launching their own blog, what would you tell them?

J: My advice is just to work you ass off, really. Find one contact that will work with you for whatever you’re doing and run with it. For a long time, the only real press contacts we had were Colin of Nuance PR and Will/Chuck of Beartrap PR. Those two sources really helped not only keep us alive and posting/reviewing, but also helped to open the doors to other contacts. I was able to show work that I’ve done with bands that were starting to generate attention like The Hotelier and Somos. You’ll build relationships and will for sure be paranoid about sounding annoying, but annoying works as long as you believe in what you’re doing. Trust me, I’ve been there and still feel like I am here a lot of the time.

H: If bands and/or publicists want to work with you, how should they reach out?

J: The easiest way to get ahold of me is through email. I check my email religiously and I try and respond as soon as I have a free minute. I work the least punk job in the world right now that sucks me away from my phone/computer for a good 9 hours a day (not including my lunch, which usually includes feverish email checking.) You can find that just by clicking on the contact link in the sites navigation. If we like what you’re doing, you will definitely hear back.

H: That’s all I have right now. Do you have any final thoughts or comments to share before we finish?

J: Just a few quick things. The first is that I’d like to thank you guys for giving me the opportunity to talk about myself and what I do. It means a lot to see somebody believe in what I’m doing. The second has already been re-stated, but repetition leads to remembrance. We are looking for writers and interviewers. If you are interested in joining the team, you can shoot us an email with the subject “Writing for 36v” with a sample of your written work, and I will get back to you within 24 hours of getting that email.

That’s all, and thanks again!

H: Thanks for participating, Joel. Have a great week.

Categories
News

Blogger Spotlight: Lucy Binetti (Lucy Out Loud)

It is hard to believe this, but we are fast-approaching the two-year anniversary of this blog’s birth. In that time we have interviewed well over two-hundred industry professionals, including over one-hundred music bloggers and journalists. If you were here from day one you will no doubt remember a time when the only content we ran was interviews with bloggers. They were the first group we wanted to engage, and they continue to play a vital role in our marketing efforts to this day. Unfortunately, for reasons that would read likely read like excuses, the number of interviews with new bloggers has fallen off in recent months while our focused turned to bigger editorials, bigger conversations, and the like. Through it all we have not forgotten where we got our start, and with this post we hope to bring a bit of our focus back to the people who write about the latest and greatest music every single day of their lives.

The name Lucy Binetti may not be on the tip of every industry influencer’s tongue just yet, but it is a name that anyone hoping to work in the alternative music world would be wise to commit to memory. Still young, yet smarter than many of her peers, Lucy has been helping promote and market bands in the alternative music world for well over five years. She is the founder of Lucy Out Loud, a brilliant music blog, and she has aspirations of doing a lot of good for the industry as a whole in the years to come.

On a personal note, I have been a fan of Lucy’s work for at least the last six months. I couldn’t tell you what the first article was I read on her site, but it didn’t take long for me to recognize that Lucy and her team had the kind of drive and talent needed to make a real impact on the music community at large. When the time came to resurrect our Blogger Spotlight I knew she would be the perfect guest to help kick things off, and lucky for me she was quick to agree to my request.

You can learn everything there is to know about Lucy Binetti and her efforts to conquer the music world one day at a time by reading the interview below. If you would like to learn more, or if you simply need a new source for the latest music news, please make it a point to bookmark and frequently visit Lucy Out Loud. Any additional questions or comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: Hey there, Lucy. How are you today?

L: I’m doing well, thanks! Just catching up on emails and watching the first season of Weeds in between classes. My next class actually got cancelled so I have five hours to kill. Yayyyy ha

H: It’s exciting to have you on our blog. I know we have been discussing this interview for a bit, but SXSW totally threw my schedule for a loop. Did you make the trip to Texas? If so, how was it?

L: Well I’m glad to be on it, so thank you! I think SXSW threw everyone’s schedule for a loop, ha. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make the trip to Texas, but I did have one photographer who was there, not on assignment, and another photographer who covered South By So What?! for us and both had an amazing time! I’m hoping to make it out to South By one of these years!

H: I guess before we go any further we should probably cover the basics. Would you please tell everyone your full name and what it is that you do in the world of music?

L: Of course! My name is Lucy Binetti and I’m the Founder/Editor-In-Chief of Lucy Out Loud! I take care of all the postings, interviews, and assigning of reviews and show coverage.

H: For people who have never seen or heard of Lucy Out Loud, how would you describe it to them?

L: We’re a daily (most of the time) music blog and we post everything from news to reviews to interviews and everything in between for artists of all genres. 

H: There are certainly other sites that cover the same bands you do, so what is it about your site that sets it apart from the competition? What gives visitors a reason to return day after day?

L: From day one, I used my site as a way to post about small local bands in order to introduce them to those who view our site and I think that’s what gives visitors a reason to return. Unlike some other sites, we cover a variety of artists from small local bands to more well-known bands in order to give attention to everyone.

H: Your site recently celebrated five years of existence. Congrats! What would you say has been the biggest lesson learned during that time?

L: Thank you!! I learned a lot about myself over the last five years, which I think shows through Lucy Out Loud. I might say that the biggest lesson learned is to not sell yourself short. When I first started bringing on writers to the site, I didn’t really think about making sure the content was up to any standards, just that having content was important. Over time, I started to realize that I was lowering my standards for no reason, so I immediately changed that. I have an amazing Senior Writer that has been with me for about three years now and he’s helped me with editing pieces from our interns, providing them with feedback, and posting pieces that we are proud of.

H: I’d like to back track a bit and learn about the inspiration and motivation for your work. Your ‘About’ section mentions a history in music promotion. Can you tell us a bit about that?

L: I began going to local shows when I was 16 and something just clicked. It made me realize that I wanted to do SOMETHING within music, but I couldn’t figure out what just yet. I started seeing some local artists I knew about that were creating street teams and it intrigued me to figure out what they were and how I could get involved. I ended up joining street team after street team for people like Fearless Records, Photo Finish Records, To Write Love On Her Arms, Working Group Artist Management, Glamour Kills, even creating a handful for local artists. By the time I was a senior in high school, I was a part of 10-15 street teams. That’s when I created Lucy Out Loud. It was a place for me to post about all the different artists in one location and in a much more organized way. About a year into running the site, I began interning for Ace Enders of I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business (and The Early November) where I assisted in promoting his third album. That was where I was first introduced to press releases and having to send them out to different publications in order to publicize the album and tour. Once I began to expand the site, I did less street teaming in order to focus on it a little more.

H: So, what inspired you to turn your efforts toward the world of journalism?

L: Journalism was something I’ve always loved. Up until fifth grade, I thought I wanted to be a teacher and then in sixth grade I joined the Journalism Club at my middle school where I wrote articles and poetry for our school paper and that immediately opened my eyes to the world of journalism. English became my favorite subject and I began writing more frequently. I continued to write in high school where I joined our school’s magazine and put out a few more pieces of work. Once I was introduced to the world of Public Relations and I saw how the two worked hand in hand, I figured it was a great way to mix my passion for the two together.

H: Would you say there are any bloggers/writers you admire or otherwise look up to? If so, who?

L: Surprisingly, not really. I follow a handful of websites and read a bunch of great articles from both writers and friends regarding the music industry, but I wouldn’t say that there are any writers that I admire or otherwise look up to.

H: I noticed that your site is hosted on Tumblr. Have you thought about stepping out with your own standalone site, or is Tumblr the best place for your efforts right now?

L: Initially when I started the site, I ran it through both Tumblr and Blogger, but began posting solely on Tumblr because I preferred the layout and other features it provided. It’s also an extremely interactive site, so having it allow people to like/reblog our posts and do more than just view it is definitely a plus. It also gives us the chance of a wider reach. I have considered stepping out with our own standalone site, but that’s not something I have much knowledge about or the time for at the moment, so it’s not something I’ve spent time looking into.

H: How many contributors do you have? Are you looking to build your team further?

L: As of right now, we have a team of 14, which is kind of insane ha. We have a senior photographer/writer in Albany, a senior photographer in Baltimore, a writer in Boston, a photographer in Texas, a contributor in New Jersey, and a total of nine interns (four writers, four photographers, and a social media intern). We’re definitely looking to build our team further! Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll most likely be moving around some interns to higher positions and bring on some new interns as well. I’m also hoping to bring on a couple of editors to help with some new features for the site.

H: I assume you’re unable to pay writers right now, so what kind of incentives do you offer your team to keep them engaged?

L: That is correct – none of us get paid to do what we do, we simply do it for the music and that’s something we tell everyone who joins our site. As for incentives, writers receive downloads of most of the albums they review and access to shows varies on the person’s position on our team. When it comes to covering shows, we don’t provide free access to shows for our interns until they’ve been with the site for a prolonged period of time. It all comes down to trust and making sure that people can follow through with coverage.

H: What is the longterm goal for this site?

L: To grow, grow, and grow. Over the last two years, we’ve begun working with some amazing PR agencies and record labels and I think this is just the beginning for us. Ideally, we’d love to be a top-tier news site and growing plays a huge role in that possibility. We want to be a site that artists want to work with and fans want to look to for everything and anything music related.

H: What is your personal longterm career goal, and how has running this site helped you work toward achieving it?

L: My personal longterm career goal is to be a publicist, bring on my own clients, and help them achieve the goals they want to achieve. I’ve always been someone who enjoys helping others and that’s absolutely something I hope to continue doing. Running Lucy Out Loud has opened so many doors for me and introduced me to so many people, allowing me to build both relationships and friendships that I’m truly grateful for. It’s actually how I met the publicists at my current internship and I’ve learned so much from them.

H: If you could offer one piece of advice to others hoping to enter the music industry, what would it be?

L: Here’s a three-for-one: go outside your comfort zone, don’t let your fears hold you back and gain as much experience as you can. As someone with anxiety, I’ve always been afraid of doing things that are not a part of my normal routine, but I spent the last year and a half pushing myself more than I ever thought I would. It’s given me so much valuable experience that I don’t think I would have learned otherwise.

H: I know you have worked with a lot of musicians as well, so what advice do you have for them?

L: Don’t treat others as if they’re below you. That means don’t treat people (publicists, writers, photographers, fans, etc.) as if they owe you something and don’t give them any sort of backlash if you’re not where you thought you would be. If you know what you want and where you want your music to go, don’t give up on that. It might take time, but if you’re determined, you’ll get there. It’s just a matter of time.

H: Where do you see yourself in five years?

L: In five years, I’d like to be a publicist, working closely with artists in getting their music out to a wider audience. I also hope to continue running Lucy Out Loud, which would hopefully be at a top-tier level by then. But only time will tell, right?

H: I think that is all I have for now. Thank you again for your willingness to participate. Do you have any final thoughts or comments for our readers?

L: Thank you so much for reaching out and allowing me to share my experience thus far! To your readers, if you’re in a band or you work with a band that is interested in working with us, please send us an email! If you’re interested in interning or contributing to our site, please send us an email! Basically, if you’d like to contact us, shoot us an email, ha. We love what we do over at Lucy Out Loud and all I can say is that our best work is still ahead of us!

Categories
News

Blogger Spotlight: Jonathan K Dick (Steel For Brains)

Greetings! We know how hectic life can be these days, so please know we are grateful that you have chosen to spend a few minutes of your precious time browsing our blog. The article you find yourself staring at now is one of our favorites in recent memory, and if you give it a read we bet you’ll feel the same as well. Jonathan K. Dick is a crazy talented person, and it is an honor to share his story with you today.

You know how a lot of people take musicians and/or athletes and put them on pedestals as if their talent somehow makes them a great human being? Though I don’t think I do it intentionally, the same could often be said for how I view many of the writers whose work I read on a regular basis. As someone who has spent the better part of a decade trying to make writing their full-time career, I’ve often found myself completely enamored by the writing of a peer who I perceive to be more successful than myself. I don’t even mean successful in terms of career or financial gain as much as I do their ability to string together thoughts and observations. That’s what impresses me. The craftsmen and women who, whether they know it or not, challenge the writing side of music as a whole to create better content. Those people have become my heroes, and today we share one of their journeys in music with you.

Jonathan K. Dick is freelance writer, English professor, and all-round hardworking guy who loves music the way some people claim to love dessert. He’s only been in the writing game for about two years at this point, but he’s already made a huge impression on the worlds of hard rock and metal, including having created features for publications such Invisible Oranges, Noisey, and the like. He also runs Steel For Brains, a blog filled with interviews, editorials, and even a burgeoning podcast we at Haulix absolutely adore. I could go on and on, but hopefully you get the idea that Jonathan is someone who is doing everything in his power to have and retain a place in the world of music journalism. I don’t know how he found time to speak with us about his experience up this point, but over the weekend he did just that, and you can read highlights from our exchange below.

H: Hey there, Jonathan. How are you today? I’ve never been to Alabama in January. Is it cold there?

J: I’m doing well! It’s cold for Alabama, yeah, but I imagine it’d be Jet Ski weather if this was Canada.

H: Don’t worry, this interview will be a bit more personal than that introduction. I’d like to start with your personal history. Tell me, was music a big part of your life since childhood?

J: Oh yeah. Both my mom and dad were always singing around the house when I was growing up. It was pretty much a given that my siblings and I had to join the church choir. My mom played the piano and despite me begging her, she didn’t let me take guitar lessons. I got piano instead which I hated at the time, but after fifteen years of lessons I managed to develop as a pretty skilled player. Aside from that, like I said, we were all in choir and choral competition. I took vocal lessons throughout my teen years and did the competition thing for a while. So yeah, there was always some kind of music playing pretty much nonstop around the house – usually of a gospel or soul variety and occasionally some Creedence if my dad was feeling edgy.

H: Did you have anyone in your life, be it a family member or friend, who helped introduce you to the world of music beyond what was popular on the radio at the time (rock/metal/etc)? If so, who?

J: When I think about people who influenced me early on with music, it’s always my dad and this guy who worked at a CD store where I used to hang out. My dad was and is very religious, so it was a healthy dose of gospel music from anyone like Mahalia Jackson or the Gaither Vocal Band. I always dug it just because I loved the vocal harmonies and upbeat tempos. We used to go on hunting trips a lot, and the camp where we hunted was about three hours from where we lived. I loved the drive more than the the actual hunting experience because it meant we’d listen to the oldies station, and my dad would spend the entirety of three hours telling me about every single artist that came on. Frankie Valli, the Righteous Brothers, Patsy Cline, Roy Acuff, you name it. I loved it because none of my friends had ever heard of these people, so I felt cool and my dad probably felt like I was going to be normal so long as we kept the station there. As soon as I was able to drive I pretty much became a barnacle at the CD Warehouse that was a few minutes away from where I grew up. This guy Tony worked there, and literally every time I came in the store he’d be playing something that I’d end up buying before I left. It was nuts. He exposed me to stuff like Belle and Sebastian, Pavement, The Replacements, and a ton of others just by me pretty much latching onto the register counter and asking questions and trying to pretend like I knew what the hell I was talking about. It’s weird because I immediately heard these similarities between the stuff that my dad was listening to and what I was hearing in my first taste of indie rock. Tie in the fact that I was also sneaking my older brother’s Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam tapes into my room, and it was pretty much a cocktail of any kind of music I could get my hands on.

H: Do you remember the first album you purchased with your own money? How about the first concert you attended?

J: Green Day’s Dookie. I wore that CD out. I still laugh at the hidden track which I think was about masturbating or something I would’ve totally thought was crazy extreme at twelve. After that it was Columbia House 15 CDs for 1 cent tragedies that ruled my album buying days for a while. My first concert was the Grateful Dead, and while that sounds cool as hell, I was eleven and scared out of my mind because my older sister used me as her alibi to go with her older boyfriend who my parents didn’t like and probably would have been horrified to learn was a “Deadhead.” But I don’t count that show. I certainly wasn’t a fan at the time, and I didn’t want to go. I just remember the whole place smelled like sweaty feet and burnt tires, which I would later discover was weed mingled with body odor. My first willing attendance to a concert was a Matchbox 20 show when I was sixteen. It was cool. They played a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” which was pretty rad.

H: Research tells me you either are, or at one point were, an English Professor. Before you reached that point in life you obviously needed to attend some type of higher education. What college did you attend? Did you study anything other than English?

J: Yeah. I teach 8th grade English during the day every day of the workweek, and then two nights a week I teach college English and literature to freshmen at one of the local community colleges. I initially wanted to be a lawyer and had that all lined up, but I ended up substitute teaching a 6th grade classroom while I was in college and my fate was pretty much sealed. I loved it and still do. I received my BA in English from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, but I also studied theatre and microwaveable foods/expiration dates. I went on to get two graduate degrees for whatever damn reason – one in Secondary Education with a focus on curriculum development and the other in English with a focus in creative writing.

H: When you were in school, was the end goal always to become a professor, or did you try a bunch of different avenues before landing on the career you now lead?

J: Like high school? In high school I wanted to be asleep or listening to music. My parents were both self-educated and had grown up in poverty, made a life for themselves, and received graduate degrees, so they placed enormous value on me having that same opportunity. My mom taught school and was a school administrator for 37 years, so I basically thought that anything remotely close to teaching was utterly repugnant. I saw the students she dealt with and, worse yet, their parents. So no. It definitely wasn’t a goal – haha. I’ve had some kind of job since I was fifteen. My first job was in furniture restoration with this old retired Navy colonel who was batshit insane. I just took the job so I could save up enough money to buy Jncos, Airwalks, and some free shameful memories. He’d been an evangelist for a while after retiring from the military so it was pretty much me, three vats of various types of acid, a pressure washer, a lot of old rich people furniture, and him yelling like a lunatic about various biblical prophecies. I thought about getting into acting for a while, but I didn’t want to be the next Clint Howard, so I basically stuck with what I loved which was reading and arguing about what I was reading to other nerds. I figured out quick that I had a penchant for talking to people, and when I ended up teaching for the first time it felt like I’d been doing it all along.

H: This is always a hot button topic, so I am curious to read your thoughts. As someone who has established themselves as an influential voice in the music business, do you feel attending college is something all aspiring industry professionals should do?

J: No. The Internet has changed the game in a lot of ways just in terms of what value we place on education versus experience. That doesn’t mean that college or furthering one’s education is pointless, though. Not by a long shot. The reason this is a “hot button topic” is because of something that’s been around a hell of a lot longer than the Internet – laziness. Regardless of someone’s degrees or abilities, the difference between just being educated and actual learning is backbone. If you want something you have to work your ass off and then work a little more after that and then work to make sure that other people can share in the joy of what you’ve accomplished because then they’re encouraged to have the same kind of attitude. It sounds idealistic, but for all the terminology we like to throw at people’s choice to go or not to go to school, it boils down to the principle of hard work. Aspiring music industry professional should aspire to work harder and focus less on archaic notions of qualifiers. Guarantee you that any editor worth her/his salt is looking for the same thing: someone who knows their own shit, is willing to learn more shit, and ready to endure all kinds of shit for writing what people may not like to read. It’s great because someone who has a good work ethic will inevitably grow as a writer. It takes practice. It takes focus. It takes resilience. Will a degree give you more angles? It’s possible but not guaranteed. I’ve not had one editor ask for my resume or my transcripts (thank Christ for the last one). They want to see the work you have that no one else does. That’s all that matters.

H: In 2010 you were a recipient of the Thomas H. Brown nonfiction award. Can you tell us a bit about the work you were awarded for? 

J: I received that award as a result of a short story I wrote about the death of my grandfather. I was eleven at the time, and he and I had been very close. One of the things that always stuck with me about the aftermath of his death was the enormous amount of food that people brought over to my grandmother’s house for what seemed like weeks. Never mind the fact that the food wavered between casserole and gelatin consistency, it was just odd to me even then that here we were being provided with sustenance and nourishment and life essentially, someone we loved was doing the same to the Earth in being buried. I dunno. It sounds weird now that I’m typing it out, but it’s still fascinating – that whole tradition of bringing over food to mourn. Makes sense I guess that the story is titled “Death Food.”

H: I know you have mentioned working on a new book, also nonfiction, but that it likely won’t be finished anytime soon. Can you give us a progress update on ‘The Ecology Of Sound’?

J: The book started out as nonfiction, but last year I felt it pulling me in another direction that was fairly new which was science fiction. I’m obsessed with the power of sound and the impact it has on learning, relationships, and even our history as human beings. Without delving too much into it, I’ve finished the first of what will be three volumes and am currently shopping the story in the hopes that people aren’t tired of lasers and robots. I’m kidding. There aren’t lasers or robots. Maybe robots.

H: Let’s get to your site: Steel For Brains. What is the ‘Marvel Origin Story’ of your site, and what can you tell us about the inspiration behind its name?

J: In February of 2012 my daughter who wasn’t quite two at the time was hospitalized for viral pneumonia in both lungs. She spent eleven nights in the hospital, five of which were in the intensive care unit. I stayed with her every night in the hospital, barely slept, barely ate, and basically just worried myself into nothingness. The only thing that brought me any kind of comfort whatsoever was Opeth’s discography. I’ve been a fan of the band for years, of course, but it was pretty random. I just decided to go through their discography back and forth until I felt like I had control over something. Metal’s always been like that for me more so than any other kind of music. It’s a stop gap, and I think in some way I wanted to talk about that with the people who made it. Add to that the fact that my ten-year marriage was ending alongside one of the worst bouts with depression I’ve ever had, and it was either going to be me calling it a day or me doing something meaningful that would benefit me and hopefully others as well. Around June of that same year I’d finalized the divorce and moved into a one-bedroom rat’s nest that had been turned into an apartment. My first night there I spent $50 on getting my Internet set up, $50 on groceries, and then about an hour trying not to think about how I would have money to make it the rest of the month. That’s when I sat down, entered the only info I could think of to set up an account, and started emailing bands. I had no idea how anything worked, who you emailed, what a Tumblr was, or if I had a snowball’s chance. I’d had a Facebook account at one time but other than that was completely in the dark about what social media entailed, much less how a person was supposed to get in touch with a band to talk to them about a site featuring absolutely nothing but digital tumbleweeds at the time. Not to be crass, but I found that I had greater success and less stress by simply saying to myself “Fuck it” and going for it. I think I sent out maybe fifty emails that first evening? I was hitting up new bands I was really getting into, and older, classic big name bands who I was sure would just talk to whoever the hell sent them an email because they were nice guys and not busy. Joseph Rowland from Pallbearer was the first email response I got, and I immediately called my mom because I was so stupid excited. She was just disappointed the band was called Pallbearer because it seemed “so sad to call themselves that.” Everything else after was just building rapport and keeping an even keel with regards to not becoming some jaded old fart who hates everything and everyone because he’s done everything and everyone. I still get excited. Big band or small band or whatever. It’ll always be an honor and a privilege for me to do because this music has done so much for me.

H: You do a number of interviews on your site. Would you say that is your favorite type of content to create? Do you have a favorite conversation or two we could promote when we run this interview?

J: It is and as evidenced by my responses in this interview, it’s likely due to the fact that I like to run my mouth. Favorite conversation? You know, this has come up a few times recently, and it’s hard to think of what would be my favorite. That said, I always come back to this interview I did with Attila Csihar. Easily one of my favorite vocalists in any genre and also one of the kindest people I’ve ever had the opportunity to interview. The other would probably be this interview with Tom G Warrior. Both were intense just from the standpoint of who these guys are, but they were also incredibly honest and sincere with me and with themselves as individuals more importantly. That’s always refreshing and increasingly rare.

H: As someone who seeks out longform music writing, I have been reading Steel For Brains so long it’s hard to recall the first time I heard about it. Have you done anything specific to market or otherwise spread the word about your site? I know a lot of aspiring writers who could use some help promoting their work.

J: I have to be honest and say that I don’t know the first thing about marketing. I promoted a few posts early on with Facebook, but then I just thought you know, this is stupid. Stop worrying about how many people are reading it and focus on providing engaging content that’s honest and simple. That’s the kind of thing that sells itself, so I haven’t really thought a whole lot about marketing. I’ve had a lot of people tell me this or that about how to market, and I think the one thing I’ve figured out as the common denominator for any kind of marketing success is genuine interaction. I stopped looking at likes, retweets, followers, favorites, etc., a while back because it doesn’t matter and focusing on it is masturbatory at best and self-destructive at worst. Social media has given nearly infinite avenues of opportunity for interaction but the factor of being genuine is still thankfully a human one. The whole cynical and jaded windbag angle is so played out, you know? Getting noticed in a field where everyone is doing all they can to be noticed isn’t some ancient, unbreakable cipher. As soon as I stopped worrying about how people would find out about SfB, people started finding out about it. It wasn’t magic. It was just a shift in focus from things that didn’t matter to the only thing that does in this context: the music. That’s honestly it.

H: The site also boasts a podcast, which I hope with every bit of my soul I can one day appear on. Could you tell our readers a little bit about that show and what its format entails?

J: The podcast was something I’d always wanted to do. I love Mike Hill’s (of Tombs) podcast on Everything Went Black Media, and I wanted something similar just to give readers another avenue of engagement with the site. I know absolutely nothing about podcasting aside from clicking “Record,” and I’d already established a good relationship with Erik Highter who was writing for Last Rites and Pop Matters at the time. Erik is a tech madman with that stuff, and he knows his shit when it comes to a wide array of music, so it was a good fit. We’re still kind of figuring the format out, and I honestly like it that way because it keeps things loose, and we’re not worked up over plugging this or that. We’ve had guests like Luc Lemay from Gorguts, Mike Scheidt of YOB, and I try to make it a point to have other metal writers on the show as well like Kim Kelly, Gary Suarez, and Adrien Begrand. I love having other writers on because it’s like a sharpening stone. It’s a necessary abrasion to keep you thinking and to make you challenge your own critical perspectives. That kind of thing is invaluable, and I think it gives the podcast an edge where we’re not just floating along our own ideas or opinions. And I’d love to have you and your soul bits on. Consider this your official invitation.

H: Before we move on, would you please tell us a bit about your goals for SFB? You started the site so you could have a hub for conversations and music discussion, but I have to wonder if there is anything else fueling your continuing efforts in music writing.

J: I think the goal has largely stayed the same for me. I want to challenge myself. Whether that’s with getting the impossible interview or with maturing as a writer and a critic it’s all related to the kind of self-awareness I have to keep in check daily. There are bucket list artists I’d love to interview, of course, and I get stoked as hell when those opportunities come around, but the end of this for me is just growing as an individual by talking to other people and hearing about their experiences. For me, music is simply that. It’s a vehicle for a universal conversation we’re all capable of having if we’re willing to do the work it takes to make that happen.

H: I wanted to touch on your work for other publications as well, especially considering the large number of sites and magazines who have featured your work. When did you first begin writing freelance?

J: I started writing freelance in 2013 when Fred Pessaro asked me if I’d be interested in doing something for Invisible Oranges. He was with them at the time but is now Editor-in-Chief at Noisey. I did a couple of interview features there before Fred moved on to Noisey which led to me writing for them as well. Pretty much everything else has been a result of reputation and/or me pestering the hell out of editors. Usually that last one. But I owe a lot to Fred for that first big opportunity. It’s cool because it goes back to that thing where even at the “highest” level music outlets, the people behind the scenes are just other music nerds who’ve worked their asses off just like you.

H: Have you been approached to join any site or magazine’s staff full time yet? If not, is that something you hope to find?

J: I’ve had a couple of offers recently, but at this point there hasn’t been anything lucrative enough to put me in a position where I could quit my teaching job. Of course that’s an issue as well. I love teaching, and it’d be very difficult for me to leave that behind. For me, the source of this wasn’t for me to make money. That doesn’t mean I’m not grateful or deeply appreciative for the paying opportunities I have now. Far from it. I’m a divorced dad of three kids who teaches for a living, so I’m not delusional about my own financial needs. I just know where this came from for me, and I make sure to keep that in check regarding my own motivations. That said, I’m allowed that privilege because I have a full time job and can afford to pick and choose. Not everyone has that and it sucks. I have the utmost respect for people who freelance for a living. If you want to learn how to write, how to pitch, and how to survive in general in the music writing cesspool, those are the people you need to latch onto and learn from.

H: If you could offer one piece of advice to people reading this who may be considering the pursuit of a career in music writing, what would you tell them?

J: I’ve only been in this for two years so I’m not sure how much advice I can offer without sounding like a prick. I think the most important thing I’ve learned is to ease up on myself. Nothing is so pressing that I have to upend my own sanity to get it done. If that’s the case I didn’t prepare adequately, and that’s on me. I’d encourage anyone to pursue their love of music writing over a career in it. I know that seems glib, but it’s the truth. This work is hard, and it’s unforgiving, and it’s thankless a lot of the time, so if you’re hoping to land that big interview or the article in whatever magazine just to have the reassurance that you’re a swell person then you might want to pick up that political science degree after all and maybe do something else. Do it because you love it and do you it because you know it. If you have those two things then you can hear “NO” a hundred times and it won’t matter. You’ll get there, and it’ll be amazing because you did it on your own and without compromising.

H: More and more people are asking whether or not there is still a place for music critics and/or album reviews in a time where social media has given virtually everyone a voice. How do you feel about this?

J: I think any music critic or person for that matter who spends an inordinate amount of time worrying about their relevance in today’s culture of immediacy has pretty much already answered their own question. Everyone’s always had a voice. Not everyone has had the means to pipeline that voice to a wide audience, and the Internet changed that. The gaping maw of armchair criticism has been around a hell of a lot longer than this tiny microcosm of pop culture that pretends to have the market cornered on critical perspective. I think it’s hilarious and also unsettling that the idea of more people having a voice is somehow a threat to what’s long been a white man’s racket. Get over it. Write better, work harder, and celebrate the fact that logic dictates more voices equals a more multi-faceted perspective and Christ is that ever needed.

H: Without giving it too much thought, where do you see yourself in five years time? I know forward thinking isn’t a universal trait in the music business, but given your body of work and continued drive for success I have to imagine such planning has crossed your mind at least once or twice.

J: I don’t have the first clue, man – haha. I used to spend a great deal of my time worrying about the future because of my personal health issues, but that only created obstacles for what I wanted to do in the present which is just to be a good dad to my kids, to be a supportive partner, and to challenge the way I think, write, and react to things on a daily basis.

H: Let’s speak a little more short term. Do you have any goals or ambitions for your writing in 2015 that you care to share with us?

J: Aside from having my first novel published, I’m working with my dad on writing his memoirs. He’s an amazing human being, and I’m humbled to have the opportunity to share his incredible story with people. I’ve had an interview feature in mind since I first started SfB that I’ve been working on to the point of obsession, so hopefully that’ll gain some traction this year. Besides those things, SfB will be featuring more writing, guest spots, and critical perspectives from women this year. I’ve not done nearly enough in that regard and it bothers me because I can’t possibly expect to offer multiple perspectives for readers if it’s just a boys club hee-hawing over their favorite metal records. Who knows what else could happen?

H: Right now, what are the biggest obstacles standing between you and the aforementioned goals?

J: My biggest obstacle is myself. Period. Time management is crucial, and that’s a hard skill to master and even harder to stay consistent with when there are so many roles to fill. It’s just a matter of prioritizing and knowing what things are subject to compromise and those things that are immovable.

H: I think that is all I have for right now. Before I let you go, are there any final thoughts or comments you would like to share with our readers?

J: Never give up, never give up, never give up, never give up. Be unashamedly passionate and listen as much to your honest critics as you do the people who offer up constant praise. You’re never above shit but never below the possibilities you create for yourself if you’re just willing to work your ass off and ignore the distractions.

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News

Blogger Spotlight: Penelope Martinez (Focus Magazine)

Hello, everyone! Thanks for spending a few minutes on our site. We have a great new Blogger Spotlight to share today, and I personally have a feeling you are going to love the publication being discussed. It’s familiar enough to be easily accessible, but the team behind it is driven to such an extreme there is little as to whether or not they’ll soon be setting the standard for blogging amongst young writers.

This site exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

I have mentioned this before, but it feels like 2015 will be the year we see more and more music blogs attempting to craft digital magazines – either for profit or not – to expand their online presence. A few sites already doing this have been featured on the blog before, including the wonderful team at Highlight Magazine, but when we did there were very few direct competitors to their style or release schedule. That seems to be changing now, and today we’re thrilled to introduce you to a young digital publication that is starting to gain a lot of attention in the alternative world.

Focus Magazine is the brainchild of Penelope Martinez, a freshman college student from the state of Illinois with a passion for music and photography to match any of her industry peers. Penelope has been a lifelong fan of music, but her interest in the business really took off after see-and later meeting-the band Mayday Parade. Being in the crowd at one of their shows changed Penelope’s entire life, and today she’s helping a growing number of fellow aspiring industry professionals chase their dreams through her efforts with Focus Magazine. She doesn’t do it all alone, of course, and during our exclusive interview this past week Penelope made sure to mention those who are assisting her in building this new music empire. You can read that conversation, which also includes information on how you can apply to write for Focus, below.

As with any young blog, Focus Magazine needs your support to thrive. If you enjoy this feature, or if you just want to show your support to struggling creative people, give the magazine a follow on Twitter and a ‘like’ on Facebook.

H: Hey, Penelope. How are you today? What is life like in your neck of the woods (or city, or plains area)?

P: I’m doing pretty swell actually. Day off from work, had some iHop, weather was ok, went on a cool adventure to the frozen Lake Michigan which is 5 minutes from my house. Can’t really complain! I live a few minutes from downtown Chicago so life here is pretty hectic. At least for me it is haha.

H: I always want to ask people about the city they’re from specifically, but in this business people are often traveling, so I found its best to just ask where they are and build from there. I’m sure you can relate.

P: Of course. I’m not traveling… yet. Hopefully someday soon or in the next few years I’ll be able to answer with something like “well tonight we’re in this city.” But not tonight!

H: Anyways, it’s great to speak with you today. I’m so excited to feature you on the blog. I admittedly did not know of your publication until you reached out to highlight Haulix. When did you launch Focus Magazine?

P: I don’t blame you! Focus is still a relatively small outlet. I launched it almost a year ago with my friend Mariana. I had first launched a minimal news blog but gave up within a few weeks. Then I met Mariana and we both enjoyed the same artists and thus Focus began.

H: Before we go to far down that path, I do want to learn about your youth. When did you become interested in alternative music?

P: That’s a tough one. I grew up listening to radio music, top 40 kind of stuff. Then I learned Yahoo Videos was a thing and I listened to Eminem, Chris Brown, Jay Z and more hip hop artist on the daily. I think it was sometime between 5th and 6th grade that I was introduced to alternative bands however. I had a friend who was in love with Pierce the Veil and Avril Lavigne, we sat next to each other in Science class so I eventually got hooked on alternative music.

H: First concert?

P: I wouldn’t count this as my first one but what the hell – Plain White Ts and Sean Kingston, weird combo right? It was in a small parking lot somewhere outside Chicago. The local radio station announced it the day of and it was free so I begged my mom. But my first real show, without my mom, was Mayday Parade, The Maine and The Postelles on October 3rd 2012. It was the show that changed my life. It also made me very broke because it was sold out and I bought the tickets off some dude on Craiglist for $40. It was worth it though, I got to meet Derek and Jeremy who were relaxing behind the venue, I was at the end of the line. It pays to be at the end of the line sometimes.

H: Have you chosen to pursue anything related to your industry work through college or other forms of higher education?

P: Well right now I’m a freshman in college but I’ve only taken 3 classes. I’m taking this semester off due to some issues with the school, but school had nothing to do with me wanting to work in the industry. When I went to my first concert (Mayday Parade one) I spotted a photographer in the pit and it sparked something in me. I knew of other photographers such as Adam Elmakias but I never really considered the possibility of me doing what he did, until I tried it out. After a couple of months doing photography, I realized I could do more and create more connections by being more involved in the industry. School is cool, just not a priority for me. (Sorry mom.)

H: Your email mentions photography, so is it safe to say you were into shooting shows and other things prior to running your own site, or did they happen simultaneously?

P: Shooting shows definitely came first. Photography in general has always been a huge part of my life but I left it during my first year of high school so I could focus on school (no pun intended). It didn’t help haha. During my sophomore year I thought, “what the hell, I might as well be putting my time into something I love if I’m going to be screwing up in school.” So I did. I picked my camera and haven’t put it down since. After a year or so of shooting for an outlet, I decided it was time for me to try to do my own thing.

H: Did you design the site yourself? It’s a very clean and modern look.

P: I wish I could take credit but sadly no, I didn’t do anything. It’s all thanks to Squarespace. They’re lovely.

H: How would you describe the content found on Focus Magazine to someone who had never visited the site before?

P: We’re a super small magazine who features rad people who love what they do. We’re all about showing the fans just how big the music industry is and how much work goes into it. There is so much more to a band or artist than meets the eye and we’re here to showcase that.

H: What would you say your site offers that cannot be found on other music blogs? Why should someone choose you over, say, another site covering the wide spectrum of alternative rock?

P: I think that our “Artist of the Month” and “Behind the Band” features set us apart from other outlets. As I stated before, we’re all about showcasing the people who help an artist in any way possible; whether it be by designing their merch, managing them on tour, documenting them or whatever their job is, we want the fans to know these people exist. Not many people look at a cool shirt and say “Hey man, nice shirt. Who’s your designer?” And we want to change that. We also want fans to acknowledge the crews of the bands. TMs, sound techs, publicists, merch slingers- anyone who helps the artist be where they are now. These people work their butts off and rarely get recognition. It’s time to change that. But I don’t think readers should “choose” us over another outlet, I do suggest they check us out because we’re a bit different than other magazines, and different is good.

H: There is also a digital magazine component to your efforts. Can you tell us a little about that project and the work that goes into it? I noticed the last ‘issue’ came out near the end of November.

P: Ah yes, our magazine. This is definitely the most challenging part of our outlet. It’s a pain in the butt in all honesty. But it’s so so sooooooo worth it! Every month (or so we try), we gather up as much content as we can so we can release it in our issue. I am lucky enough to have my friend Lori (lorigutman.com) as the managing editor. She helps me with everything Focus related. Together, we make lists of artists we’d like to feature and artists who will be visiting the cities where we have photographers and writers. We then shoot an email to their publicists and hope to get interviews and shoots with said artists. We also find a wide range of artists of other mediums ( photography, design, drawing etc.) and people working in the music industry and we ask to feature them as well.

But of course, sometimes things don’t go as planned- like with our December issue. We had a bunch of amazing content lined up, it was actually going to be our biggest issue ever. Our artist of the year was Lights- I had Lori do a photo shoot with her and everything. Unfortunately, the writer we assigned to conduct the interview with Lights had some technical problems and wasn’t able to write a proper story. Aside from that, most of the artists we had didn’t turn in the interviews in time so we didn’t have enough content to release an issue that I would have been proud of. This isn’t the first time it has happened; we’ve had many ups and downs, but I’m not ready to let some bumps in the road stop me. I’ve put everything I have into Focus and it’s too important to me.

H: When can we expect the next issue to be release? Any chance you will tell us who we can expect to see on the cover?

P: We are back this month and the issue releases on the 24th! We got some real cool people in it like Matty Voguel, Pup, Have Mercy, MAX and many more. As for our cover artist, let’s just say this band wants their fans to Hold On, because Pain Ends. They “Know Hope.” (;

H: How much planning goes into one of these issues? How far out are you currently working? Have you gotten to summer content yet?

P: A ton of planning goes into them. We had the Tonight Alive issue planned 2 months in advance for example. We like to make lists of everything -tours, artists, festivals, people- so we plan ahead of time to be safe. Right now we have plans up to our one year anniversary. I have many ideas for this one even though it’s a couple of months away. In order to help us plan, I have our photography team shoot me a list of shows and artists they’d like to cover and work with. I then discuss everything with Lori and we strategize. We also have to assign interviews, albums, shows and such to writers. We have two emails for the outlet so we have a ton of people reaching out to be featured or reviewed and that helps. Aside from that, we have to plan with the artists and their team as well. We have to make sure that the artists will have enough time to answer the interview questions and that our writers will have enough time to turn said interviews into stories. It’s pretty hectic. I usually have only a few days to put it all together so lately I’ve been getting a head start on the design part.

As for the summer content, I have some ideas of festivals and artists that I think would be rad to feature. Lori and I haven’t thought too much about it though. She goes to school full time and I work full time so we only get to plan for a couple of hours at night. We make it work.

H: This is a lot of work to do for little to no pay. Do you have any plans to monetize your efforts in the future?

P: In all honesty, I don’t. I have no clue how I would even get money out of an online outlet. Sure, I can sell “merch” and put ads in the magazine, things like that, but even then, it’s not something that’s on my to-do list. As long as the fans and readers get access to our content free and they’re happy with it, I’m happy. If someday our readers begin to ask for physical copies then maybe I’d have to find a way to give that to them. Magcloud and Issuu print digital magazines for a semi low cost (around $7-10) so I don’t think I could even get a profit out of that. Sorry to all my staff who were hoping to get paid! But you never know, maybe I get some really cool sponsorship from a print company in a few years. Besides, the economy isn’t really good right now, at least my boss says so haha.

H: How many people are on your staff? Contributors?

P: I have a small team of staff: 9 photographers around the U.S, 1 in Canada, 1 in the U.K, and 3 writers. I’m short staffed on writers so if anyone reading this wants to apply, please do so!!

H: Are you looking to expand either of those groups? If so, how can people apply to join the Focus Magazine team?

P: Yes, I need more writers. A lot more. If you’re good at grammar and have a passion for writing, please shoot us an email! You get to meet cool people and Lori will help you grow as a writer. I have asked her many times to write my essays because I suck. She doesn’t want to. If you want more info visit http://focuszine.com/about/apply/ or shoot us an email directly at info@focuszine.com. We need more writers, I can’t stress it enough.

H: Speaking of people looking to get a start in music journalism, what advice would you give to people aspiring to be a part of the online writing community?

P: Have excellent grammar and amazing transitions! But in all seriousness, if you’re genuinely interested in music journalism, be open to learning new things and just have an open mind in general. You’re going to have to interview and review artists you’re not a fan (musically and professionally) of, but keep it professional. Try to not be biased. Give small artists a shot, give them their first real interview and don’t be a jerk if someone criticizes your work. When trying to come up with interview questions, make sure you’re not asking questions that can be easily answered by searching past interviews or looking online. I’ve heard many artists comment about how they hate doing interviews sometimes because they get asked the same questions. The most important thing is be confident with yourself and never stop growing. Don’t underestimate how far you can go.

H: 2015 is still relatively new, so how about you share some of the goals you have for Focus in the months ahead?

P: One of my main goals is to expand the genres of music that we cover. I love the scene we’re in, but as I mentioned before, I grew up with hip hop and pop music. I’d love to get Chance the Rapper in the magazine, some Chicago natives. Maybe some pop artists too. I also want to feature more mediums of art. We have the “Artist of the Month” feature where we interview designers, illustrators, photographers and more, but I’d love to have some actors too. There’s nothing wrong with loving Bring Me the Horizon and Taylor Swift at the same time.

H: What would you say are the biggest hurdles standing between you and achieving the goals mentioned above?

P: I think it’s kind of risky to try to cover such a wide range of artists, people might be confused as to what we’re doing here. I tend to not take risks with Focus and I think that’s one of the main problems I have. Lori has helped a lot, she’s pushed me to shoot for greater things and it’s been good. I also think that publicists and managers would be cautious with an outlet that covers Rap and Indie and Rock artists because one of the only magazines to do so is Rolling Stone, so I would think they’d be like “hmm this is weird.” The main obstacle, however, is that I tend to compare Focus and my personal work to others. That’s a huge problem in any profession. I’ve gotten better at it but every once in a while I catch myself thinking about how well others are doing or if someone did something already I shouldn’t because it’s not unique anymore, things like that. It’s a terrible habit but I’m working on it.

H: Do you hope to make this a career in any way? What do you see Penelope doing in 5 years?

P: I do. If I don’t find a career with this, I have no clue what I would do. In five years I’d like to be traveling with a band and stressing out over the next issue of Focus. If the music industry isn’t my path, then I’d like to have a rehabilitation center for wild and domestic animals open where people with physical and mental traumas can visit and let it out a bit.

H: If you could recommend one artist for everyone to listen to, who would it be and what song would you choose?

P: Oh geez, there are so many I can think of. I would have to go with some locals, Gardens (https://www.facebook.com/gardenschi), listen to “Sleep” off of their newest album Death in the Family. Also Sleep On It (http://sleeponitband.tumblr.com), their EP Everything, All At Once is phenomenal and they were the first cover artist of Focus. Proud of that. I love the Chicago local music scene but these two bands are my favorites. I can see them doing amazing things.

H: I think that covers everything. Before I let you go, are there any final thoughts or observations that you would like to share with our readers?

P: I really hope I didn’t scare anyone into not starting their own outlet or doing what they love. If you truly love it and enjoy it, do whatever you gotta do. Also to my fellow photogs out there, don’t compare yourself to others. It’s such a terrible thing to do, because you’re awesome. We’re all awesome. Let people know how much they mean to you. If you have any questions regarding life, photography, rescuing or fostering dogs, doctor who, or anything at all, shoot me an email or a tumblr message. I love getting to know people and I’m always down to help and share what I know. Also, be kind to yourself, my friend Anam (http://amerchantphoto.tumblr.com/) sent me this really nice video, watch it if you’re having a bad day: http://youtu.be/3QF0m32zAIs. To any bands/people who are interested in getting featured or have suggestions, shoot us an email! Thank you so much for having me James. You’re rad. Stay rad.

Categories
News

Blogger Spotlight: Jesse Speelman (Real Feels TV)

Hello again, everyone. For the latest Blogger Spotlight we’ve decided to turn our focus from the world of writing to the world video. There are many great video teams creating content, and starting today we are going to do a better job of highlighting their efforts. 

This site exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

We spend a lot of time focusing our efforts on highlighting the best writers the world of music journalism has to offer, but we would be outdated dinosaurs if we did not acknowledge the fact there are some incredibly skilled media people who are also making their mark in the industry today. One such team of individuals, Real Feels TV, hails from Michigan. Today, in text form, we share their incredible story.

Thought I too call the mitten state home, my knowledge of the Real Feels team prior to setting up this feature was based largely on their work and the correspondence I read in promotion emails. Their talent was never in question, but to be honest I was a little worried I didn’t understand their multimedia efforts well enough to craft an interesting feature. I soon realized that the fact I didn’t fully understand what they did was the perfect reason to feature them, as they as managing to separate themselves from a very flooded marketplace, and they are doing it with content of the highest quality. I sent a few tweets, then an email, and just last week were finally able to connect. What follows are highlights from that conversation:

H: Hey there, thanks for joining us. Before we dive in, please take a moment and introduce yourself to our readers. Most only know your site, so why not let them know who you are:

RF: Hey, Haulix! My name is Jesse Speelman. I run Real Feels with my friend Todd. I’m 23 and live in Detroit. We’re a music outlet dedicated to sharing great music, whether it be local or national acts. We film live performances and interviews, write articles and album reviews, photograph concerts, and more.

H: It’s great to have you with us, Jesse. I know we have been hoping to make this happen for a bit, but the holidays derailed our initial plans. How has the holiday season treated you?

RF: The holiday season has been great. We’ve had a handful of filming projects and have a nice amount of work to edit and release, so we’ve kept ourselves busy.

H: Real Feels is based out of Michigan, or at least it seems that way based on the venues most frequently featured on your site. Are you a native resident?

RF: Our team right now lives in the Metro Detroit area, but we have done a little bit of work in other states as well. Venues like The Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac have been so helpful in giving us a place to film. We don’t want Real Feels to be just a Michigan thing. We’d love to have some people across the country in the future.

H: I’m from Michigan as well, but now live in Boston. I do miss the mitten state. Have you given any thought to one day leaving the area, or do you think you’ll call the great lakes state your home for life?

RF: I’m personally running a wedding photography business here and don’t have any plans to leave. Detroit has a fantastic music scene, amazing history, delicious food, and just something special about it. The weather can be rough, and the roads are atrocious, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives.

H: Before we get to the site, I’d like to know a bit about your history with music. Can you pinpoint a time in your life when you realized your interest in the arts was a bit more, shall we say, passionate than others?

RF: I think I just realized it recently. So many albums in the past few years have affected me in a way I’ve never felt before. I’ve been surrounded by amazing music since the time I was born, and until now I’ve taken it for granted.

I can’t help but show my friends and family the music that has done so much for me. I’m that kid that steals your AUX cord and turns your volume up.

H: What was your first concert?

RF: Music has been as important to my parents as it is for me, and I’m very thankful for that. The first concert experience I can recall is seeing Pat Benetar. I was young, so unfortunately there is no story to go along with that.

H: I typically do a lot of research for these interviews, but finding information on you has admittedly been a bit difficult up to this point. Have you sought out any formal education beyond high school? If so, what did you study and where did you study at?

RF: I took a semester at a community college, and realized early that it wasn’t for me. I learned photography and video from just doing it. If you come up against any problems, search YouTube or Flickr forums. Someone is bound to have had the same problem. Show your friends and family. Ask them to critique your work. Make yourself better.

H: You are stilling making your name known in the music business, but based on what you have seen and accomplished do you feel pursuing a college degree is or even useful in the hunt for permanent work in the music business?

RF: That all depends on what field you’re interested in. It might be beneficial if you’re working for a label or doing PR or something like that, but as a photographer / videographer, I think it’s more detrimental than helpful. 

The only way you’re going to learn to take pictures is to take them. You can read every book there is, take every class, get every degree, but if you haven’t put in the 10,000 hours with your camera, you’re still going to suck. Save yourself years of paying off student loans, buy a camera, and just start shooting.

H: Okay, let’s get to the site. When did Real Feels launch, and what initially inspired you to step out on your own?

RF: We started up Real Feels at the end of 2013. I had done work for a few local outlets in the past that were starting to fizzle, and I wanted to dive in a little deeper.

H: The name ‘Real Feels’ is one that rolls off the tongue rather easily, but the meaning behind the name has remained a mystery. Can you please share with us the origin story of the name ‘Real Feels’?

RF: We consciously chose a name that was easy and fun to say, but we wanted it to mean something too. We’re chasing music that makes you feel something real. Whether that’s happy, sad, silly, serious: it doesn’t matter. We just want to feel something.

H: I should say that the proper name is ‘Real Feels TV.’ Do you get upset when people shorten it?

RF: The proper name is Real Feels. We’ve just been releasing our video work under the name Real Feels TV. We’re working on getting ahold of the Twitter handle, etc..

H: How would you define the content found on your site to someone who has never visited your URL in the past? What sets your efforts apart from other sites in the alternative music realm?

RF: The first thing that sets Real Feels apart from other music outlets is we’re working with bands that we really believe in. If a band has a lot of buzz and isn’t good, we don’t have any interest in working with them. If a band is fantastic, but somehow hasn’t caught a break, you better believe we ARE going to work with them. 

Secondly, in our interviews we’re asking bands the questions that no one else asks. We’re tired of hearing questions like “What is your craziest tour story?”. YouTube has created this world where every 16 year old girl with a camera thinks she should interview a band, and for some reasons publicists APPROVE THEM. We’re asking questions that make the artists think, and that give you an idea of what they are like.

Real Feels is a passion project. We’re not trying to get rich from this. Every cent we’ve earned in the past year has been reinvested directly into what we’re doing. We want to grow and become a bigger platform for people to find great music.

H: Video is obviously a big part of the Real Feels TV, and I’m curious what initially attracted you to that area of media creation. Have you always had a strong interest in video?

RF: I began in music photography when I was 12 (more than 10 years ago now), and just recently started getting serious about video. The two seem to go hand-in-hand, but in reality each is its own entirely different world. Audio is its own third world, but I leave that up to our sound guy Jan Calo.

H: What was the first video you shot for your site, and how did you go about setting up the shoot?

RF: The first video we did for Real Feels was with my close friend Joshua Waldorf. Josh used to play guitar and sing in the band Strange Vacation (previously The Boys Of Summer). After leaving the band, he continued to write music but kept it to himself. When he played some of his songs for me, I was blown away and knew I that people had to hear it.

H: Do you have a video segment you’re most proud of? I’ve personally watched your acoustic session with Emarosa roughly two dozen times since its initial release. In fact, I’ll probably include it with this post.

RF: Circa Survive has been very important to me through my youth, so having such an intimate conversation with Anthony Green meant a lot to me. We had a lot of time to prepare the set, and we managed to stretch the 10 minutes we were given with him to 20. It helps to care about the music you’re covering, because you know which questions to ask. Anthony was very candid and honest in the interview, and it was a pleasure to talk with him.

H: You have featured a number of smaller bands on your site, as well as plenty of headliners. Do you plan to continue trying to maintain this balance, or do you have your sites set on working with bigger and bigger talent as time goes on?

RF: I think we’ll try and keep the balance. I love being able to pick the brains of artists that have already made a name for themselves, but there is just SO MUCH incredible local music that people need to hear.

H: At the end of the day, what are the main goals of Real Feels?

RF: Our goal is simply to share the music that we love. We want to keep improving the content and growing our viewership.

H: You mentioned this on Twitter not long ago, but aren’t you currently working on a new website?

RF: Yep, we’re currently in process of developing our first custom website. The site is launching at the beginning of March, and along with it will come some more content, merchandise, and announcements.

H: You’ve been on Tumblr up to this point. Will you still be using that platform as the backbone to your site, or are you launching a standalone effort?

RF: We’ll continue to use Tumblr but the custom website will take over as HQ for us. We wanted something that sets us apart and gives viewers a place to find out exactly what Real Feels is about, and Cemah Creativeis doing a beautiful job designing that for us.

H: What are the biggest lessons you have learned running your site over the last year? We’d love to have some fresh advice/perspective to share with our readers?

RF: If you want something, make it happen. This year I toured with one of my favorite bands (Conditions), interviewed another one of my favorites (Circa Survive), and photographed another (The 1975). The industry is smaller than it looks, and you can work with the bands that you love.

H Where do you hope the site is at this point in 2015? Go on, dream a little:

RF: We have big plans for the year. Like we talked about, the website is launching in March. I don’t want to give too much away, but we’re in the planning stages for a full-length documentary film. The third FeelDay is planned, and we’ve assembled some of Michigan’s best musicians to perform for us at The Warehouse in Marine City. We want to continue growing our team and working with as many new, great artists as we can.

H: What are the biggest obstacles standing between you and these goals?

RF: Absolutely nothing. We’re so fortunate for the opportunities we have, and plan to make the best out of them.

H: I thank you for taking so much time to speak with us and share your view of the industry. Before I let you go, are there any closing thoughts/comments you would like to share with our readers?

RF: If you’re in a band that is interested in working with us, e-mail us!If you’re interested in writing, photographing, videographing, designing, or just spreading the word with us, e-mail us!

Categories
News

Blogger Spotlight: Sarah Mankoff (Soundcrave Magazine)

Good afternoon, everyone! Welcome to the beginning of another work week here on the official blog of Haulix. We started this blog out of a desire to share the people behind the best music coverage with the world, and today we are continuing those effort with a brand new Blogger Spotlight feature we think you are going to love.

This blog exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you would like more information on the content in this article, or if you know of an industry pro you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

In a time where every single music blog with a news section spends the majority of any given day copying and pasting press release details into so-called ‘original content,’ creating original content in order to drive traffic is more important than ever. When you can find the same information basically anywhere you look, it’s up to the author to find a unique/creative way to deliver that information that allows them to stand out from their competition. To do this, content creators need to think outside the box and challenge themselves to step beyond their own comfort zones. I wanted to showcases someone doing just that for several weeks now, and I think we’ve found the idea role model in Soundcrave Magazine team member Sarah Mankoff.

In just over a year’s time, Sarah Mankoff has evolved from being a diehard music fan just like anyone else, to becoming one of the most influential voices in hard rock blogging targeting people ages 16-25. Through her writing and video interview efforts, Sarah has developed a unique voice in music journalism that has quickly garnered international recognition. I’m not so sure she has put a ton of thought into making a lasting career out of this endeavor just yet, but I have all the faith in the world that she could achieve such a status if it’s what she wanted to do with her life. Sarah is a driven in a way we should all hope to be, and in the interview below we’re given some insight into how she makes her way through the business on a day to day basis.

Sarah is constantly creating new content, so keep an eye on Soundcrave Magazine for her latest features. You can also follow Sarah on Twitter. Additional questions and comments should be left at the end of this post.

H: Hello, Sarah. Thank you for taking time to speak with me today.

S: No problem! Thank you.

H: You’re in Los Angeles, correct? How are things there?

S: Yes. It’s hot. Very, very hot. haha.

H: I’m curious. I know your work, but I don’t know your history. When did you first fall in love with music?

S: I’ve always been really into music. I started playing guitar in fourth grade or so, and that is when I realized I really loved it. I was not thinking about the journalism industry at that point however, I wanted to be a rockstar. (laughs) It evolved though, and I realized that I wanted to stay with the group of people I came up with, but I wanted to take my own route in life. I’m really glad I did. It might not have been what I set out to do, but I’m glad it took me to where I am now.

H: So, did you mess around in bands before writing? Are there some demos out there with Sarah’s music on them that could surface online one day?

S: I never really recorded anything. I was in a couple of bands, but nothing ever stuck. For me, I hate drama, and I think that’s one of the reasons I took to this side of the music business. Maybe one day I will though.

H: That’s fair. Do you remember your first concert?

S: Oh gosh. That’s a tough one. I think I was 13 or 14. I think it was Soundgarden. If not, it was Bullet For My Valentine.

H: Okay, let’s try albums. Do you remember the first album your bought?

S: Jeez. Okay, let me think. I think…Yes, the first album I remember buying was ‘Scream’ from Tokio Hotel.

H: Really? That’s not the type of record I would have guessed.

S: Yea, I was really into them for a little bit.

H: Let’s talk about writing. When do you think you first took an interest in writing about music?

S: Well I’ve always been a fan of writing. I’ve done poetry and creative writing for a long time. I remember trying to figure out how to blend together everything I loved, including music, writing, and photography. A friend of mine suggested that I try applying to a music outlet, which was almost exactly a year ago, and I thought it was a great idea. I reached out to the people at Soundcrave, offering to write reviews, and things took off from there.

H: So you started with album reviews?

S: Yes, I started with album reviews, and then one of the bands I wrote about had a show coming up in LA and I ended up going to interview them. I loved it.

H: Do you remember what your first review was?

S: It was the most recent release from Eyes Set To Kill.

H: Great record. I’ve spun it a few times here at HQ. Have you gone back to look at that review and compare it to the work you’re doing today?

S: I have, and it’s pretty interesting to see how much my writing has changed over the last year. I’ve become more comfortable with my writing, and I think I’ve learned a lot more about music, which hopefully comes through in my work.

H: That’s great to hear. I want to talk a bit about your video interviews, as they are the reason I first learned of your efforts. You seem to create a lot of video content.

S: Yes (laughs).

H: So who was the first band you did a video piece with?

S: It was actually Eyes Set To Kill.

H: Oh wow, so that worked out perfect.

S: Yea it did. It was a very awkward interview on my part. I had a list of questions in front of me, I was completely uncomfortable, and yea – it was a very humbling and exciting experience for me.

It’s weird to go back and watch that video now. I’ve gotten a lot better at interviews, and I feel a lot more comfortable with myself on camera.

H: It’s really hard to look cool or intelligent with a piece of paper in your hands.

S: Yea it is! Now I’m way more prepared, and I practice days ahead of each interview.

H: Do you have camera person or team that creates this content with you, or is this a project you manage on your own?

S: It depends. Sometimes I have someone come with me to ensure sound goes well and that everyone is in frame. When I don’t, I just stop randomly to make sure everything is going well. There is usually someone with me, but it’s not always the same person.

H: Do you know how many video interview you’ve done up to this point?

S: Oh, I’m not sure. I think it’s 30-something.

H: That’s one every other week. Very cool.

S: Thank you.

H: As someone who has worked hard and grown so much over the last year, what is some advice you can offer to people who may be considering doing their own video coverage?

S: I think it’s very important to know a lot about the person you’re interviewing, including release dates, tour dates, and everything in between. Also, you need to let the person that you’re interviewing control where things go. Ask a question, see how they respond, and base your next question off what they have to say. Let them decide what you’re going to talk about and things will go a lot smoother.

H: I know a lot about Soundcrave, but I know you’re very much still trying to get your name out there. Can you tell us about Soundcrave and what you do that sets you apart from your competition?

S: Soundcrave is an online music magazine. We focus on all aspects of rock, offering news, exclusive photos, videos, interviews, and the like. What sets us apart is our passion for local bands. We work with small bands because we relate to them. We are trying to get out there with no money, just like a lot of bands, and we go out of our way to help artists on the rise.

H: So you’ve done a year of Soundcrave, and I assume you’re in for at least another year, but have you given any thought to your longterm plans? Do you want to make music journalism a career?

S: I’ve thought about this a lot, and it’s definitely a passion of mine, but I’m kind of just going with the flow. I will go as far as this will take me, see where I end up, and then go from there. I don’t have a set plan, or a schedule for when I’m going to do certain things. I do what seems right in the moment.

H: How about your goals? I assume you have a few of those at this point.

S: Yea, definitely. I want to get our name out there more, and I want people to be able to see Soundcrave and think, “Because of them I discovered this great band.” Getting to the point where people recognize our efforts is a big goal of mine right now.

H: Great answer. I don’t have any additional questions, but do you have any upcoming interviews that you can promote?

S: I have 3 interviews that in the process of being edited. One is with a band called Firing All Cylinders, which I did at a festival in Long Beach a couple week ago. The other night I spoke with Michael Vampire of The Killing Light, which will be out in a few weeks. I also did one with Our Frankenstein, which is a brand new band.

H: Sounds exciting. We will certainly be looking forward to those. Thank you for taking a few minutes to speak with me about your life.

S: Thank you. It was a lot of fun.

Categories
News

Blogger Spotlight: Brandon Ringo (New Noise Magazine)

Hello and welcome to another edition of the Haulix Blogger Spotlight series. We received your numerous requests for this column to appear more frequently, and through the coming month of October we will attempt to do just that. Today’s interview runs a little longer than most, but it’s definitely worth your time.

This blog exists to promote the future of the music industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your music-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

I never get tired of meeting new writers with interesting stories to share. There may be well over a two-thousand music bloggers in existence today, and though we have spent over a year speaking with people in that realm we have barely scratched the surface as far as understanding life in music today is concerned. Today however, we get a bit closer thanks to an amazing conversation with the man known to most of the digital world as Johnny Ringo.

Brandon Ringo, the real world person behind the moniker Johnny Ringo, is a seasoned writing veteran with a wealth of experience already under his belt. He writes for New Noise Magazine and Nothing Original, as well as Amps And Green Screens. His online moniker is the result of a childhood memory involving a cast member from Duck Dynasty, but truth be told that’s a story best left for the interview. I wanted to feature Brandon for several months now, and just last week I finally got the opportunity to ask him every question I had ever thought of in regards to his career and where he sees himself in the future. His answers were, as expected, incredibly insightful. You can read our conversation below.

I’m not sure where Brandon will end up in the years ahead, but I know that as long as he keeps writing content that is on par with, if not better than what he’s been delivering in 2014 up to this point he will be able to write for anyone he desires in no time at all. Everyone, including myself, can learn something from his journey. If you have any additional questions or comments for Brandon, please post them at the end of this article.

H: Hello! I’m excited to begin and hope you are as well. Please take a moment and introduce yourself to our readers:

B: My name is Brandon Ringo, I’m 29 years old and I’m a writer for New Noise Magazine (http://newnoisemagazine.com/), which is available in both print and digital formats. I also do reviews for blogs like Nothing Original (http://nothingoriginal.net/) and Amps & Green Screens (http://ampsandgreenscreens.com/). In addition to writing, I work a full time job for “the man” helping out Small Business customers, which has turned out to be a lot more gratifying and fulfilling than it sounds. I also have an amazingly supportive, wonderful and patient wife named Amber and a one year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Charles Barkevious Ringo, who I have taught to bark the chorus to “Who Let The Dogs Out?”

H: It’s great to have you with us, Brandon. Though, we should say that some may also know you by the name Johnny Ringo. I guess that’s probably as good a place as any to start. What’s the story behind the nickname?

B: Wow, it’s kind of hilarious you ask that, actually. That nickname was given to me about 16 or 17 years ago by a man named Jason Robertson, who many know as Jase from the A&E show Duck Dynasty. My dad is good friends with the Robertson family and we went to their church for a while and Jason was my Sunday School teacher for a while. The first time he met me, he said “Johnny Ringo! Son, you know they wrote a song about you?” and as I stared back confused, he started singing the Lorne Green song “Ringo”. Eventually, when I started using Myspace and Facebook to promote local shows I was booking, I thought it’d be way more fun to use a nickname and it just kind of stuck. Also, it should be noted that my uncle once traced our family history and realized that we are in fact kin to the outlaw Johnny Ringo somewhere down the line and his death in Tombstone still makes me cry to this day.

H: Well I appreciate you telling me and for letting me call you by your real name. Let’s talk a bit about your history. What are your earliest memories of music?

B: Music has been all around me ever since I can remember. My dad has been a DJ at various radio stations since well before I was born and used to have a massive record collection and music was always playing in our house. As far as musical memories go though, it all really started with Steely Dan. The very first song I remember being my favorite was “Deacon Blues” at a very, very young age, which is kind of funny when you think about the song’s story. In addition to Steely Dan, I remember my dad playing a lot of Doors, Pink Floyd and Allman Brothers records when I was a kid, as well as stuff like ZZ Top, Deep Purple and Humble Pie. At one point, he was working at a pop station and a lot of that music rubbed off on me as well. Specifically, I remember being obsessed with the song “She Drives Me Crazy” by Fine Young Cannibals to the point that it was all I wanted to listen to until my tape magically disappeared, haha! As far as metal goes, I also remember the incredible waves of fear and awe that crept over me the first time I heard Black Sabbath’s “Electric Funeral” and Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”. It was loud and scary and I didn’t know how to process it entirely, but I knew I liked it. I also will never forget the time a guy in high school told me to listen to “Hammer Smashed Face” by Cannibal Corpse thinking it would scare me to death. Naturally it did, but I was more intrigued and excited about it and had to hear more!

H: Did you aspire to be involved in music from an early age, or did you have other passions when you were young? I know I wanted to be a scientist until a few pop punk albums changed my world.

B: Though I’ve always been obsessed with music, I wanted to be a football player when I grew up, honestly. That is until I actually started playing football in high school and realized it sucked. At that point music took on a substantially more important role and I was more excited about Metallica and Led Zeppelin than anything ever.  I didn’t really start aspiring to have something more to do with music though until I graduated from high school and started getting a lot more involved in my local scene.

H: What was the first album you purchased with your own money? Format?

B: It was Oasis’ (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? on cassette tape. A friend of mine had the cd and played it enough to where I became obsessed with hearing more of it and bought it as soon as I could! Also, a few years later, I had just got into collecting cd’s when one of my neighbors lost her cat and was offering a reward for it. Well, somehow the cat had snuck into my house and nobody noticed, so when I found her and brought her back over, she gave me some money and I promptly spent it on Jimi Hendrix – Live At Woodstock and felt like a king!

H: Do you remember the first artist you saw in concert? Bonus points if you share an early ‘fan boy’ story of sorts.

B: This story is always kind of embarrassing, honestly. My mom used to work at this TV station in Florida that would give away tickets to concerts at this big amphitheatre in town. One time, she won tickets to a Celine Dion concert and I decided to tag along and it was one of the weirdest experiences ever! A few years later after moving to Louisiana, my aunt took me to my first “metal” concert, which was Ratt, Warrant, Dokken, LA Guns and Firehouse, which was awesome! Not only did I see my first pair of rock concert boobs (unfortunately they were from an overweight older lady), I caught my first pick ever from the guitarist of Dokken! Both were equally as important however, because one taught me to appreciate the art of live performance and the other taught me that rock/metal shows were 100% my favorite thing in the world.

H: Going back to something we discussed a minute ago, was there ever a ‘lightbulb moment’ in your life that let you know music would play a major role in your life? You know, as something more than a hobby?

B: It was the first time I went to a local show, actually. A friend of mine invited me to see his pop punk band Lot 27 play at this coffee house in town and it was the first time I really saw underground music played live. It was one of those things that I didn’t really get at the time, but I knew it was special and interesting and from then on, I went to as many local shows as I could. Eventually, I got involved in the scene enough that I decided to start booking shows of my own and it was from there that I began to truly fall in love with all of the facets of the music industry. I remember always getting as much thrill out of the chase-and-catch of emailing booking agents to put shows together as I did the actual shows themselves. Although to be honest, dealing with publicists is WAY easier than dealing with booking agents since there aren’t huge guarantees on the line!

H: One of the topics we’re most often asked to discuss is whether or not aspiring industry professionals should pursue higher education. Some believe it helps get a leg up in the business world, while others believe it’s better to try and make your own path and learn along the way. Where do you stand on this topic?

B: I personally feel that both methods are incredibly effective. Getting a degree is obviously something that looks incredible on a resume and you can definitely learn a lot. It also increases your earning potential and can help gain a lot more contacts. However, I also believe that it isn’t worthwhile going preposterously in debt unless you know for a fact that you’re going to get something to show for it and the career field you’re going into is something you will be happy devoting your life to. Personally, I went to a community college to get an IT-centered degree and figured I would be chained to that sort of thing as my future career. As these things happen though, I took an English class with a teacher who told me I had a knack for creative writing and encouraged me to pursue it more. I didn’t really believe her, but I decided to try it, so I started a blog and began writing reviews of new albums that I thought were pretty cool. I think that it’s definitely been more gratifying learning as I go, rather than being taught exactly what to do. It makes it easier to inject my personality and write from the heart, rather than feeling pressured to do things a certain way because I spent $100,000 to learn how to do it, you know?

H: You’ve written for a number of entertainment publications over the years, but what was the first site or zine to give you an opportunity to write about music? Please tell us about that initial experience and the work you did.

B: My first real forays into writing about music seriously were these crappy WordPress and Blogspot blogs I started in college. My first REAL opportunity though, came from Hails & Horns Magazine. It was this magazine that was sort of the heavy metal spin-off of AMP Magazine, which was more well-known for covering punk and hardcore at the time. One day they posted an email address on Facebook to contact them about something and I decided to take a chance and inquire about contributing. Sure enough, a couple of days later a wonderful man named Tony Shrum wrote me back and told me they would be down and had me contact their editor Lisa Root. After a few days, she replied back and said she would be glad to let me contribute and the rest is history. Also, I’d like to say that Lisa and Tony are both with New Noise Magazine now and are maybe my favorite people ever. They have seriously spoiled me and made this whole experience a lot easier and more fun than I ever thought was possible.

H: Do you remember your first album review and/or interview?

B: I honestly can’t remember what albums I first started reviewing. I do remember my first interviews like they were yesterday though! My first big one for Hails & Horns was an emailer with Jacob Bannon of Converge, which was a dream come true and a half. The truly scary/amazing thing though, is that my first ever phone interview was with Steve Harris of Iron Maiden to promote his upcoming solo record. Up until that week, I didn’t even know any of the logistics of how to record a phone interview or how to do the questions or anything, really. The scariest part was when his manager came on and said “Brandon, you’re on the phone with Steve Harris”. I almost had a heart attack! Amazingly though, it went supremely well and no interview since then has had me as nervous, because Steve Harris basically invented heavy metal, so if he didn’t hate me nobody else would be allowed to, haha!

H: This is more for fun than anything else, but have you ever thought to take some time and revisit those earlier works? Sometimes I cringe thinking about the way I probably wrote when I was just starting out.

B: Honestly, I will go back and read old interviews and reviews every once in a while, but for the most part I try to avoid it. I guess because it can be a tad embarrassing. There have been occasions though, where I’ve been lost on question ideas and gone back and found interviews in the past with questions that worked really well and tried to incorporate those and they’ve worked wonders.

H: You’re currently located in Louisiana, which is not exactly the first place people think of when imagining the homes of music journalists. What can you tell us about the music scene where you live? I know you also lived in Florida at one point, so if you’re able to compare the two areas we’d love to hear it:

B: It really is a huge surprise to me that there aren’t more writers/journalists in this state. Though it certainly isn’t the best place to live in terms of politics and skin-seering humidity, it’s a musical treasure trove, especially in New Orleans. As far as my town’s scene goes, it’s kind of hit or miss. There are a lot of interesting and enjoyable local bands in town like The Vidrines, Prestor Jon, Mailbomber and The Flying Humanoids. But I don’t get out to a lot of local shows as much as I used to though because I don’t drink anymore and a lot of my friends have moved away, so it’s not as fun as it once was. As far as Florida goes, when I lived there I was way too young to ever go to any local shows, unfortunately. What made this more depressing was when I read the book Extremity Retained which mentions multiple mind-numbingly brutal shows with bands like Cannibal Corpse, Immolation and Malevolent Creation going on in the town I lived in during that same timeframe. A few years ago though, I did actually get to see a show in Florida while visiting my mom. In fact, the headliner was Sky Eats Airplane, this band that went on to be kind of big. The funny part about it though, is that the openers were all super lame and I ended up getting bored and leaving when one of them did an emo version of “Hey Jealousy” by Gin Blossoms.

H: I don’t personally think geographic location matters as much today as it did twenty years ago, but some think everything cool only happens in LA and NYC. Do you travel a lot for coverage, or do you wait for tours and artists to come through your area?

B: The good thing about my location is that I’m 3-5 hours from Dallas, New Orleans and Little Rock, so plenty of cool stuff is at my disposal. Unfortunately, I don’t get to travel as often as I’d like, so it has to be something super big and worth the trip and expenses. Also, when I go to that stuff, I don’t feel like working, so I just buy my ticket and enjoy it like it’s more of a vacation of sorts. Every once in a while, bands worth covering like Helmet and The Sword have come to my town, which rules, but that stuff is few and far between.

H: I’d like to talk about your work conducting interviews, if only because that is how I first came across your work. You’ve done many interviews of the past several years, perhaps more than any other type of featured content. Is there anything about this type of article that holds your interest more than, say, album reviews?

B: The funny part about this is that I never intended on doing interviews. When I first started, I was mostly into reviews and lists and stuff and interviews didn’t seem like a thing I would be good at, so I didn’t worry with them. Eventually though, I wanted to help promote my friend’s bands, so I started doing email interviews and truly fell in love with the process. Once I started writing for Hails & Horns and then New Noise however, interviews became substantially more important. At first it was the thrill of talking with bands that I really liked, but eventually it turned into a genuine fascination with the songwriting process and how different it is for each artist. I still like doing reviews, but it feels weird sometimes because I know that you don’t need to read my review to decide if you’re going to like a record or not. Whereas with interviews I get to tell the artist’s story and really discuss the thought process behind the record, which is substantially more interesting.

H: Do you have a favorite interview? We’d love to hear a story about your most memorable interview experience.

B: There are quite a few that I would consider favorites, but for different reasons. In fact, last night I had one of my favorite overall conversations ever with Steve Austin of Today Is The Day. It was super insightful and definitely the most personal and heartfelt conversation I’ve had with a musician thus far and left me sort of shaken. The one I’m most proud of was Rob Zombie though. It was one of those that started out with boring, generic answers, but after three or four questions I could feel a switch flip and he got comfortable and the answers got progressively better and better! Another memorable one for me was the time I got to interview Oderus Urungus (R.I.P.) of Gwar and he was more interested in talking about drinking dog piss than discussing music!

H: Do you have a method or routine you follow when working on interviews? If so, what is it?

B: My process has evolved quite a bit as I’ve gotten more experienced, but two things have always remained the same and will never change. When the request is first approved, I begin obsessively listening to the band’s new record and their past discography and jotting down the stuff that immediately pops into my head. As the interview gets scheduled and gets closer, I start repeatedly asking myself “Okay, what do you REALLLLY want to know most about this person?” At that point, it all depends on if it’s being done by email or phone. If I’m doing by email, I get a list of 5-10 “skeleton questions” and kind of mold them into real questions. I used to do the same thing for phoners, but now I just leave the topics in their skeletal form to avoid asking robotic-sounding questions and use them more as topic suggestions, basically.

H: What advice would you offer to aspiring writers and future industry professionals who may be reading this about making it in the music business today?

B: Unfortunately, success in the music industry is something that boils down to 50% hard work, 30% good luck and 20% knowing the right people. My best advice is to realize this up front and only get into the business if you are truly obsessed with your field, because most music industry jobs are incredibly thankless. As a writer, the most important thing to remember is that monetarily speaking, you’ll never get out of it what you put in, so dedication to the craft has to be your main motivation. If you are truly motivated by and obsessed with music all of your hard work will still be rewarded, but the reward comes in other forms. For me, it comes in the form of getting new music early, landing interviews with people I love and respect, as well as the catharsis that comes from finding the perfect wording for a piece and finishing the piece in general. I know there’s better advice I could give, but understanding exactly what you’re getting yourself into ahead of time and deciding from there if it’s worth your time is the best thing any budding professional should know.

H: We should note that you are not a full time writer at this point. You freelance for many publications, but you also have another job on the side. Would you ideally like to write full time, or are you happy with where you’re at right now? I know many don’t want to be full time writers because there is very little job security with those roles.

B: When I first started writing for Hails & Horns, I was really sick of my day job and all I wanted was to write full time because it was more fun and interesting. Now though, I’m really happy with where I’m at with my day job and writing has taken its natural place as simply a creative outlet/hobby that I GET to do. I think if it turned in to something I HAD to do, it would probably get boring as well. It’s just so nice to take a break or lunch and start working on interview questions or an article or review or something, because it truly provides a nice break for my brain to think about fun things for a little bit.

H: You’ve used many digital distribution platforms to preview and review music over the years. Which services do you prefer and why?

B: Though I have used a lot of different sites, I’ll still never forget the first time I was sent a link from Haulix, honestly. I just really loved being able to read the press release and stream/download music all in the same place without having to download huge pdf files and stuff like that. I’m also a big fan of this site called promojukebox.com which also has great functionality, plus I can actually use it on my phone, which is very cool.

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

B: I truly don’t think there’s a lot I would change about the music industry. Though it sucks that musicians aren’t able to make money the way they used to, it truly separates the cream of the crop nowadays. Before, labels would throw fistfuls of dollars at any trend they could find, whereas now bands have to work harder and put more effort into being creative and interesting and they have to tour their asses off and truly bleed for their art. Thus, if you’re not truly committed and obsessed with your craft, you’re better off becoming a doctor or lawyer, because they are way better ways of earning money. One thing I would actually change though, is I would do away with Clear Channel. As someone who enjoys occasionally listening to the radio on the way to or from work, or even as the little kid who would sit glued to the radio ready to record songs I loved for mix tapes, Clear Channel has completely shattered that experience in many ways. I’m not going to go off on a huge rant, but I truly believe they have had a massive hand in the music industry’s apocalypse. Also, as far as downloading music is concerned, I think it’s fantastic that bands and labels have finally learned to embrace that technology and learned how to use it to their advantage rather than running away from it with their tails between their legs and blaming it for all of their problems.

H: What are your biggest goals as far as writing is concerned, and what stands in the way of you achieving them?

B: My goals as a writer seem to be changing every day, honestly. When I first started doing it, I told myself that I was only in it for the new records and anything else was gravy. At this very point in time though, I have three specific goals. The first is to interview a member of Metallica, my favorite band of all time. The second is to interview Lemmy of Motörhead. The third would be to interview Donald Fagen and/or Walter Becker of Steely Dan. The only thing standing in the way of Lemmy and/or Metallica is just finding the right opportunity at this point. Eventually, a time will come up when those are feasible, but it’s just a matter of being patient. As far as Steely Dan goes, there are a few obstacles. Specifically, the sites/magazines I contribute to don’t really fit the mold of a publication that they would normally be covered by, so that is a big one. The other obstacle would just be finding the right time/reason/opportunity like with anything.

H: Where do you see yourself in five years?

B: I honestly don’t know. With the way the world is right now, there’s literally no telling. My only true goal in life is to be happy and make others happy when I can. As long as I have my wife, my puppy and my record collection, I think I’ll be good! To give you a better answer though, I’d really like to be in a higher-up position at work and I’d really like to still be contributing stories for the print version of New Noise. It would also be rad if I was also able to contribute stuff for Decibel Magazine, my favorite magazine of all time! Oh and if I landed that Steely Dan interview, that’d be pretty cool as well.

H: Okay, I think that covers everything. Before I let you go, are there any final thoughts or observations that you would like to share with our readers?

B: Kind of going back to advice I would give to writers, I would just like to say that the most important thing any writer can do is learning to consistently finish what you start. For some reason, I have had difficulties with this in the past, but it really is incredibly important to your personal/professional growth to learn how to create an idea and see it all the way through to its completion. If a piece or project or something seems like it’s getting the best of you, let that motivate you to work harder to finish it instead of letting that scare you off, because in the end you’re only making yourself better for finishing it and turning it in. 

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News

Blogger Spotlight: Lav Nandlall (Heavy Metal Duchess)

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the beginning of a new week here on the official blog of Haulix. We are thrilled to know you have chosen to spend a few minutes of your time with us. The content you are about to read has been in the works for well over a week, and we promise it will not disappoint.

This blog exists to promote the future of the music industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your music-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

We try our absolute best to scour the internet on a regular basis in search of the latest and greatest blogs producing eye-catching content. More often than not these efforts help us discover the writers who later appear on this blog, but every now and then a person comes along who takes it upon themselves to bring their efforts to our attention. This past week that person was named Lav Nandlall, and today we are excited to share her journey in music with you.

I’ll admit to never having heard of Lav Nandlall before receiving her interview request to speak with Haulix founder, Matt Brown, at the end of July. I was immediately taken by the name of her blog, Heavy Metal Duchess, and knew right away we would have to highlight her work on our site when time allowed. Lav completed her interview with Matt a little over a week ago, and not long after she also made time to interview me (James). Once that was complete, we turned the tables and asked Lav to share her experiences with us. The results of that conversation can be found below.

Lav still has a lot to learn about life in the music industry, but she’s doing everything she possibly can to position herself for success in this business over the long term. Read her motivations and plans below, then ask yourself what you can do to improve your own standing in today’s music business. If you have any questions or thoughts you wish to add, please leave them in the comments section at the end of this post.

H: Hello! Before we begin, please take a moment and introduce yourself to our readers:

LN: Hi! My name is Lav Nandlall and I’m a freelance writer.

H: Thanks for joining us, Lav. I’ve never had the opportunity to interview someone who has previously interviewed me. It’s a little weird. Is this a first time crossover for you as well?

LN: This is a bit weird. Just like you, I’m the one who asks the questions. To be on the other side of the canon is strange.

H: Well I am incredibly grateful for your interest in Haulix, which is what initially brought your work to my attention, but I must admit I’ve become a fan of your work in general sense we first met. Tell me, do you remember the first time you thought about trying to make a career out of writing?

LN: Thanks, James! A little back story here: I have an older brother who emancipated my family when I was about 10 years old. Since then, I was the only child in my family and neighbourhood. To keep myself occupied, I began reading voraciously. I started writing plays too. I begged my parents to buy me a video camera and started making home videos using my plays. I found a lot of comfort in writing. I could create multiple characters, places and scenarios. When I was almost graduating high school I stated that I wanted to venture in journalism because I had never forgotten my love for words.

So, that is why I went about with a career in writing.

H: Let’s take it back a little bit further. When you think of your earliest encounters with music, what comes to mind?

LN: My parents had some Beatles and Jimi Hendrix records lying around the house amongst the Lata Mangeshkar and Bollywood pop.

I must have been around 14 years old when I developed my own taste in music.
A kid from my class bootlegged CD’s and sold them for $2 each. I asked the kid if he could make an Avril Lavigne CD for me. He agreed and handed it to me the next day. When I got home that afternoon, I realized that the kid gave me the wrong CD. Instead of Avril Lavigne, I was listening to something else. Those guitars, drums and vocals gave me goose bumps. I never heard anything like that before. I couldn’t decide if it was good or bad. It was new, fascinating and inviting. It was Pantera!

That was my gateway drug to heavy metal and I never turned back.

H: Do you recall the first album you purchased with your own money? Bonus points for the format and the reason why you bought it in the first place.

LN: Guess that rules out the Backstreet Boys. My first genuine jewel case album purchase was “Fragile” by Saron Gas (now known as Seether). I saw them play a few hours before that in a dingy back room with a red door. Their set was hyped and I was blown away. I also overheard somebody in the crowd say “Saron Gas are Nirvana influenced” and so my hunt began for a Nirvana album.

H: Okay, last bit of history before moving onto your career – First concert experience? Go on, tell us an early ‘fan girl’ story:

LN: I was fortunate to go to many small pub shows in the middle of nowhere, South Africa. However, my first amphitheatre style concert was in my first year of university. I went to see a band called The Parlotones. At the time, The Parlotones were big in the South African pop music charts and were carving their way to international success. After the show, a friend and I spent the night partying with The Parlotones and their crew. I do remember making an oath with the band saying that one day I’ll be the best band manager in South Africa. If that didn’t happen then I shall buy them a chicken and mayonnaise pie. Now that I mentioned it, I owe them that chicken and mayonnaise pie!

H: Okay, back to writing. We already covered when you first thought about writing, but when did you actually get your start? If you kept diaries or journals that’s one thing, but I’m curious about your first writing for someone else, or at least for an audience.

LN: In 2010, I was living in Germany. The winter was a bit harsh and I spent most of my evenings indoors. Everyone I knew had a blog of some sort. So to keep myself occupied at night, I started a blog called Air Guitar. The aim was to write about heavy metal from around the globe. I was definitely inspired by Sam Dunn’s documentary Global Metal. The blog took off (after a few months) and people started noticing. I was soon “poached” by Raymond Westland (former Chief Editor of Ghost Cult magazine) to write for a few of his projects. Raymond was my first editor and I learned a lot in terms of style, deadlines and target audience.

H: Do you remember what some of those first posts were about? Why did you choose to begin with them?

LN: My English teacher once said, “Write about what you know and the rest will fall into place”. That is exactly what I did on my first posts for Air Guitar. I visited several festivals in Europe that summer so I could write from my own experiences and share it with others. I also wrote about heavy metal in different countries using the viewpoint of a traveller.

H: You studied English and Art in college. Was writing a motivation behind that decision?

LN: Absolutely. I aspired to be a journalist. Living a cocooned lifestyle makes you think anything is possible and it’s easy. However, the outside world taught me otherwise. An ‘aspiration to be anything’ is not enough. Passion can only get you so far and the rest is about how well one can hustle.

English and Art are difficult on tertiary level and I worked hard to earn the credits. It does feel like a slap across the face knowing that most companies and businesses don’t value English and/or Art graduates.

H: We go back and forth on this topic a lot, but how do you feel your time in college aided you in becoming prepared to enter the music business – if at all? Would you suggest others who want to work in music go to school? If not, why did you?

LN: If I could construct a time machine, I would go back to the day I picked an expensive Arts university to study a degree that cannot feed an individual. You don’t need a fancy degree. If you want to be a writer then don’t go to journalism school. If you want to be a good writer, write. If you want to be a better writer, read. If you are worried about grammar and spelling, use that brown covered book your teacher handed to you in fourth grade. That book is gold because they don’t make them like they used to.

If you get into Berklee then that is excellent! If you don’t get accepted start making lunch plans with music industry professionals. Find someone who does the job you want to do and take them out to lunch. Talk to them. Really talk to them and find out all the nitty gritty. Swap contacts, make friends and keep promises. It will save you from being in academic debt and it forces you to learn on the spot.

H: Did you write for any websites before launching your own? If so, what lead you to step out on your own?

LN: Air Guitar was my baby that I abandoned because it was too demanding. Since then, I wrote for several music-related websites before launching Heavy Metal Duchess this year. Some of my work is archived on thisisnotascene.com, MusicReview.co.za, themusic.com.au, metalobsession.net and heavymag.com

The decision to step out into blogging again is partly due to something I read in The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin. A few months back, I was office based and it felt routine, tight and quite frankly boring. I quit that scenario to move forward. I needed to explore, let go and try my hand at full-time freelancing. I managed to get a few freelance writing gigs and now I have time for a blog too.

H: Your site, which I cannot believe I haven’t mentioned before this point, is called The Heavy Metal Duchess. I assume you are the duchess, but what is the origin story behind the name?

LN: Correct! I am indeed the Duchess. Playing dress-up and collecting vintage items is a bit of a hobby of mine that went slightly out of hand. My friend mentioned to me that I look like I stepped out of the 50’s waiting to meet Her Majesty. It got me thinking that heavy metal and royalty can work side by side. I’m no queen but I’m certainly the duchess that drinks tea and listens to heavy metal.

H: What were your goals in launching this site, and how have they changed in the time since your first post went live?

LN: To be honest with you, I had none. Then I found a post on Haulix about blogging goals which changed my view in seconds. Now it’s more about starting a conversation with the people that read Heavy Metal Duchess. The content does not have to be controversial but it must be quality and open the floor to new questions or opinions. The art of conversation is often sandwiched between assumption and ignorance.

H: How would you describe the content found on Heavy Metal Duchess to someone who has never visited the site before?

LN: The blog contains fragments of the Heavy Metal Duchess herself. It has a bit of my voice in there, my favourite things, influential people and the unsettling nerves of freelance writing.

H: What are the three reasons people should visit your site on a regular basis?

LN: It’s honest, real and relatable. Readers are invited into my world and I’m trying to fix myself in their memory through words. If I made you think, speak or act upon something then my efforts are rewarded.

H: A lot of aspiring professionals launch blogs to build their recognition in the industry, but you’ve taken things one step further and added a ‘Hire Me’ tab to the top of your site. Has that been there since launch? Have you received any feedback or job offers through the site yet?

LN: I picked up that idea from Seth Werkheiser. (Thanks Seth!)

I put it there to see if it worked or not. The CV attached to the ‘Hire Me’ tab is in a Buzzfeed format. I dislike Buzzfeed and more so their click-bait journalism. I believe content is key. However, the mocking Buzzfeed CV did work. I got a small time writing gig for vintageshopper.com and it is right up my alley too.

H: In addition to that page, you also have a portfolio page that is updated regularly. What platform do you use for your portfolio, and what advice would you give other up and coming writers on cataloguing their older material?

LN: I’m using Issuu. There are several ways available to keep an online portfolio. Online portfolios are easy to access and can be edited or updated easily. Gone are the days of paper trails.

It keeps things neat and whenever I am asked for a portfolio, I simply send the link to a prospective client. Writers should have some sort of cataloguing not only for prospective work but also to reflect on. In retrospect, every piece written should be reworked twice more from different angles for different outlets.

H: I’ve noticed there are no ads on your site at this point in time. Do you have any plans to add them in the future? Do you have any additional plans to create potential revenue streams through the blog?

LN: Advertisements in general frustrate me. If the blog grows then I will create potential revenue by placing tasteful advertisements.

At the moment, I’m snooping around companies for advertising on a joint project with UK-based writer, Mark Angel Brandt. We are co-founders of Broken Amp magazine, a music-related website with print intentions. Both of us are in the midst of behind-the-scene work as launch date is edging closer and closer. We find that music journalism is getting stale and tacky. So, we are taking a chance to stand up, stand out and make a difference.

H: If you could offer one piece of advice to aspiring industry professionals, what would it be?

LN: Good question. I used to say this to all the bands I managed: Always have back-up plans.

H: How about bands? What’s one thing you’ve learned about this business that may help developing artists spread their brand?

LN: When I managed bands, I learned that their musical talent counted very little towards their success. Some tips that I gathered over the years came from paying attention to people who have been there and done it.

1. Touring on the road and selling merchandise is just as important as chart success.
2. Have some musician etiquette (no matter how big or limited the band is) because being an ethical human-being can get you far in life.
3. Research. Learn more about management, social media, recording, labels and platforms that will push the band forward.

H: I know you don’t do a lot of reviews, but when you do receive records for feature consideration are there any streaming services/platforms you prefer PR outlets to use?

LN: Haulix is preferred. I’ve been using Haulix for the past three years and most of the websites that I have written for use Haulix too. It is efficient and of course, highly recommended.

H: What is your current career goal, and what are the biggest challenges you face in attempting to achieve it?

LN: My current goal is to be a full-time writer. At the moment that is what I do but not on the level I would like to do it at. When I took on a writing job about crime, rape and Oscar Pistorious – I knew that hard news is not the journalism I want to be in. It pays the important bills. Music journalism isn’t big in South Africa. There is a small market but it is not valued or rewarded.

H: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Where do you think the industry will be in that time?

LN: In 10 years time, I’ll be older and that’s a fact. Other than that, I hope to achieve something with Heavy Metal Duchess and Broken Amp. Perhaps a book published too. The music industry is currently shifting so hopefully in a few years time, it has cut-out the middle man and put money into the artists’ pockets. Clearly, I’m an optimist. In terms of music journalism, I would like to see writers being paid for high-quality music criticism. Crafting a critique takes time and research. It’s a skill and it should be remunerated.

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry today, what would it be and why?

LN: Like every avenue of entertainment, music journalism has had its place in the industry. However, the quality of writing has dropped dramatically since the Internet opened a platform for everyone to write, and an uncountable number of blogs sprang up, multiplying like flies and buzzing around like them too. Everybody started claiming they were a writer, from Lester Bangs’ wannabes through star-struck fans to shrewd click-baiters. We (Mark Angel Brandt and I) want to restore the reputation of music journalism. As I mentioned, we are working on launching Broken Amp magazine. This venture is designed to collect together some of the best writers out there, and publish consistently high quality content. No more hit-and-miss where stunning feature articles sit next to shoddy throwaway pieces. Just interesting and engaging writing. We also aim to rejuvenate the alternative music scenes, specifically rock, punk and metal. Due to a number of factors, of which the Internet is definitely one, there has been a seismic shift from active participation in your scenes to passively consuming it. Through a variety of methods, we are looking to reintroduce fans to the scene, and get them engaging with it again; whether it is in discussions, or going to concerts, buying merchandise from bands that deserve attention. This last bit is crucial, and leads me onto my next point. Music journalism, and particularly online music journalism, has quite frankly degenerated into circle-jerking over the same big names, or jumping on bandwagons of new releases that are soon left to rot when the next big thing comes along. In the mainstream conscious, particularly in metal, there seems to be less of a focus on sniffing out the truly interesting and ground-breaking bands, or shining a spotlight on scenes that deserve attention. We intend to focus our energy on these bands: rather than interviewing the same musicians on the same topics, we want to pick either new topics or new musicians. No more tired rigmarole of describing the writing process of each new album, no more wooden structures of questions where you know exactly where the interview is headed before you reach the halfway point. No more reviews that feel like a PR wrote them, no more articles that look like copy-pasting of press releases. Away with all those corners cut, and a return to high quality, consistent and reliable writing that we as journalists and you as fans can be proud of.

Of course, we are not stopping at print and are going to focus on being proactive too. All shall be revealed soon when Broken Amp launches later this year.

H: That covers everything (I think). Before I let you go, are there any final thoughts or observations you wish to share? The floor is yours…

LN: My upbringing revolved around organized religion. Even though I’m no longer a part of it, there is this saying from the Bhagavad Gita that helped encourage me and hopefully anybody that reads this:

“It’s better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection.”

The last thing I want to add is, enjoy rejection. It helps you grow.

Thank you for having me on the Haulix blog, James!

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