Tag: ebony jeanette

Hello and welcome to another week of music industry exploration here on the official blog of Haulix. We are kicking off our month of metal-related coverage a day early this afternoon, and hope you’ll stick around throughout October to see and read all that we have in store. If you have a suggestion for a future column or interview, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your story.

Considering that today is the unofficial start of our month of metal, we figured there was no better way to begin our journey than with the story of an individual who has only just begun their career in music. Ebony Jeanette is an audiophile hailing from the state of Ohio with a passion for writing and promotion that matches any professional working in the industry today. Her drive know no limit, and it’s because of her determination that she has quickly become a staple of the alternative music scene. From conducting interviews and writing reviews for various publications, to internships with some of the biggest labels in heavy music, Ebony is making her name known throughout the business. and this afternoon we could not be more excited to share her story.

If you would like to stay up to date with everything Ebony is working on, please be sure to bookmark Substream and UTG. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: For those unaware, please state your name, the site you work for, and your role at said site:

EJ: My name is Ebony Jeanette, I work for Substream Magazine and Under The Gun Review. My role is a contributing writer; reviews, interviews, and lots of headbanging!

H: When you think of your earliest memories of music, what comes to mind?

EJ: My mom is a jazz and soul singer, some of my earliest memories are trying to pretend I was asleep when she would come home from her shows! I used to always get way too excited because I knew she was out performing and I could brag about it to my friends at school the next day. My Grandfather played trumpet for Duke Ellington and I remember hearing stories about it and looking at pictures. I was always asking to see the actual trumpet which my mother still has but keeps under serious wraps!

H: What was the first album you purchased with your own money? Do you still own it?

EJ: The first album I purchased was not metal at all haha! Miss Thang by Monica – I mowed the lawn for CD money and yes I still have it 🙂

H: You’re in the process of participating in an internship within the industry right now, so you’ve obviously been pursuing a career in the industry for awhile. What attracted you to the entertainment industry in the first place?

EJ: Actually I recently completed my internship with Century Media Records. I now help out sometimes at Nuclear Blast Records when they need an extra hand. Being the child of an entertainer I pretty much had no choice but to learn and love music. The best part about the industry is it’s unique and multidimensional culture, no matter what kind of music you love, there is always a sense of family and camaraderie. There is just no other place like being in the middle of a moshpit with complete strangers who will instantly pick you up if you fall or front and center singing or screaming along to your favorite band.

H: What was your first ‘gig’ in the industry? Unpaid work counts.

EJ: My first gig was being the “merch girl” for my mom’s jazz shows.

H: You’ve been working with Century Media. How did you land your internship, and what drew you to CM?

EJ: What I love about CM is IN FLAMES!! Seriously though, some of my favorite metal bands are CM bands so it was an honor for me to work on their behalf. I landed the internship with persistence!! I was living in Columbus, Ohio at the time booking my own shows and doing indie PR for local bands. I emailed the publicists at the label and sent my resume. Then I continued to network with label employees and bands (writing about CM bands for Substream Magazine) until I was offered a meeting with the LA office. I flew to LA where I was interviewed and accepted into the internship program. I then moved from Columbus, Ohio to Los Angeles to intern and the rest is history!

H: It’s safe to say you have a love for heavy music, but you’ve worked with other genres as well. Are you open to a career outside of heavy music?

EJ: I am a metalhead to my core but YES! I am willing to work with all genres because I think being eclectic makes you better at your craft in general. Music publicity is such a flexible field that I am able to work with multiple genres at once which is what I do now via my indie PR company, Ebony Jeanette PR.

H: In addition to interning you have been doing a lot of freelance journalism work. Who is your biggest inspiration as a writer?

EJ: My biggest inspiration as a writer is actually publicist Mitch Schneider, who is former Rolling Stone Magazine rock-music journalist. If you don’t know him, get to! MSO PR is one of the best Public Relations firms in North America.

H: It’s not big secret that music generally does not pay that well, and as an intern I imagine your pay may very well be non-existent. What keeps you going?

EJ: When a band gets so stoked over a press hit I’ve garnered for them, that is what makes it all worth it! I am actually contributing to their career which is the best kind of payment!

H: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?

EJ: The biggest challenge would have to be making sure artists are getting paid fairly for their music specifically regarding internet radio and streaming, and record releases (leaked content). The rise of the internet totally shook the music industry and we are all still working out the kinks. Things are getting better but it’s definitely a challenge.

H: Where do you go to discover new music?

EJ: SHOWS! I love LA for their venues, you can always discover some cool underground stuff in the most random and offbeat places. I also turn to my friend Charlie for random metal recommendations.

H: Speaking of music discovery, you probably receive a lot of submissions from talent vying for a spot on your news feed. What advice can you offer young artists hoping to stand out in your inbox?

EJ: Tweet me! Working in this business, we get so many emails per day it can be hard to stand out. The best way to contact me is twitter @ebonyjeanettepr

H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?

EJ: I actually like and use Haulix! It’s just so easy to navigate and you can include all of your press assets in just one zip/download.

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

EJ: Hmm, I would probably get rid of pay to play! It’s so hard on beginner bands and it also lowers the stock of quality promoters and booking agents.

H: What is your ultimate career goal?

EJ: An LA office for EJPR ran by two employees and two interns and to write at my leisure to cover bands I love. I will also be out the road at least 6 months out of the year as a tour manager.

H: Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what you have planned in the months ahead?

EJ: I will be traveling to France for Midem festival 2014 which I am very excited about!