Inside Music is a podcast about the lives of professionals in the music business. Each week, host James Shotwell chats with an artist or industry tastemaker to learn how anyone can navigate the world of entertainment.
On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls Johnny Plague to discuss his band’s new album, Blood Of My Enemy. Winds Of Plague took a brief hiatus a few years ago, but the band is back and better than ever with this release. Johnny tells James about the creation of the album, how his life has changed since entering the music business, and – just as we wrap – a bit about where he may head in the future.
Blood of My Enemy will be released October 27, 2017, through eOne/Good Fight Music.
Inside Music is available on iTunes, Stitcher, and a number of additional podcast applications. Please subscribe and review the show.
Our friends at Entertainment One (eOne) have long been on the cutting edge of music, but they have truly outdone themselves with their latest announcement. ‘Floodlight,’ a new music platform created in partnership with Secret Location, aims to enhance and forever change the fan experience through state-of-the-art video technology and a wealth of unique engagement opportunities no other platform can match.
The idea is simple: Floodlight will bring audiences closer to their favorite eOne music artists with exclusive content and unique one-time experiences, delivered directly by the artists. We love music journalists as much as anyone can, but the key to strengthening support for your artist in 2016 is through allowing fans to feel as if they are able to connect directly with that artist from anywhere on the planet. Floodlight cuts out any middle man that may exist in that process, be it a music blog or a third party service like Facebook Live, and offers fans access to their favorite artists presented by the artists themselves. Engagement does not get any more direct than that until you can place a hologram in everyone’s home.
The first offering on the Floodlight platform will be an exclusive 3D virtual reality video for the song “Take it All” by Pop Evil. The Michigan based rock act has sold 1.3 million singles to date, and their current album Up debuted at #1 on the Billboard Independent Chart last fall, with 14 million streams to date.
The video for “Take It All” was shot at the 2015 Aftershock Festival, using two 360 / 3D camera rigs that captured every angle of the event in 3D. The footage was edited and stitched together to create an immersive virtual reality music video. When fans put on a headset they find themselves on the stage, above the crowed and inside the music. Pop Evil VR is designed to immerse fans in the energy of the band and provide the ultimate concert experience.
Here are two quick teasers for the video, including one that demonstrates the 360 experience:
360:
The pre-order site for Floodlight’s Pop Evil 3D kit is now live. The bundle will include a Pop Evil branded Google Cardboard 3D viewer, a Pop Evil 360 APP, an autographed CD and a Pop Evil t-shirt, previously unavailable for online purchase. The video can then be viewed on the APP with the viewer beginning on May 27, 2016. The VR app will also be available for independent download from the App Store and Google Play.
Additional Floodlight exclusives have yet to be revealed, but we expect more news on the platform to emerge in the coming weeks.
As the reach of individual posts on social media continues to fall, more platforms like Floodlight are no doubt possible. The key to their success will be offering something that is not found anywhere else online that has equal or greater value to consumers than what is already available. The ability maintain something like that, not to mention scale it, will require constant planning and dedication on the part of the artists, as well as the people around them.
If you know of another platform like Floodlight, or if you have an idea to improve fan engagement online, we’d love to hear it! Email james@haulix with your comments and we’ll reply within 24-hours.
On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls Drowning Pool vocalist Jasen Moreno to discuss a wide range of topics, including his band’s new album. Moreno has been with Drowning Pool for two albums now, but in reality he has been close to the group since the days before they signed their first record deal. James asks Jasen about that time in the band’s life, as well as about the material on the group’s latest release. Moreno’s passion for rock and roll is as strong as you’re likely to find, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to hear his reflections on a life in music.
The music you hear in this episode of Inside Music is taken from Drowning Pool’s new album, Hellelujah, which is available now wherever music is sold.
You may already know this, but Inside Music is now available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.
If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.
Working in music has provided me with a lot of opportunities to speak with young people about their experiences with music. If you ever get the chance to do this, be it with a sibling or someone else, I highly recommend doing it. Young adults who are still amazed at the fact there is music beyond what their parents enjoy and whatever is currently hot at radio are amongst the most dedicated music fans on the planet. They consume everything, old and new, simply because they want to know what else exists. Some stuff they enjoy, and thanks to the age of streaming they can burn through most artists’ discographies the same day they discover them if they so desire, but the vast majority of material is in one ear and lost in space. It becomes the kind of thing they tell their friends they’ve heard so they don’t risk sounding uncool at the next big party, but in reality they only know that one song someone shared on Twitter that one time. Their video was probably cool.
Anyways, what I love about conversations with young music fans is their willingness to spin practically anything at least once. They don’t put much weight in names or genres, at least not at first, and I believe that allows them to enjoy music in a way far more pure than our consumption as jaded adults. We hear a name, or a genre, or even a track title, and we make judgments. We think, “Oh, this is going to be another one of these artists/bands,” and immediately draw some conclusion. It sucks, and it’s something that is incredibly hard to find a way around. In fact, I don’t have a solution. At 28, my plan is to simply say yes to everything I am able and experience whatever comes my way. Sometimes that results in epic post-rock amateurs doing their best to spin new versions out of ideas everyone who has ever heard Explosions In The Sky could recognize, other times that means experiencing some truly, truly terrible souther hip-hop. It’s a roll of the dice every time, but it’s always an experience that gives me a good story.
A band with a name like Fit For An Autopsy is probably not one you would expect to see accompanying a headline like ‘Monday Motivation,’ but if that is the case then you’ve been several under-appreciating the world of modern metal. For the better part of a decade Fit For An Autopsy have been finding unique ways to express themselves through the heaviest and most aggressive music this side of Sweden’s black metal scene. Critics writing about their music often use descriptive phrases like ’skull-crushingly heavy’ or ‘relentlessly brutal,’ but that doesn’t really do the band and their art justice. That isn’t to say such phrases are untrue, because they often fit the sound of a FFAA release to a ’T,’ but it’s the way the band delivers their take on heavy music that makes their art something everyone should find time to consume.
Without naming any band or artist specifically, there are many in the world of music today who are getting by on having just enough talent to write a good hook or create a catchy riff. Their music is fine, but after one or two releases it becomes clear they are pretty much creating the same sound over and over with only slight variation. It’s as if they believe changing things too much will scare fans and their money away, which is the one thing they fear more than anything else. Creative freedom be damned! As long as people keep asking for the band or artist to be one thing they will never attempt to be anything more because they have no desire to evolve in the first place. The fact they made it big in the first place is a miracle, and they will ride the idea that first made them popular until long after album sales have taken a nosedive.
I don’t hate artists like those described above. In fact, there are many I enjoy precisely because they can be relied upon to create solid albums every time they enter the studio, but I never look to those acts to create records that will forever stand the test of time. In order to create that kind of release an artist or group must challenge themselves, as well as their listeners, by taking bold and unexpected chances with their music. They must throw caution to the wind and see what happens when they attempt to do something other than whatever has been working for them up to that point. It’s the kind of thing that only happens when someone or some group put their careers on the line for the sake of creative expression, and even then there is no guarantee the final results will work in their favor. They rarely do, if we’re being completely honest, but for those who pull it off their is an ever-increasingly window of opportunity for growth and continued success that few ever experience.
Fit For An Autopsy could easily be a band that created the same good, but never truly great album for their entire career and they would have likely found a way to make things work for at least as long as they have now, if not longer. Fortunately for everyone in the world of metal that is not the kind of band they want to be, and with the release of their new album they have final taken the steps and risks necessary to produce something really special. Absolute Hope, Absolute Hell is a thrilling release that captures the brute strength and unabashed sincerity of Fit For An Autopsy’s music in a way no prior creation of theirs has ever been able to covey. It’s proof that being true to yourself and doing what feels right for you is the smart play when forced to choose between creative integrity and financial success. While money may be nice in the short term, there is no feeling worse than knowing you could be doing something better than you are if only you had the gull to make a change. Fit For An Autopsy have no desire to live with regret, so they poured their all into Absolute Hope, Absolute Hell and everyone who hears the album will be better off as a result.
If you’re reading this today thinking there is no way in (absolute) hell you could find inspiration in metal, let me be the first to tell you that you are wrong. Like any style music performed well, great metal has an ability to instill a sense of confidence in its consumer that is possessed by no other medium. It’s as if knowing that the music you’re hearing is what the artist wanted to convey somehow makes it okay for us to do whatever it is we believe is needed in our own lives. I don’t know why life works that way, but it does and I am forever thankful. I am also thankful for Fit For An Autopsy, because it is their latest album that has given me the strength to do what is needed in my own life as of late. I can be a better me because they are working to be a better them, and I think anyone who experiences their new album will feel the same.
This week – be bold. Take risks you have been avoiding for days, weeks, or months and do that thing you know you should. Also, buy the new Fit For An Autopsy album. It’s really good.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.
If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.
I started college in the fall of 2006, which was less than a year after the world experienced the boom of Social Media and we began to recognize the interconnectivity of our lives with technology. Things seemed slower then. Maybe they were, in fact. There was no Twitter, the popularity of texting was still in its infancy, and the careers of young entertainers were still largely developed from gig to gig on the open road. There were one or two Myspace success stories, of course, but most artists were still trying their best to build a fervent following from their hometown out.
Sometimes I think I liked those days more, if only because it allowed artists a little more time to develop their sound and presence before being thrust upon the world at large. Before the age of social media, a bad show was just a bad show. You did your best, and if people weren’t into it everyone would shake their heads and go home wishing things had gone better. It was tough, but it a lot was better than having someone tape that show and post video of it, in full 1080p HD, to YouTube before you even pull out of the venue parking lot. That kind of thing can tarnish an artist’s reputation before they should even be at a point where live show reputation matters a great deal. Not everyone is an arena ready headliner from the moment they pick up a guitar, but for whatever reason the age of immediacy that followed the rise of social media has created a culture that demands perfection from day one, despite several hundred years of human experience and history that tell us most of the greatest creative minds of all time were also, on occasion, absolute disasters.
What I’m trying to say with all of this is that I’m still very much a fan of the long game. I love an overnight success story as much as the next person, but my personal experiences in music have shown me that those who last the longest in this business often did not find success until they had dedicated many years to refining their talent. Flash in the pan success is great, but ultimately fleeting. The people who make a real difference in music as those who toil in the middle, caught between stardom and being unknown, for as long as it takes to get the recognition or opportunity they have worked their entire lives to attain. There is no plateau they seek, only continued progression over time. It’s not about the money or the fame or the success, but rather doing the thing they love to do as well as they can for as long as people will pay them to do so. That’s where the real rewards lie, and that is what I myself hope to find as my career in music (hopefully) continues to develop in the years to come.
It’s with all this in mind that I decided to make today’s Motivation Monday post about eOne’s immensely successful rock group, Pop Evil. Many of you probably know their work, but some of you may not. It doesn’t matter either way, really. You can learn from Pop Evil whether or not you even like the style of radio friendly rock and roll they perform. Their success is not as much about the sound of the music they create as it is their determination to make what they believe is great music regardless of what the outside world told them would sell.
Labels these days don’t always promote the length of time a group has been together, and I have to believe that is due to our obsession with youth and the idea only the young can change the world, but I’ll be the first to tell you Pop Evil spent nearly a decade together before the vast majority of radio rock listeners knew they even existed. The band formed in 2001, but they didn’t receive their first national #1 until nearly the end of 2013. Before then, Pop Evil were just another low level rock band scraping together whatever money they could to get from show to show for many, MANY, years before money and attention came their way. That was okay though, because to them the money and success was always something that would come in time. It wasn’t about being successful tomorrow, it was about working as hard as they could to be they best they could up to, and after, the point when someone other than themselves would give a shit.
When I hear Pop Evil’s music I know the men performing it not only believe in the music, but they believe in themselves. Pop Evil have built a career on doing exactly what they believed was right for them, and through doing so they have developed a dedicated international following that welcomes them with open arms wherever they go. It took a long time to reach this point, but the band never let the length of their journey derail their dreams of staying true to that voice inside their hearts and minds that told them music was their way of life. I’m sure they appreciate the success, but even if it were to go away tomorrow I am confident the band would still be on the road 100-plus days a year, playing for whoever cared enough to see them.
Pop Evil’s new album, Up, hits stores this Friday. The album is filled with potential radio rock hits that I imagine will be very popular with fans young and old, as well as any newcomers who just so happen to discover the band in the months or years ahead. I know you may not be a Pop Evil fan right now, but I challenge you to give the band some time in the days to come. If you look beyond the genre being performed you will see this group, like any real artist or group, are creative people doing their best to express themselves through the medium that they feel best represents them. To hear the music of Pop Evil is to know the members of Pop Evil, and it’s hard to imagine anyone knowing of them and not feeling inspired by their hustle. For over a decade this band has given everything to be themselves, and as long as their is breath in their lungs I believe they will continue to do exactly that, regardless of whatever fanfare may follow. I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine a better way to live life than that.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.
Welcome to the first PR Spotlight of September 2013. We debuted this feature in early August, and the weeks since have been met with a flood of positive feedback. Moving forward we hope to dive deeper than ever before into the lives lead within the music industry, starting with the story of a man who knew from his day in high school that music was the life for him. If you know of a company or publicist you feel should be highlighted in an upcoming edition of this column, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your story.
Bill Meis has spent more than a decade working his way through the ranks of the music business. From his days as an intern at Sony, to now being the Publicity Manager (Rock and Metal) for Entertainment One Music, Bill has never shied away from a challenge because he knew deep down this was the industry for him. His passion for music and drive to succeed knows no bounds, and in today’s spotlight we learn about the journey he took to find his start, what lead him to join the team at EOne, and a little bit of everything in between. You can read about his adventures below.
On a personal note, I’ve known and worked with Bill for the better part of five years, and in that time I have met no one quite as kind and helpful as him. His love of music comes from somewhere deep in his soul, and his genuine desire to help artists further develop is evident from the moment you meet. I’m proud to call him a friend and am thankful for his guidance. Sharing his story is a bit of an honor for me, and I believe the insight he has to offer will go a long way towards helping a new generation of talent get their start.
If you want to know more about Bill’s work, be sure to check out everyone on Entertainment One Music’s website. Additional questions or comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: For those unaware, please state your name, the company you work for, and your role at said business:
BM: Publicity Manager (Rock and Metal) for Entertainment One Music
H: Everyone has to start somewhere. To what or whom do you attribute your interest in music?
BM: My family. My grandfather was an avid piano player and my uncle showed me my first guitar, I’ve been playing ever since. I have some older cousins to thank for showing me my first records when I was around 11 & 12 years old.
H: What was the first album you purchased with your own money? Do you still own it today?
BM: The Pearl Jam “Alive” maxi single. I probably have it somewhere. I bought it at Slipped Disc in Valley Stream, Long Island.
H: You actually went to school to study music business. When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in entertainment?
BM: When I was in high school I played in bands with other kids that weren’t into sports. Once we were ready to play outside our parent’s basements and garages we set out to play local shows. That was my first attempt at the music business and when I knew I wanted to do it more professionally, I was about 17.
H: You interned at Sony’s marketing department in early 2002, then joined the team at Red a year later as a production coordinator. After then your own business, and slowly moved away from the major label space. What lead you down the path of small, more independent companies?
BM: It wasn’t something I set out to do. I wasn’t thinking major versus independent while I was making those decisions. They each seemed like the no brainer choice at the time. In hindsight, I feel like I made the right moves. Both for stability sake as well as integrity.
H: There will many roles on your resume before publicist. How did you first find yourself in a PR position, and when did it become your specialty in the business?
BM: When you thrust yourself into this business, you start to wear a lot of hats all the time. When I was in my band from 00-05 I played tour manager, manager and publicist. When I worked at Facedown I worked along side their publicists and saw what they did on a day by day basis. Then when I was working for Ryan Downey / Superhero I was on the other side of the table dealing with each artists respective publicists. Looking back it gave me a good perspective to start with at eOne. It wasn’t until I came to eOne where that’s what my focus was 100%. It was a nice change of pace to only concentrate on one area of the business.
H: For the last four years you have been a part of eOne Entertainment, one of the more diverse labels operating today. What attracted you to the company in the first place?
BM: I had been working with the band Throwdown that was (and still is) signed to eOne (Koch Records at the time), so I was vaguely familiar with the people that worked here and their track record. I had met Scott Givens before and knew he was making some big moves with artists like Hatebreed, In Flames and Otep. So, between that and the fact that their offices had just conveniently moved close to my hometown, it was an easy decision.
H: As someone who has spent a decade in paying positions throughout the industry, what advice would you offer to young professionals aspiring for a career in music?
BM: You really, really have to want to do it. Anyone I’ve seen that has been successful in this business lives it on a daily basis. I’m not just talking about the passionate part either, it doesn’t take much to be passionate about music. I’m talking about the bad parts too, the parts of this business that aren’t attractive. You need to love all of it.
H: eOne is known as much for breaking new talent as it is delivering strong releases from it veteran roster. When you want to find new music, where do you turn?
BM: The internet. Plain and simple. I can’t even remember the last time I saw a press kit or physical demo in our office. Our A&R arm was recently boosted with our partnership with Good Fight Music. Carl Severson is another veteran who has brought a lot to the table. Personally I like to troll Rdio, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Twitter and recommendations from friends for new music.
H: If you could offer one piece of advice to young bands hoping to make a mark in the current music industry, what would it be?
BM: Do everything yourself before you ask, or even get the idea in your head that you need to have someone else do something for you. If young bands did that, they’d accomplish so much more. The young bands that distribute their own records, get themselves on their own tours, print their own merch, run their own merch stores, run their own marketing and social media campaigns (successfully) that impress me the most. If you do that, managers, agents and labels will come to you.
H: As a publicist, what advice would you offer writers hoping to work with your clients?
BM: Read their bio first! No seriously, read their bio first.
H: Piracy is one of the most discussed topic in the industry today. Do you feel album leaks are preventable? If so, how would you advise an artist to keep their music safe while still getting the word out?
BM: I don’t think album leaks are preventable, but it is manageable. The more accessible and affordable you make music, the less people will steal it. Plain and simple. There’s not much I can say here that hasn’t been said before. We spit the bit about 10 years ago and we’re paying the price for it now. Hopefully we can keep playing catchup and stay afloat. It seems we have done that so far.
H: When it comes to working with your clients, how do you prefer to share their music with press? What is it about this method that appeals to you the most?
BM: Haulix, obviously! It is my tool of choice when it comes to digital promo distribution. This appeals to me because it’s instantaneous. There’s no envelope stuffing, no costly postage and no paper cuts. It’s also a daily battle between the old dogs who prefer the piece of plastic in their hands and the writers and editors who can work with streams and download links. The ones that do are waiting around a lot less for packages to arrive.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
BM: I wouldn’t change much. It’s really exciting to see where things are going. I know I’ll look back on my time here and be able to say I was a part of a historic time. I would change the way our industry treated technology in the early days. I really feel like if we embraced it back then we would not be in as deep of a hole we’re in now. But like Mustaine says, hindsight is always 20/20.
H: Your roster is as eclectic now as ever before. Do you have any plans or releases on the horizon you’d like to share with our readers?
BM: Black Label Society is releasing a live DVD/CD called “Unblackened” on 9/24. It’s a toned down version of BLS fans might not have seen or heard before. We just debuted the first single via Rollingstone.com last week. A Bill Withers cover of “Aint No Sunshine.” Our metal roster is as strong as it’s ever been. Bands like Within The Ruins, Impending Doom, Reflections, Fit For An Autopsy are setting the bar really high for the bands that come after them. We’ll also have new studio albums from High On Fire, Overkill and Black Label Society next year.
