Proving once again that the best path to success is the one you create, FiXT Music’s James Rhodes chats with Haulix about how his company’s open embrace of change is making all the difference.
There are many ways to find success in the music business. One of the oldest and most reliable methods is to follow the lead of someone else. There may only be one Elvis or one Madonna, but dozens of artists had successful, albeit smaller, careers by following the blueprint they created. Their entertainment paths may not be original, but they work, and countless artists trying to make it today are similarly following in the shadow of more current stars.
But you don’t want your career to live in the shadow of someone else. You shouldn’t aspire to be compared to the greats — you should work to be one of the greats.
FiXT Music is an industry original in the most real sense. FiXT is a music company comprised of two labels, a licensing division, a remix marketplace, and more, and all run out of Iowa by a handful of diehard music fans who believe that change is a good thing more often than not. The artists on the FiXT roster have thousands of placements in music, television, and gaming. The company itself was among the first to allow its music to be used on streaming services such as Twitch. FiXT is a trendsetter brand, and their plans for the future are big.
On Thursday, February 25, James Rhodes from FiXT Music appeared at an event for Haulix LIVE! His time with host James Shotwell covered the history of the label, their unique approach to artist discovery, and where FiXT believes the industry is headed in the years to come. Rhodes also answered several questions asked by an audience of industry professionals from all walks of life.
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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 his friend Klayton – best known to electronic music fans as Celldweller, Scandroid, or Circle of Dust – to discuss his unique career in the entertainment business. Klayton has built an empire of his own, which allows him to control his entire business, but the path to get to this point was not easy. Klayton walks James through the hurdles he faced early on and offers advice to others hoping to control their career. Be sure to check out Celldweller’s next release, Offworld, when it arrives later this year.
The song used in this episode is “Are You Having Any Fun?” from Hoodie Allen. You can find this song, as well as nearly a dozen more, on Allen’s most recent release. Click here for details.
Inside Music is available on iTunes, Stitcher, and a number of additional podcast applications. Please subscribe and review the show.
On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell connects with James Rhodes of FiXT Records. Rhodes planned on spending his life behind the boards as a music engineer/mix, but his love of artists like Circle Of Dust and Celldweller lead him down a path that now finds him helping lead one of the most exciting independent labels in the country. James and James discuss Rhodes’ history in the business, as well as the way the Fixt team works to maintain their brand’s unique place in the world of music.
The music you hear in this episode is from two different artists. Celldweller provides the opener, while Blue Stahli provides the closer. Both artists are on FiXT Music.
You may already know this, but ‘Inside Music’ is now available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.
Our friends at Fixt are in need of a driven, full-time publicist to join their growing team. We have been friendlu with this company for many years and know them to be some of the finest individuals in the entire music business. Read the job description below and, if you think you have what it takes, follow the link at the end of this post to submit an application. You can tell them Haulix sent you.
FiXT Publicity is looking to hire a new Full-Time Rock/Metal/Alternative Music focused Publicist in our Burlington, Iowa office.
The ideal candidate for this position will be motivated to become an active part of the team to accelerate company growth, contribute to the continued expansion of the company and client roster, be extremely organized, and should be capable of multitasking and handling multiple deadlines simultaneously. Candidate should have 3+ years of experience as a music publicist with a portfolio of proven accomplishments and a strong work ethic.
Job Duties: • Writing and Sending Press Releases • Handling Artist & Client Relations • Taking Audio/Video Calls with Clients • Researching New Artists / Press Outlets / Partners, etc… • Working with Key Press Contacts to Pitch and Solicit for Features, Reviews, Exclusives, Premiers, Interviews, etc… • Handling an ongoing Client-Roster as well as one-off Campaigns. • Assisting other Team Members with other Campaigns
Requirements: • Must be willing to relocate to our Burlington, Iowa headquarters. • Alternative/Rock/Metal Music Press Knowledge/Experience (Specifically ‘Warped Tour’ related) • Mac OS X Experience • Microsoft Word/Excel Experience • Detail Oriented, ability to prioritize work and work accurately under pressure of deadlines with frequent interruptions and changing priorities. • Must be an effective communicator, dealing with management, artists, customers, partners, etc… • Ability to keep up with fast-paced workflow • Must display Persistence and follow through to achieve goals.
Preferred: Existing Roster to bring with you Marketing / Promotions Experience Existing Music Retailer Relationships (iTunes, Beatport, Amazon, Spotify, etc…) Basecamp Project Management Software Experience (or similar) Creative professional in a Advertising/Marketing Agency
Hello, everyone! Welcome to the one and only Artist Spotlight column that we plan to run this week. We know a lot of our recent interviews have revolved around the world of metal, but that is not the case today. Davey Suicide may look like a hardcore frontman, but the truth of the matter is that he is spearheading a rock revolution that may soon takeover the world.
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.
If you were to see the photo of Davey Suicide featured above this text without any supplementary information you may be quick to assume he’s some kind of metal musician, or at the very least a performer of some kind. The truth is that Suicide is indeed a musician, but the metal genre is something very few would associate with his sound. What Davey brings to the world of music is far more industrial than anything else, often driving fans to dance instead of mosh, and on September 30 he will share his latest creation – an album titled World Wide Suicide – with music fans around the globe.
Earlier this week, I had the good fortune to hop on the phone with Davey for a lengthy conversation about his career and where it may be headed in the future. I’m admittedly not the biggest fan of industry music, but there is something about Davey’s fervent dedication to promoting a message of individualism that made me want to know more about his work. What I discovered, and what I hope translates in the interview below, is that above all else Davey Suicide wants to impress upon people that they have the ability to take control of their life. He wants to empower people to do whatever it is they’re passionate about, even though his image may make him seem a bit more sinister than this positive outlook would suggest. In my opinion, there is no better example of someone using music to do more than entertain in music today, and I’m honored to share the motivations behind that effort today.
If you would like to learn more about Davey Suicide and his plans for the future, be sure to follow him on Twitter.
H: To help get us started, please take a moment and introduce yourself:
DS: Hello, everyone. My name is Davey Suicide.
H: Thanks for joining us, Davey. Do people ever call you David? There is something far less cool about David Suicide.
DS: [laughs] No. That doesn’t really happen too often. My parents do use it whenever they get upset, but I live a lot farther away now so that doesn’t happen as often as before.
H: Well I’m happy you were able to find some time to speak with me today. How is September treating you so far?
DS: I think it’s always a struggle, man. Life is a whirlwind right now. We are going back on the road soon, and we’re running around trying to get a set list ready. Honestly, picking songs for the set list has been incredibly difficult. We have a lot of great material we want to play and fitting that into a support set is not too easy. It’s coming together though, and we are excited to get out there.
H: Great to hear. Well you’ve agreed to do this interview, at least in part, because you have a new album due out on September 30. World Wide Suicide is being released by Standby Records. This is your second full length in two years, and I have to say the growth from one release to the next is evident from the first song.
DS: I think it is as well. When we finished the record we asked ourselves what fans would think, and honestly we all agreed that it was our best effort. It’s funny, because the first album took a long time to come together, but this happened relatively quickly. It only took a couple of months, but it’s exactly where we are right now.
H: Let’s start at the end of the last album cycle. Your self-titled effort hit iTunes on March 12, 2013. At that point, had you given any thought to the creation of a second album? When did you start piecing together ideas for this release?
DS: I had ideas. I had a five and ten year plan even before I was signed, so it’s down to figuring out videos and how to make certain things happen. I’ve always kind of had my plan chiseled out, so it’s just a matter of executing at the right time. And really, I think we knew what we wanted with this record. I wanted to put together a record that I would have liked to hear one of my favorite artists create. At the end of the day you just want to make sure you can sit back, press play, and have people think it’s one hell of a motherfucker.
H: You’ve toured extensively over the last few years, so is it safe to assume you write a lot on the road?
DS: It normally just all comes out. I send stuff to Needles, Needles sends stuff to me. Sometimes I just write and cut things here at my house. I’ll even program drums in garage band, play guitar, add other elements, and send a rough cut off to Needles for an opinion. Once we get the ideas figured out, we go to the rest of the band and have them add their own spin to things. This record was surprisingly easy to write. The last record was created with a lot of different producers and in different places. We just didn’t have the process figured out. This time is different, and I feel like we have a lot of innovative stuff on the record.
H: Very few tracks off the new record have surfaced online up to this point, but the title track did recently find its way online. What lead you to choose that track as the next promotional offering?
DS: That was supposed to be an introduction more than anything. There’s supposed to another song or two out at this point, but that’s how things go. When you become an artist you realize there are certain things you have control over and a lot of stuff you do not. That question is more of a label question. We control tours, and control our merch. We also control our music. Everything else, that’s someone else.
H: Your music has always been rich with themes and messages. From what I can tell, World Wide Suicide is no different. Would you say there is one idea or message you are trying to get across with this album, or are there many?
DS: I think there are a lot of them. We all grow up thinking we have to be certain person or a specific kind of human being, not realizing that it’s the little quirks that make you special. That’s a lot of it. Then there’s an element of facing bullies or whatever may be challenging you in life. Freedom. Those are two of the heaviest themes. I think people are scared to take a stand for anything, and I hope we give people the confidence to take a stand for something that matters to them.
H: I do want to talk about the intro to the album, which is really more of a skit than anything else. What’s the story behind this track?
DS: That is a continuation of “Professor Asshole” from my first record. That skit was about a guy who was judging our art by the cover. At the end of the record, he gets shot, and because I’m the central character I end up on trial for it. That trial is the skit at the beginning of the album.
H: Will this story continue?
DS: It’s possible.
H: The album art for World Wide Suicide is something special. From what I’m told, you recruited several female friends to help fill out the image. Can you fill us in on the story behind the cover?
DS: If you look, everyone below me becomes increasingly dead. Michelle Star and I, she’s one of my best friends, worked through the ideas I had and came up with that image. I always had the idea for a pile of dead bodies with me on top, but there are several changes that took place. I made a mock image on my computer, then we had a bunch of friends over to my house and made it happen. There was baby powder everywhere, but it was worth it. We got the shot in about 10 minutes.
H: I’ve read probably half a dozen reviews of the new album so far, and it seems critics all over the world think you’re bound to become the next Marilyn Manson. What do you think of those comments, and is following in Manson’s footsteps something you ever set out to do?
DS: I think people need to understand things by comparing them to other things that make sense to them. Right now, I guess that is the only thing people can connect to us. I think there is very different music element between us and them, but I do love a lot of his records. I think a lot of people are afraid to embrace their influences, but obviously he has influenced me. Rob Zombie has also influenced me, just like Axl Rose and Eminem. Davey Suicide is the first Davey Suicide though, and when our music comes on you know it’s us. In my mind that is more important than people knowing who influenced you.
H: Do you pay much attention to what critics say in general?
DS: I do, actually. Everyone has their own opinion, but I do feel like this record is being well received thus far. I feel like it’s more positive than the first record, which makes me feel good. It makes me think we picked the right songs. I’m sure there will be some slack, but we are very proud of the record and we are excited to go on tour to support it.
H: The one thing we haven’t talked about yet is your plans for the immediate future. I know you’re going on tour with Combichrist and William Control, but do you have plans beyond that you can reveal at this time?
DS: We do, but we cannot talk about them at this point. The cool thing is, Combichrist are a band that appeared on a list of acts I gave my manager a few years back when he asked about groups I would love to tour with one day. We have done a lot of tours that don’t make sense on paper, but there was always a reason behind every tour that we did. I don’t mind being the misfit on tour, or the artist that sticks out. To me, there’s great music in every genre and as long as you’re making great music people will gravitate toward you.
H: Thank you for taking time to speak with me today, Davey. Do you have any final thoughts or observations that you would like to share with our readers?
DS: We’re giving away a custom jacket that I made on September 30. Most our fans cannot afford the jackets, so it’s pretty cool. If you visit my official website there is a graphic that needs to shared on social networks in order to enter the contest. You can also find pre-order information there.
More importantly, remember that you have to do what you love in this life. There are going to be a lot of people who tell you no, but you have to push ahead and follow your passion. This record is kind of our ‘Fuck you’ to the people who said we couldn’t get anywhere, and we hope it inspires others to take a stand in their own lives.
