Tag: Hard Rock

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Industry Spotlight: Rose Slanic (Eleven Seven Music Group)

Hello and welcome to a new week of music industry insight and advice here on the official blog of Haulix. We are extremely proud of the content planned for the days ahead, and are thrilled to be kicking things off with one of our most high-profile interviews to date. If you have any questions about the content of this post, or if you are interested in learning more about the secure music distribution services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Graduation season is quickly approaching, and already it’s hard to visit a store like Target or Wal-Mart without seeing copies of the Dr. Seuss story Oh, The Places You Will Go sitting alongside products with ‘Class of 2014’ printed on them. Not every copy will sell this season, but thousands will, and among those sold a few will go on to be read so many times their pages will begin to show signs of wear. It may be a poem originally intended to inspire children, but over the years Oh, The Places You Will Go has become a symbol of the future’s promise for young people, or at least those willing to chase after what interests them. I’m not sure the person at the center of today’s post was ever given a copy during a graduation celebration, but I can guarantee she’s embodied the message of Dr. Seuss’ iconic story her entire professional career.

Rose Slanic is a name you may not be familiar with just yet, but she has more than likely worked with a band or artist you adore at some point during the last two decades. She knew from an early age music was what interested her most and, after studying the industry through a two-year program offered by Harris Institute, began a journey in the music business that would not only allow her to travel the world, but gain the knowledge and experience necessary to lead labels in both the US and Canada. She was recently appointed to the position of General Manager for North America at Eleven Seven Music Group, and just last week she took a few minutes to speak with us about her life in music. What she shared changed the way we view the business, and we think it will offer a fresh perspective to many readers as well.

I want to grow up to be like Rose Slanic. I know I’m pushing twenty-seven now, but she has lead the kind of life in the industry all professionals aspire to one day achieve. She has seen the world while working with bands she believes in, and along the way made time to help others achieve their goals as well. If you need a new role model for industry professionalism, but still want to look up to someone who leads a kick ass life, Rose is a person you need to know.

If you would you like to learn more about Rose Slanic and her efforts with Eleven Seven Music Group, please take a few moments to follow her and Eleven Seven on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: Hello, thank you again for joining us. To get us started, please tell everyone your full name, job title, and the company where you are currently employed:

R: Rose Slanic, General Manager, Eleven Seven Music Group 

H: It’s a pleasure to feature your story, Rose. I have been looking forward to this interview for some time. Tell me, what are some of your earliest memories with music?

R: My earliest memories with music…wow! I always loved music, but the music I was introduced to when I was young was very different from what I listen to now. It came through my parents who each had moved to Canada from Slovenia. I use to listen to CFTR (used to be Rock radio, now is a news station in Toronto) a ton when I was a kid, but then my brother came home with some Kris Kringle gifts from school and he got the BACK IN BLACK album from AC/DC, Quiet Riot, and the new Culture Club record. It was all so different and new to me, I liked all of it. 

H: Do you remember the first artist you were obsessed with? Go on; tell us a little about your early fangirl moments.

R: My first artist-obsession was with Culture Club (I was 8 or 9 years old). After that, it was Platinum Blonde – I wrote Mark Holmes a letter. After that it was Bon Jovi – I had the fringed jackets to prove it!

H: How about the first concert you ever attended? Put us in the seat next to you.

R: The first concert my parents took me to was a German artist called Heino. It was at the Sony Centre Toronto (called something else back than) and we had really good seats. I just don’t know why my parents thought I would enjoy his music.  The first concert I bought tickets to was Culture Club when I was 11 years old. My older cousin agreed to take me as long as I got the tickets. It was at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto and we had what I call now, nose bleed seats! We were in the Green Section. The opening band was Glass Tiger – who were actually called Tokyo at the time!

H: Looking back on your life now, are you able to pinpoint any formative moments or experiences that may have guided you toward the career in music you have today?

R: This is a great question, as I don’t really remember. I have friends that will tell me I told them I was going to work in the music industry a very long time ago, but I don’t remember what possessed me to say that.  When I was younger, all I did was go to concerts, and buy CDs.  I think that is what kick-started the desire to be a part of the music business.

I registered to University for Travel and Tourism, and to get my BA, as I wasn’t sure what direction I was headed in. I ended up taking a year off after High School and working. Within that year I registered to go to Harris Institute for the Arts, and never looked back 

H: You have an incredible and lengthy history in this business, so let’s jump ahead just a bit in your timeline. You attended college for business before changing school and pursuing a two-year program providing an overview of the music business. What can you tell us about the type of information were given about life in the music business at the time? I imagine it’s completely different than what students are taught today.

R: Harris Institute is an interesting and unique school. They make you take a course on everything in the music industry. Which was perfect for me, as I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do within the business. I could have lived without the engineering class, but overall it was a well-rounded education. I am sure they continue to do the same thing, but I would imagine they include much more about digital sales and distribution, online marketing and more. I don’t think those topics where even addressed when I was there. They did teach us about making websites, however. 

H: I’ve read that you also taught at the school where you learned about the music industry. Is that true? Have you always had a passion or teaching?

R: I did teach Music Marketing there for a while. I really enjoyed it and got to see some of those students move on and secure jobs in the industry. The only reason I resigned from the position is because my job with the management company had me on the road all the time, and I didn’t feel it was fair to the kids to keep rescheduling classes!

H: As far as I can tell, your first big role in the industry came from Attic Records. What can you tell us about that job and how you initially landed the position?

R: My job, prior to Attic, took me as far as it could. At that point, I put the word out that I was looking for a job. Thanks to my teachers at Harris, I had a few options. I applied for the position of National Promotions, and Publicity for Rock, Hard Rock, and Metal at Attic, and landed the gig! I loved it, as at that time, I was a big fan of Pantera and all was already friendly with most of the bands on Roadrunner. (Attic licensed Roadrunner in Canada so it was perfect!!) 

H: Attic lead to Universal Music, which then lead to the world of artist management. Did you prefer management work to what had been doing at Attic and Universal? Was it similar?

R: The guy who hired me at the management company sold me on the fact that I could travel the world, which I did thanks to the likes of Nelly Furtado, Fefe Dobson and k-os.  I loved the traveling, and getting to meet people in the music industry all around the world!  Though, in my opinion, management and label work are two very different worlds, as long as you understand how labels work, you are a better-informed player in a management role. 

Not sure which one I prefer. I like them both for different reasons. Management is really a 24/7 job – which is fine – but you need to want to do that.  

H: In more recent years you have been a part of the Roadrunner Records family. What can you tell us about your responsibilities in that role and how it initially came together?

R: Roadrunner was licensed to Universal Canada and Cees Wessels wanted to change his deal to a strict distribution deal. He wanted his own team in place. I think Roadrunner staff, an artist manager, and Randy Lennox (President of Universal Music) suggested me. The timing was perfect as I felt it was time for me to move on from the management situation in was in.

Took me a few months to secure the position, but I got it and started in January 2006. As the General Manager of Roadrunner Records Canada, I had to put together a team to run the label from a Toronto office. I was also responsible for budgets, forecasting, marketing, sales and everything else the other team members did not cover! Roadrunner had a real family atmosphere, and was always a joy to work with!

H: During your time as GM for Roadrunner Canada the company’s sales more than quadrupled. That’s incredible. What changes did you make after coming on board that facilitated such a large change over the subsequent years?

R: Universal Music is a great place to work and be distributed in Canada, but whenever an indie label licenses to any major, you get an advance check in the mail and then you hope your release stands out from the other 1000 releases they have. When you have a team clearly focused on your releases, chances are you are going to see changes. We had a four-member team signing bands, working radio and press etc.  A team that clearly understood the market, and the genre they were working. While the amazing, often-overworked people at Universal have a deluge of releases, at Roadrunner we probably had one or two new releases a month, and 8-10 active current releases. We even had time to focus on catalogue campaigns. We had time to focus on our bands, and we worked hard making people take notice. 

H: After six years with Roadrunner you moved to a Vice President of Label Operations role at Eleven Seven Music, but not before founding your own label and communications company known as Black Rose. What inspired you to launch your own business?

R: There were two bands Roadrunner Records Canada had signed and did not pick up their option.  To this day, I don’t know why, because some of the staff in the NYC office stated that the albums were their favorite releases of that year. Nonetheless, one of those bands where Bleeker Ridge. I kept working with them after leaving Roadrunner.  After Roadrunner, I got freelance work here and there for various companies (The Next Star, Goldenvoice, Evenko), so Black Rose was just a way to brand myself and stay in the music industry 

H: Being as successful as you were at Roadrunner, I have to imagine the decision to change roles was not made very easily. What drove you to join the Eleven Seven team?

R: Circumstances were such that Roadrunner had to cut staff so drastically that, in their third round of layoffs, I was affected. Allen Kovac was one of the first people to call me afterward. I didn’t jump into the role at Eleven Seven Music Group though. I enjoyed the summer off and met with several people who had options that I wanted to hear about. Working with Allen Kovac was by far the best choice for me. In a world where companies are downsizing, he is growing his companies, and being smart about it. Also, as the VP of Label Operations in Canada, I got to move back in to the Universal Music building in Toronto, a place that felt like home to me.

H: After just over a year with Eleven Seven you were promoted to General Manager and relocated to New York City after spending more than a decade in working in Canada. Aside from your changing roles, what has been the most difficult part of the relocation process?

R: A few things were tough for me:  Leaving my nieces behind was probably the hardest.  They are 2 and 5 years old so it’s important to me to keep in close contact with them! Also, it was tough not having US credit history (something I hadn’t thought of). I feel like I am starting over, where I had built my life, and credit, in Canada already.

H: Without going too in-depth, please walk us through a typical day at the office for you:

R: It starts with me complaining why the coffee here doesn’t come close to Tim Hortons’ quality!

Everyday is actually different. My schedule is largely based on meetings, what releases we have coming out and more. There is some routine, but not a ton. That is why I like this job! Activities vary from leading company-wide marketing meetings to listening in on junior staff brainstorming meetings, to reviewing materials submitted by bands for upcoming albums. My involvement in every part of the process is quite deep. Therefore, my email in-box is out of control!

H: Beyond paychecks and continued employment, how do you measure your personal success?

R: If I can help someone, teach someone, or guide someone to be better and more successful, that is my barometer of success.  

H: Do you have any career goals or aspirations you are currently working towards?

R: One reason I chose to move to NYC was to help Allen Kovac expand this company, his brand, and make it more successful. I have only been here 5 months, but I feel we are headed in that direction

H: A lot of the people reading this are likely considering a career in music themselves. As someone who has endured the changing landscape of music for the better part of two decades, what advice do you have to offer them?

R: You know when I started in the music business; I just wanted to get in. No matter what the job, there is always an opportunity to learn in this industry because it is always changing. If you want longevity in this industry, I believe you have to start at the bottom and work your way up. It is just important to not get discouraged easily. The best schooling for this kind of work is actually doing it, hands down. 

H: When it comes to keeping music safe ahead of its intended release date, Eleven Seven uses Haulix for all its secure music distribution needs. What do you like about our service?

R: We love the ability to track which songs are listened to and how often individuals listen to them. There is nothing better than knowing people have heard music and are prepared to discuss it in detail, while still maintaining the security of the material.

H: What is the biggest challenge facing Eleven Seven Music Group today? Is it growth? Piracy? Something else altogether?

R: It is probably growth…We are signing bands and beefing up our release schedule, but we are concentrating on quality so it is a slow, steady process. We aren’t just throwing things against the wall to see if they stick, we make a commitment to these bands – multiple singles released, aggressive marketing, etc.

We are also trying to communicate the message of what we do for our bands to the industry at large, which is another slow process.

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

R: Illegal downloads. Despite what everyone says, this has really affected sales.  When I started at Alert Music, the #1 selling CD was selling 200,000 copies per week!  Now we are lucky if we get to 20,000 copies per week on the #1 release. The bar has been lowered and that is sad.

H: Looking ahead to the remainder of 2014, what can we expect from Eleven Seven Music Group?

R: A great year of releases for both our Rock (Eleven Seven Music) and Alternative (Five Seven Music) labels.  We signed a new band called NOTHING MORE to Eleven Seven Music that we are all very excited about.  HELLYEAH (Eleven Seven) and NICO VEGA (Five Seven) made great records we are now promoting!!! We also have a bunch of new signings. It’s going to be a busy and fun year for us!

H: What is one thing you hope to accomplish before the end of the year?

R: A gold record… wishful thinking!  Honestly, that ELEVEN SEVEN MUSIC GROUP becomes a brand that bands want to be a part of!

H: Okay. I believe we have made it through all my questions. Before I let you go, do you have any final thoughts or observations you would like to share?

R: I would like to take the time to say thank you for doing your research and asking me great questions!

Categories
News

Industry Spotlight: Joey Sturgis

Hello and welcome to a brand new week of music industry insight and advice here on the official blog of Haulix. We have received a number of requests to feature the person at the center of today’s column, and though they personally have no reason to use our service their work has been protected by labels using Haulix for the better part of the last decade.

The music industry is a wild and widespread industry that often seems incapable of change. Every now and then however, someone comes along who takes our preconceived notions of what great music is supposed to sound like and turns it upside down. These people lead landscape-changing evolutions that pioneer new sub-genres of music, and far too often they are never given the credit they deserve because they do not spend much, if any time in front of the general public. Joey Sturgis is one such soul, and since 2005 he has been carrying the torch for modern hard rock by producing albums for some of the cutting-edge music found anywhere on the planet. He recently decided to foray into the world of production tools, and earlier this month took a few minutes to tell us about his journey in the music business.

You may not think you know that much about Joey Sturgis, but I can almost guarantee you have heard his work if you are at all interested in rock and roll. From Asking Alexandria, to Crown The Empire, Emmure, Emarosa, Blessthefall, We Came As Romans, The Devil Wears Prada, Everyone Dies In Utah, Dangerkids, Buried In Verona, and I See Stars, there are very few popular hard rock bands working today that have not spent at least a few hours working with the man at the center of today’s feature in recent years. He’s a true original, and we could not be more thrilled to aide him in sharing his latest efforts with the rest of the music industry.

If you would like to learn more about Joey Sturgis, please take the time to follow him on Twitter. You can learn more about his plugins by visiting Joey Sturgis Tones. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: Before we dive in, could you please tell everyone your name, job title, and the studio you call home:

J: My name is Joey Sturgis. I am a record producer, engineer, and entrepreneur. I’m making plugins now, but I am not sure what the official title is for that. I do not have a studio to call home right now, but I do a lot of work out of 37 Studio in metro Detroit.

H: Thank you again for participating in this feature, Joey. We want to cover your latest plugin, but first we’d like to learn a bit about your history. Would you say music has always been a big influence on your life, or was it something you grew to appreciate with age (as a teen or adult)?

J: Music has been a major part of my life ever since I was born. My parents both played music. My uncles, my aunts, everyone in my family was musically gifted. It was pretty inevitable that I would end up doing something in music.

H: When you think back to formative moments and key experiences that steered you toward the career you have now, what memories come to mind?

J: I am not sure what specifically launched me into being a producer per-say, because I never really thought about it when I was younger. My uncle is actually a producer, but I never really looked up to him with the thought that I wanted to do the same thing.

When I was younger, even one or two years old, my parents would bring me with them to their shows. I was always surrounded by musicians and the musical community, and then once I became thirteen I wanted to be in a band myself. I started doing that, and the thing that prevented me from sticking with bands was that I never found something super stable or solid. I ended up forming my own band and figuring out how to record our own demo. That’s when it all kind of started and when I realized I had talent because the demo that we made got a lot of attention and people wanted to know who we recorded with, which of course was me (laughs). That was around the time when MySpace got big, and it was very easy to connect with people you would never meet otherwise. People would go to our profile and listen to our demo, then they would message us and soon enough I had people coming over to record with me. I didn’t really know what I was doing at the time. I was just trying to do the best that I could.

H: So you put out your own EP and bands started coming to you? Was there ever a time when you went after artists, or was there a demand from the very beginning?

J: No, it was pretty much immediate that bands wanted to come over and record. There were a few, of course, that I went after, but the initial response was very good.

H: It really did take off like wildfire. You had a few key releases early on that more or less shaped everything that has followed.

J: I attribute it to luck a bit, and being in the right place at the right time. Also, probably some kind of gift was involved.

H: A lot of critics have begun using descriptive phrases such as ‘the Joey Sturgis sound’ to describe releases you have produced. How would you describe the ‘Joey Sturgis’ sound?

J: The way I like to describe it is by saying that I bring out the comic book character in the artists that I work with. So, a typical normal record would be the band just performing, and my version of that would be depicting them as comic book characters with super powers.

H: Is that how you explain it to bands when speaking with them?

J: Yea, and it’s kind of how I describe the songs. Like, this song is a force or something and now I am going to make it sound/look cool by having it fly through the air or something. That’s kind of what goes on in my head when deciding how to make a song or band better.

H: Before we move on, what advice would you offer to those reading this who are considering a career in music production?

J: The best advice I can give is just to be really dedicated and motivated. Technology makes it really easy to be lazy, but that is not a good trait to have in this industry. Especially because of technology, everyone wants their material now, now now. If you can find bands in your area, record them for free and dedicate yourself to the craft. Eventually you are going to make something someone will want to pay for, and that is when you know you have earned it.

H: Okay, let’s get to the news item that allowed for this interview to happen. You recently released a new vocal compressing plugin called ‘Gain Reduction.’ What can you tell us about this product for people who may be unfamiliar with your tones?

J: The thing with Gain Reduction is that I wanted to create a plugin that could encapsulate my vocal sound in a way that wasn’t tech driven, so I did it in a creative way so that you’re not worrying about release timing or thresholds, or other common concerns. Instead you’re solely worried about what it sounds like and moving nobs and adjusting to the vocal in a more creative way. My main goal was to create a creative compressor and not one where you just type in numbers. I want more people to use their ears and the right side of their brains.

H: There do not seem to be a lot of other vocal compressors that can do what your product is able to accomplish.

J: Mine is very aggressive. It can be tame if you want it to be, the settings are all their for your tweaking. When I mix vocals I love for them to be right in your face. Every little sound coming out of their mouth and throat I want you to hear. Loud. That’s kind of what I am known for with my vocal sound, so that is what I was going for with this plugin.

H: This is not the first plugin you have created. When did you begin developing your own products, and what attracted you to this area of the business in the first place?

J: It happened kind of recently, probably within the last six months. I noticed I was getting asked a lot about how I made certain things happen in the studio, and that spawned a preset community of people looking for samples to use with their own band. That community was frowned upon though because they were not learning to produce, but rather just copying someone else’s work and calling it their own. I looked at it as kids not wanting to learn to produce, but rather just wanting to make music and put it out so they can play shows, tour, and sell records. The way I look at [these plugins] is as an interesting way to provide good tools for people who don’t care about production, but also make them viable in the production world, as well as allowing other people to connect with me on a deeper level. When I was growing up I looked up to Ross Robinson, and if he had released something I would have run out an bought it because I was such a big fan of his work. So I feel like this is a cool opportunity for people who like my work to try it for themselves at home and feel a deeper connection with me.

H: Do you have any additional plugin releases planned for 2014?

J: We have a full line planned. We actually have another plugin that may be ready for release next month. You can pick up all the plugins at http://joeysturgistones.com

H: You work with some of the biggest bands in the alternative music world on a regular basis. What advice would you offer artists trying to make a name for themselves in 2014?

J: Artists really need to focus on songwriting. I think that is the most important factor in becoming successful. Labels are looking for bands that are capable of writing great songs. It’s a very saturated market, but if you want to get over the competition you have to write great songs.

H: Do you have any interns?

J: Yes, I do actually.

H: If people wanted to be your intern, what should they do to apply?

J: It’s very hard because it’s so competitive and so many people want to do it. I usually end up finding people through weird connections and odd ways. People do submit resumes, but for me that does not mean that much. I want someone I can go bowling with, or go to dinner with, and otherwise hangout with when not working. I don’t want someone who is going to learn everything and run away. I’m looking for people who want to help me and want to work towards building everything that I have going on.

That said, I have so many connections to so many different communities that it’s very difficult for any outsider to come in. There are so many inner circle people that fit the bill that it’s hard for any insider to get in.

H: You’ve accomplished a lot over the last decade. Looking ahead to the future, what career goals have you set for yourself?

J: I do have the aspiration to win a Grammy. I think everyone in the industry, or at least people like me, always hope they will win one eventually. I hold them in high regards and think it would be amazing to win one because it would put me in a whole new league in comparison to my peers. So there’s that, and I also think it would be awesome to get a platinum record. I have a collective one, like two million sold, but you don’t get awards for that (laughs).

H: You have worked on nearly 100 albums since 2005. Off the top of your head, which titles stand out as records you’re particularly proud of? Do you have one release that you feel is your best work?

J: I feel like Reckless and Relentless by Asking Alexandria is one of the best examples of me being completely focused and very in tune with the record. I spent as much time as possible with that album and I am very proud of what we achieved with that record. People often ask me how we did various things on the album and that always makes me feel good.

H: Okay, I think we have covered just about everything. Before I let you go, do you have any finals thoughts or observations you would like to share with our readers?

J: I just want people to check out what I am doing with Joey Sturgis Tones. I feel like it’s going to evolve into something very cool. The idea I have coming up in the future are pretty interesting. I have a bass amp simulator on the way. I know there are a lot of people who struggle with nailing down the rock bass sound, so I want to put my own spin on a product that will do that.

I think we are in an interesting time right now. We can trade guitar tones and the like. Technology has made it possible for us to not only share techniques, but products as well. I think [in the future] you will see me collaborating with artists on a deeper level. For example, let’s say people who play guitar look up to Ben Bruce. They can go to Guitar Center and buy a Ben Bruce guitar, but that is kind of where it ends. I want to see if we can take it further and build a deeper connection between the artists and fans.

H: Thank you, Joey. We will get this live soon. What music are you working on?

J: I am mixing the Emmure album right now. I think I have Crown the Empire next. There are a few things I have to leave out right now, but things are definitely busy.

Categories
Job Board News

Blogger Spotlight: Alex Arnold (Lambgoat)

Hello, everyone! Today is a very special day for the Haulix blog as we’re fortunate enough to be sharing the story of one of the biggest and longest-running hard rock news outlets online. This site has been praised and criticized for a number of years, and this afternoon we’re going to learn about the man who makes it all happen. If you have any recommendations for future installments of our spotlight series, or if you have any questions about our products, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. You can also find us on Twitter.

I do not recall when I became a regular reader of music blogs, but if I had to guess the early years of the new millennium would be a great place to start. Sites were far simpler back then, and the amount of competition for exclusives was far less cutthroat than it is today. Those wanting punk news visited Punknews, those wanting emo/alt-rock visited Absolutepunk, and those wanting to learn about the heavier side of rock spent countless hours browsing the site at the center of today’s article.

Founded in 1999, Lambgoat has been the go-to destination for fans of hardcore, metal, and other forms of extreme music for well over a decade at this point. Their news feed is one of the fastest online, and rarely does more than a few days go by without some exclusive breaking as a result of their efforts. I knew when we launched this column that the mind behind Lambgoat, and the answer given by owner Alex Arnold certainly did not disappoint. You can read about his journey in music below.

As someone who spent years reading about music before ever deciding to write about it himself, I do not know that I would be who I am today without having discovered Lambgoat all those years ago. The sense of community shared by its users, not to mention the endless love shown towards independent artists has created an environment that makes discussing music fun once more. The competition to be the place where those conversations take place is fiercer than ever today, but I have no doubts Lambgoat will continue to reign atop the metal world for many years to come.

If you would like to stay on top of everything Alex has going on, make sure you bookmark and frequent Lambgoat. 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:

AA: My name is Alex Arnold, I work for Lambgoat. My role is pretty much everything: owner, writer, developer, designer, intern, etc.

H: We have a lot of ground to cover here, but let’s start with the basics: When you think of your earliest memories of music, what comes to mind?

AA: That’s a long time ago. Some of my earliest memories are dancing around my living room with my sisters while the Beatles’ ‘White’ album played. No, I wasn’t alive when it came out, but luckily it was part of my parents’ vinyl collection. I also have fond memories of my father listening to Bob Marley and Billy Joel, two artists I still thoroughly enjoy to this day.

H: Do you recall the first album you purchased with your own money? Do you still own it today?

AA: No, I honestly don’t. But it may have been a Herbie Hancock cassette tape (which must be in a box somewhere. I would never have thrown it out). I think I heard his song “Rocket” on TV and was enthralled. My older sister was a big influence to me, and I was soon immersed in the world of alternative, and particularly, industrial music. I was really into The Cure, Front 242, and Skinny Puppy, among many others. I bought a ton of tapes. Notably, my sister also turned me on to the Violent Femmes, Black Flag, and Suicidal Tendencies.

H: What initially attracted you to writing/blogging?

AA: My father was an advertiser and writer, so I was always relatively confident that I could express myself on paper, so to speak. However, I can’t say that I was particularly interested in writing per se. Though I’ve always been an avid reader, I honestly had no great desire to write.

H: Who or what is your biggest inspiration as a writer?

AA: Wow, that’s a difficult question for me. I honestly can’t think of any writers who’ve really inspired me. My father was certainly an influence, but more so because he was always able to verbalize complex thoughts and ideas. Much of the reading I did when I was younger was of the nonfiction sort, authors of which don’t tend to engender much inspiration (not to diminish their craft).

H: Onto the site. Lambgoat launched in 1999. long before the majority of the sites operating today were even concepts in the back of their creator’s minds. What drove you to launch your own site, and what was the original purpose of Lambgoat?

AA: Quite frankly, the original motivation for Lambgoat was a real-world environment for practicing web design and development, a career which I had just launched. I was passionate about music, so it seemed like a natural theme for the website. But I certainly had no lofty aspirations.

H: The name Lambgoat is one I have heard explained in about a dozen ways across various forums and music hangouts. What is the true origin of the site’s name?

AA: Contrary to belief, the name does not come from the Integrity song whose lyrics include, “The lamb and the goat have finally fused as one.” In fact, the name lambgoat predates that song by several years. Moreover, I wasn’t even aware of Integrity’s existence prior to launching the site. I wish that I had some amazing tale explaining the origin of the name. I do not. I had a friend in high school with whom I would jam. We would frequently make up songs and record them on my trusty Tascam multi-track cassette recorder. One day we were attempting to parody some Satanic death metal, and the phrase “lamb goat” materialized in a nonsensical way. I believe they came from my friend’s mouth, though I can’t say for sure. Regardless, it was a phrase that for whatever reason I would never forget. Not long thereafter, it became the name of a short-lived band. And several years later I dug it up as the name for my site. It’s something I’m constantly explaining, but I’m glad that I used it. It’s much more interesting that HardcoreNews.com or MetalCenter.net or whatever.

H: At what point did the site evolve from a simple outlet for your ideas into a full blown news operation? What lead you to make this change?

AA: Circa 1999/2000, there weren’t many websites for heavy music. In fact, compared to today’s endless supply of online destinations, there weren’t that many websites period. I was surprised that people actually started visiting the site, and when they did, I started feeling obligated to improve and add to its content. I suppose we first hit our stride in 2003 or so.

H: Many of the young sites we feature have yet to dive deeply into the world of monetization, but Lambgoat has been running advertisements for a number of years. Is the site a full time job for you at this point? Do you have any advice to offer younger bloggers hoping to find some income in the world of internet journalism?

AA: I did indeed try to monetize the site to some degree early on. Frankly, I get bored easily. In the absence of financial reward, there’s little motivation to post tour dates for hardcore band X at 9am year after year, haha. I wouldn’t dedicate several hours of each day for 14 years to Lambgoat without any sort of financial benefit. I’m all for helping the scene, etc., but I have a lot of other things that I enjoy doing with my time, not the least of which is hanging out with my family.

Lambgoat could be a full-time job, but it is not. I have a “real” full-time job as a web-developer. I’m busy as hell, but busy is good, I guess.

My best advice to aspiring Internet journalists is to focus on everything but the money initially. You need to worry about content, and content alone, for a period of time. The money will come later. Don’t put the cart before the horse, as they say, or you’re not going to get far. Making money is hard, especially this late in the Internet “game.” There is too much competition out there. Unless you have a large amount of money up-front to invest in marketing, etc., you need to be in it for the long haul.

H: How many contributors do you have on your team? What do you look for when recruiting new staffers?

AA: We’ve had a ton of help over the years from various album reviewers, interviewers, and writers. A select few have been integral, but most stuck around for a month and moved on, haha. Right now we are very thin. I have two people who do album reviews semi-regularly, and one person who writes occasionally. I do everything else. I have been trying to enlist my wife for help during the past year, but she’s busy too with her own stuff, so it’s difficult to maintain consistency in that regard.

In the past, it was easy to find young people willing to help for free. But times have changed, and most competent people want to be paid. This is completely understandable, but it makes things difficult when you’re a small outfit with almost no editorial budget.

H: Building off that, what makes a good news post? I’m sure you’re inundated with press releases and submissions daily, so how do you decide what makes the cut?

AA: Great question. I’d be the first to say that most of our news posts consist of boring, plain vanilla content. After all, there’s not much compelling about tour dates or label signings. If we only posted what we considered to be “exciting” content, we’ve have very little on our site. For every dramatic band break-up, or hitman-hiring metal singer news item, there are 100 other run-of-the-mill items. At this point, we just try not to waste peoples’ time. We tend to post about bands that have some sort of following. And we don’t post about Kerry King visiting a gun show or whatever. If you want to know everything about everybody, Blabbermouth is much better than we are for that. Lars Ulrich was at an art premiere last week? Really? Sorry, but Lambgoat would rather post Misery Signals tour dates.

H: Forums are becoming far less common on news sites these days, but yours continues to thrive. To what do you attribute this success?

AA: I don’t know if “thrive” is the right word, haha. I don’t even know how to describe the board. I’m not sure whether to laugh or to cry when I ponder it. I will say that it is difficult to maintain interest in an online forum these days when there are so many other places to interact – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. It was much easier in 2004 when there were very few places to “hang out” online. I’m not sure how viable our message board is at this point, but we still do get a decent amount of activity there, though I won’t sit here and extol the virtues of said activity, haha.

H: Speaking of thriving, Lambgoat has towered above its competition for a number of years, even as the number of music blogging sites exploded in recent times. What do you think it is about the content offered on Lambgoat that sets you apart for your competitors?

AA: I think we were in the right place at the right time. There were only a few music websites in 2000, and almost none focused on metal and/or hardcore. And even then, most of those only updated their content every few days or so. We were one of the first to provide constant updates throughout the day. If we launched last year or this year, we’d be nothing. There are just too many sites doing the same thing. When Suicide Silence announces a new singer, there are 50 other sites posting the same press release. It’s really rather ridiculous. I just try to maintain a usable site, post news-worthy items, and deliver consistency. It’s really all we can do at this point. There are a ton of fly-by-night metal websites and blogs out there. They’ll disappear and we’ll still be here, doing the same thing, year after year (that actually sounds sad when I read it back, haha). But I think that’s what our readers appreciate most – our consistency.

H: I’ve noticed video content is not a big part of Lambgoat outside of news posts. Do you have any plans to expand you multimedia offerings going forward?

AA: We’ve definitely given it some thought in the past. I’d like to offer more in that regard, but for now, we have no concrete plans to tackle the video realm. Check back in next year and I might be singing a different tune though!

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

AA: There are so many bands out there. Too many bands, frankly. It’s extremely difficult to stand out. Spend a few hours writing some nifty riffs, do a little Pro-Tools recording, upload to YouTube, and suddenly you’re legit. Ok, you’re really not, but you’re affecting those that are. Prospective listeners have difficulty discerning “real” bands from half-ass ones, and the whole scene is diluted as a result.

H: Where do you go to discover new music?

AA: I honsetly don’t, haha. If new music finds me, so be it, but I don’t seek it out. I hear a ton of stuff through Lambgoat, so I don’t really embark upon any discovery missions otherwise. I’m content listening to the same old stuff, whether it’s the Beatles, Roy Buchanan, Roger Waters or whatever.

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?

AA: I’ve seen everything. And almost none of it works. There is just too much to comb through. Your best bet, whether it’s with Lambgoat or any other site, is to establish personal contact with someone. Sending some template email to a general inbox at some sizeable organization will almost never yield results.

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

AA: Since I don’t review stuff personally, I honestly don’t pay too much attention to the various services. That said, I do prefer Haulix among those I’ve used. And I’m not just saying that for your benefit either.

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

AA: Artists need more money from record sales. Period. If you sell 50,000 copies of an album, but don’t earn any royalties for said album, something is amiss. Granted, for decades record labels were raping artists, but now bands are getting raped by the general public too, haha. Of course, the tide does appear to be turning to some degree with crowdfunding growing in popularity. When Protest The Hero raises over $300,000, you at least know they’re getting paid.

H: What is your ultimate career goal?

AA: Wow, haha…. I don’t know. I wish I had one! I don’t know what a good goal to have is in this business. Make enough to hire a bunch of people and read books all day? I’m not sure.

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

AA: There are so many things I want to do with regard to Lambgoat: unsigned band album reviews, a tour dates section, more interviews, more features, a better mobile experience… the list goes on and on. There’s not nearly enough time in the day for me to accomplish everything I’d like. I don’t know that there will be anything out of the ordinary taking place during the next few months, but I am going to do my best to work on a more mobile-friendly website. I’ve been putting it off for far too long.

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