Riding high on a successful string of releases, Unique Leader Records CEO Jamie Graham chats with Haulix about how his label continues to thrive amid an ongoing global pandemic.
When Jamie Graham took over Unique Leader Records following the untimely death of founder Erik Linmarkin in 2019, nobody knew what would come next. Graham was suddenly leading a global music company with a thriving roster of hardworking young talent and an inbox flooded with the dreams of aspiring musicians. The young industry mind had to work fast to get on his feet, but another unpredictable event happened almost as soon as he found his footing.
“We probably had nine to eleven releases in various stages of rollout when March (2020) happened,” Jamie explains while speaking from his home office. “I was actually on the road at the time, and I remember we got a message that everything was canceled. It was a crazy time.”
Metal, much like rock and roll, will never die. However, that doesn’t mean the genre pioneered by legendary bands Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple hasn’t found itself on life support once or twice in its nearly 100-year existence. One decade rock and metal define our culture, but the next, they take a backseat. That ebb and flow will continue throughout time, and it’s the duty of the labels and bands in the genre to weather the storm.
Even before the pandemic hit, rock was already suffering. A years-long stretch of falling behind the streaming numbers of pop and hip-hop has left the genre struggling to break new talent on a massive level, and the pandemic only made matters worse. As artists hunkered down at home, the label had to step back and reevaluate every aspect of its business. Were releases still going to come out, or would they be shelved until reopening? When would vinyl be available? For artists who were writing, how could they record? Where would the money come from to cover the bills and keep everyone paid?
The answers labels and music professionals came up with in response to these concerns are countless. For Jamie Graham and Unique Leader, their choice was to double down on digital marketing efforts while continuing to search for and nurture the next generation of genre-defining talent. Many chose a safer path, but two years on, Graham and the Unique Leader team are experiencing one of their biggest growth periods yet.
In the latest Music Biz ‘Fast Five’ interview, Jamie Graham chats with host James Shotwell about the pandemic’s effect on his business, the talent he supports, and his views on the industry overall. The conversation inevitably runs long, so the pair also discuss the secret to landing a deal with Unique Leader. Check it out:
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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.
There are few genres I hesitate to discuss in public forums more than heavy metal. In the last fifteen years the world of metal music has been sliced and diced into countless subgenres for no other reason than the increased ease of new music discovery, but one unfortunate side effect of those efforts has been the battle lines it such subjugation has drawn between metal fans. For some, there is only one true form of metal, and everything else is just heavy noise that wishes it were up to par with the very rarified air that particular fan’s favorite bands inhabit. For others, all metal is mediocre unless it is born from the mind of an artist with decades of experience ticket under their belt. Both schools of thought are wrong, as we believe the subjective nature of music is part of what makes it so endearing, but we learned long ago not to question the tastes and interests of metal fans unless we were prepared to fight.
This realization sucks. It sucks that people who enjoy one area of metal music feel they are either inferior or superior to another area of the same genre simply because some assholes on the Internet decided rock’s numerous subgenres needed to be ranked. As far as we are concerned every genre of music is just as good and horrible as the next, the only determining factor as far as your personal tastes are concerned should be you. This doesn’t mean critics are full of crap, but it does mean that you cannot let the opinions of others dictate everything you do. Critics, at best, are curators to a world of music that has long passed its saturation point. Critics do not know everything, and if you find one who claims to then you should immediately write them off. It is impossible to know everything the vast world of music has to offer, but that should not stop you from taking time to explore as much of it as possible during your short time on this Earth.
With that in mind, my choice for Monday Motivation this week is none other than Michigan metal outfit It Lies Within. Some of you may recall the band and their name from the short time they spent on Victory Records a few years back, but there is much more to this forward-thinking product of America’s murder capitol than an association with a once great indie label. It Lies Within are a band born out of a desire to make metal interesting again, and they have spent the better part of the last half decade fighting for every bit of critical and fan acclaim they have been able to gain. Their continued success is a testament to what can be achieved through hard work and a fierce dedication to engaging with fans on a regular basis. Those who enjoy It Lies Within not only feel close to the music, but the members themselves, as the band constantly works to share their lives and personalities through those that support their music.
Paramount, the upcoming release from It Lies Within that is slated to hit stores this Friday, January 8, is the first great heavy album of 2016. As with every other record in the band’s catalog, Paramount serves as a bold declaration of It Lies Within’s continuing efforts to push the envelope of modern metal with unique riffs, thought-provoking vocals, and an overall quality of songwriting that far exceeds that of their genre peers. It’s not an album everyone will love, but both the band and their fans have already accepted this fact. There is never going to be a record capable of capturing the imagination of every metal fan, but it’s hard to believe anyone with even a passing interest in the world of heavy music finding themselves unable to find something worth applauding on this record. You can use the songs of Paramount to prepare for battle against your greatest foe or to serve as the soundtrack to your next sweat session at your local gym. Whatever the case, know that when times get tough It Lies Within has a song or twelve ready to help boost your belief in the fact you can do anything you set your mind to.
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.
Some say life is for the living, but in order to truly live I believe life is for the dreamers. The creative people who put no limits on their exploration of the world around them, who take risks when others would play it safe, they are the ones who truly live. They accept that their perception of reality differs from everyone else and they embrace it. They find a way to hold a mirror to their soul and they show it to the world. Things don’t always work out the way they desire, but when their body is lowered into the ground and people throw dirt on their coffin they can rest knowing they tried. When everyone else turned back, they forged ahead and embraced whoever they felt they were meant to be.
This brings me to Rivers Of Nihil, otherwise known as the Metal Blade Records artist you should probably be listening to, but for some reason haven’t gotten around to completely devoting your life to just yet. Their new album Monarchy drops this Friday, August 21, and it is absolutely killer. The growth from The Conscious Seed Of Light to now is undeniable from the very beginning, and the evolution in storytelling, not to mention technical skill, is downright jaw-dropping. We have been jamming the album around HQ for the last several weeks, but you can get a taste right now using this handy stream:
Rivers Of Nihil are at a pivotal point in their career. They are largely a support band in the world of touring, making very little to open for large bands while hoping their brand builds to the point they can one day headline. This means every show is as much about selling the new album as it is simply trying to make people give a shit. That’s a tough balance to manage, especially when your new album is the second in a planned four-part concept album that takes place in a reality that is nothing like the world we know today. Somehow, the band is pulling it off, and with each round of live dates their recognition in metal seems to further develop. We believe they are the future of heavy music, and we know they’re reaching that point by being entirely themselves.
Recently, Rivers Of Nihil bassist Adam Biggs hopped on the phone with us to discuss Monarchy, touring, and the state of metal today. It was a fascinating conversation that shed light on the band’s work in the studio, as well as their hopes and goals for the future. They know they have big plans, but they’re determined to make them. You can read highlights from our conversation below.
H: Monarchy is a great record. I’d love to talk a bit about the concept behind the album, as well as the outside influences that added to its final sound. You have a story that runs through your catalog, but I’ve read there was also a lot of real life influence on this album. Can you shed a little light on the creation of this record for us?
AB: Great question. You’re actually talking to the right guy about this because I’m the guy who writes 90% of the lyrics. The influence from Brody is based on the actual music itself. Brody has always written the majority of our music and I think you can really hear him dealing with some personal struggles as the album progresses. That’s where his role in this album’s sound comes into play.
As for the story of the record, it’s kind of a complicated plot, but it continues a thread that was started on The Conscious Seed Of Light. That album dealt with a bunch of stories from different people who inhabited this planet throughout history as they ascended into a state where they are one with their planet. They become this voice, the conscious seed of the planet. At the end of the record everything unravels when a solar flare kills the majority of life on the planet. Now, millions of years later, there is a new race of life developing on that planet, and that is the story we are telling with this record.
H: I love big concepts. You are essentially the member of the band responsible for maintaining the narrative found within your albums, as well as our ability to follow it. Can you tell us about the challenges you face in telling a story as big and unique as this through music?
AB: It has admittedly been kind of a bumpy road as far as that is concerned. On our first record, there were a few songs I felt really served the narrative well, but there were also tracks from our first EPs thrown in that kind of diluted the story. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted from a concept album, but with this one we got a lot closer. We were able to start from scratch musically, and before we wrote anything I knew the direction I wanted to take with the story. I knew the title, I knew the story I wanted to tell, and I was able to present to the band up front. Brody is going to write what he’s going to write. I don’t rule with an iron fist or anything, but I do tell everyone where I feel certain things need to go in order to tell the story or set a certain mood. I think things worked our pretty well with this record.
H: Could not agree more. I have to say, my favorite part of the record is the middle. The concept as a whole works, but I think you find your stride somewhere around “Ancestral, I.”
AB: Interesting. I was initially worried that part of the record may be a bit too close to death metal for our fans, but what I’ve heard from people who have the record already is the opposite. They seem to dig the heavy stuff, and once the album starts to pull back a bit they go along with it. That kind of feedback is really sick.
H: Is there anything behind the title Monarchy? I have to say, I expected another title along the lines of The Conscious Seed Of Light.
AB: Originally, the title I had in mind was ‘The Monarchy Of The Sun,” which is pretty much the tag line from the title track. I decided to draw back a little bit though, just because I liked the idea of having something short and percussive. Monarchy. Bam. There it is.
It ties into the concept as well. The people living in this society have a Monarchy, and throughout the album we detail the way they live their lives. Hopefully people pick up on that (laughs).
H: I was actually going to bring up the sun because he appears in your new video. How did you manage to wrangle the most popular star in our galaxy to appear in the footage?
AB: You know, we just sent him an email. We told him we appreciated his work and wanted him to appear, and thankfully he got back to us.
H: Did he hang out at all?
AB: Yea, he hung out on set all day. I gave him a high five and it pretty much torched my hand. He had to leave at one point to heat the other side of the planet, but we understood.
H: Let’s talk about the single a bit. What lead you to choose “Sand Baptism” as the track to promote the new album?
AB: From pretty much the first time I heard that song, even in instrumental form, I was telling everyone it was the one we needed to share with people. Something about it just clicks.
H: When it comes to bringing the new material and story elements into the live show, what can fans expect to see this fall? There is something awesome about catching you live because there is a story being shared, and before now your shows basically shared that story without issue because there was only one album of material to pull from. The new album adds more songs, which I imagine only complicates your ability to tell a clear story in a live setting. Is that something you concern yourself with much right now while on the road?
AB: Most of the sets and tours we are doing right now are support slots. That kind of thing is something I want to work on in the future. Maybe after the story is completed we can do something to commemorate our work before moving on to the next thing, but for now when you catch us live you’ll see a collection of tracks from both records.
H: That makes sense for a band in your position. Right now it’s about getting people to care at al. Once that happens, then you can share your story.
AB: Exactly. Once we’re in a position to make a production out of it we will see what happens. Until then, we just want to put on a great show.
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 ofAntique 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.
Hello and welcome to the dawn of another work week here on the official blog of Haulix. We are happy to have you with us this afternoon, and we think you will be thrilled to learn that we have finally delivered a brand new Artist Spotlight feature for you to enjoy. This interview touches on everything from finding a unique sound in metal, to the process of releasing your album in a country that is not your own. There’s a lot more as well, but I don’t want to spoil everything in the introduction!
This blog exists to promote the future of the music industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your music-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
There is a part of me that likes to pretend I am well versed in the world of metal, but the longer I work in music the more I realize that statement might as well be a bold faced lie. The world of metal, especially on a global scale, is too diverse and broad for anyone to claim a strong comprehension of everything. The best we can do is to try and attain a better understanding of the unknown and how it works with the music we know by heart. That is the idea that inspired this feature, and who knows? You might find your new favorite metal band as a result.
Black Trip are a group that could have started in 2003, but due to a number of factors unrelated to the interest of founding member Peter Stjärnvind the band did not begin to take shape until 2011. The eight years in between found Stjärnvind recording instrumentals at home alone, which were later used to lay the foundation for the group’s debut album, Goin’ Under. That record, which hit stores just last month, has since been released in the US by our friends at Prosthetic Records. You can stream a song from the record below:
I had never heard of Black Trip prior to receiving an advance of Goin’ Under, but I quickly fell in love with their throwback sound and the way it made the black metal nature of their lyrics feel a bit less brutal than your typical Swedish rock outfit. It’s the kind of album that belongs in rotation alongside the likes of Led Zepplin and Black Sabbath, only its far more dark than either artist ever dared to be. If that appeals to you, I wholeheartedly recommend giving the full album a spin when time allows.
Prosthetic recently asked if we would be interested in speaking with the band about their efforts to reach a global audience and how others can follow suit, but it took until the end of last week for us to set a date and time for that conversation to take place. This morning I spoke with vocalist Joseph Tholl over Skype and ended up enjoying our conversation so much that I felt it should run on the blog right away. You can find the best highlights from our interview below.
Goin’ Under is available now through Prosthetic Records. Click here to order the album.
H: Hello, how are you today?
JT: I’m doing great, actually. I’m spending the week over in London right now, which is why we have the bad connection right now. My service has been bad, but I made my way to a bar and found some great wifi.
H: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. I’ve been spinning your debut album at the office for the past week and love what I’ve been hearing. How have reactions from fans and press been thus far?
JT: I read a couple of reviews, which I am happy to say seemed pretty positive. I’ve also been doing a lot of interview with people like you, so I hope that is a good sign about how things are going (laughs).
H: Do you concern yourself with the opinion of critics?
JT: It’s very important for any kind of band to get good reviews, but I don’t really read a lot of them. Most reviews admittedly say the same thing. As long as it’s positive, I’m happy.
H: This album is kind of unique in an odd way. It is the first album Black Trip has released as a group, but every single member has years of music industry experience behind them. Do you feel like you’re starting over again with this project?
JT: Yes. It’s the similar passion to when you start a new band, but we have the advantages of everything we have learned over the years, you know? You never really start from scratch again because you know people who can play and you’ve learned how to write songs, so it’s easier and faster to get things together. We have a circle of people we can work with and depend on.
H: I’d like to talk a little bit about the history of the band. I read that Peter Stjarnvind was the one who initially came up with the idea for Black Trip, but it was not until you and he discussed the idea in 2011 that the group came together. Is that true? What can you tell us about that conversation you and Peter had a few years back?
JT: Yes, Peter originally had the idea to start a heavy metal band back in 2003, and I think it was a bit more occult based at the time. He started to make demo tapes, but he never had a singer to lay down any vocals. He would speak about Black Trip every time I met him, be it in a bar or elsewhere. He would tell me about these demos and how badly he wanted to have a black metal band. I told him that it was a shame he could not find a singer, and he asked me if I would want to give it a try. He knew I had been singing backup in enforcer. I had been using my voice all my life, but I was never a lead singer until I joined this group. It’s a little strange that he asked me, but since I had some experience I guess had enough confidence to make it work.
H: Once you decided to move forward with the band, was it relatively easy to recruit the rest of the members?
JT: We got a gig not long after we got together, so we needed a lineup in order to play this big festival in Sweden. Peter and I had made a 7", which is how we got the gig, and not long after we realized we needed a band in a very short amount of time. It kind of made sense though, because the other members are people Peter and I have known individually for years. It’s also fun because we all come from different places. Me and Jonas, for example, grew up in the same small town. The other three guys are old friends as well.
H: The first thing that caught my ear while listening to ‘Goin Under’ is just how much the production reminds me of heavy metal albums from the 1970s. The whole thing feels ‘classic’ even though it was recorded within the last year. What can you tell us about the record creation process?
JT: People ask us all the time if we are trying to sound retro, but it’s not that. We are just trying to make music that sounds like the stuff we like. Also, if you look at all the equipment we used, everything is older. The guitars and amps are older, and we recorded entirely in analog. There’s also our inspirations, which are all older groups of course.
H: I do want to say that even though the production on your album brings to mind classic rock records, the lyricism and themes are unquestionably based in modern times. What message do you hope people take away from this record?
JT: Let’s put it like this: The music that we play is not something very difficult to approach. It’s easy, catchy music, and it’s largely not very deep, but we still want that ‘black’ element in it and that comes through in the lyrics. I don’t know exactly what I want them to take away, but there is a feeling to the record that I hope carries over.
H: ‘Goin Under’ was recently released here in the United States by Prosthetic Records. How did you initially get in contact with the label?
JT: It’s because of our label manager in Sweden, Alex. He released our album in Sweden and Scandinavia, then he helped us find labels to release the record in Europe and North America. He contacted them and they were up for it. That’s really all I know about that.
H: Did you have any fears or concerns about releasing your album through a label located in a country well over a thousand miles from your home in Sweden?
JT: Of course. It’s hard to keep control over all that stuff, but I believe in Alex and trust him. He’s working hard for us over here and he believes they are doing the same for us over there. You cannot really keep much control when it comes to overseas releases. You have learn to appreciate your music is being put out overseas and be happy with it. If you’re selling a ton of music and not seeing any income however, you may want to second guess a few things. For us, right now, we are just happy they wanted to bring us on board.
H: Our site exists to help bands and industry professionals get a leg up in the music business, do you have any advice for up and coming artists who may be trying to get recognition in countries other than their own?
JT: In this era, where you can record something and put it out right away, the best advice I can give is to do everything to share that music with people. The industry today and how it works for [unsigned bands] is completely different from how I thought things worked when I was a kid. You have to put yourself out there, and you have to not be afraid to be turned down. You can make yourself puke thinking that bands don’t sell records anymore, but you should learn to find happiness in the fact you can create something and spread it around the world in a short amount of time.
H: The album has been out for a couple of weeks at this point, and rarely has a day passed since its release without at least one metal site mentioning your name. Tell me, what’s next for Black Trip?
JT: We just finished our summer touring, but we have mostly only played Sweden so far. The album came out there last year, then Europe earlier this year, and the states at the end of the summer. We want to get out and tour more, but we have to wait and see how the response goes. Right now would be too earlier probably, but I want us to get out there. Peter is having his third kid soon as well, so we’re staying calm until November. After that, we’ll play more shows.
H: I think we’re out of time, but I want to thank you again for taking the time to speak with me this morning. Before I let you go, are there any final thoughts or observations that you would like to share with our readers?
JT: I just wanted to say that I am happy the album is out in the US and doing well. I hope to see everyone over there when we come out and play shows.
Hello and welcome to the beginning of a brand new work week. There is a major holiday stateside this week, but that is in no way slowing our efforts to bring you every bit of information you need in order to conquer the modern music industry. For today’s post, we are running a guest blog from seasoned metal writer Lauren Wise about the gender gap in today’s hard rock journalism scene. If you have any questions about developing as a writer/blogger in music, please do not hesitate email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a musician, a vocalist, a fan or a journalist; if you’re a chick in metal I can guarantee at some point in time you’ve heard the question: “why are you here?”
Women’s role in heavy metal music is rooted deeply in mystery, lust and temptation; the one thing that could overcome a male’s self-control. Immediately this has made us women either sexually objectified or looked down upon as not able to understand heavy metal music. The misogyny that runs wild in the scene since Black Sabbath days will never disappear.
But even though women have to work twice as hard to be accepted on some levels, things have come a long way since the 1960s. As stated in one of my favorite books, “Running With The Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music” by Robert Walser, “Heavy metal revolves around identification with power, intensity of experience, freedom and community.”
Women and men slam through the same mosh pits and can belt the same guttural screams from stage. Women who thrive on heavy metal often dash the normal idea of femininity; you’re more likely to see her in an Exodus t-shirt at a show rather than in a bikini on Instagram. She might go to the mall on occasion; but it will only be to refill her corpse paint supply at Sephora. And she can usually drink more whiskey than you and is totally fine that her hair is dreaded out after headbanging.
However, there’s always going to be an undercurrent of male chauvinism, along with guys who feel that there’s no reason to have women on tour unless they are there to have sex.
Well, when I’m there, it’s for a job. I’m a journalist and heavy metal columnist. Some of the musicians I interview and review may be cute, yeah; but I’ve never once been tempted to have any type of interaction with them on that level. Serious women journalists know that if you ever once put yourself in that position, you will never be treated with any respect.
I established a rule for myself a long time ago: It’s of the upmost importance to keep myself (somewhat) collected, professional and, for lack of a better word, indifferent when dealing with the musicians in person. Sure, when I was 18, interviewing local bands comprised mostly of my friends, we would hash out music philosophy over a bottle of Jack Daniels. But times changed quickly when I realized that if I wanted to be taken seriously as a woman in the heavy metal business, I had to make it clear that my intentions were always purely professional.
When I was 12-years-old listening to Pantera and Metallica in my bedroom, I would’ve never believed it if someone told me I’d eventually interview Phil Anselmo and speak with Lars Ulrich one day. As a child I competed in classical piano competitions, reveling in compositions by Bach, Beethoven, Debussy and Vivaldi. These composers that led me to heavy metal, are the very same composers that helped spawn the genre’s best guitarists. I graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, and for a decade I’ve built my career and I’ve been blessed to interview other influential figures, including Alice Cooper, Tom Araya, Buzz Osborne, Zakk Wylde, Al Jourgensen, Corey Taylor, Dani Filth, and James “Munky” Shaffer.
I’ve also spoken to many women on the issue of gender in heavy metal. It’s a never-ending fight for females, from Joan Jett to Wendy O, Otep to Angela Gossow, Maria Brink and the Butcher Babies’ Carla Harvey and Heidi Shepherd. The latter two and I have had extensive conversations about their struggle as attractive female metal musicians. In short, it’s a no-win situation: you’re going to get shit for something, whether you’re not attractive enough, too attractive, wear too little clothing, wear too much clothing. If you’re a fantastic musician, fans tend to pick you apart even more closely than your male counterparts. Sometimes, the same goes for womens’ roles elsewhere in the genre.
The majority of professionals I work with in heavy metal are woman, and damn good at what they do. Women take a lot of risks putting their opinion and knowledge out into the world of heavy metal, and I’ve personally been discriminated against for it: I’m too young, I’m a woman, I don’t like enough black metal. Hell, I’ve even had people say that because I’m a Christian I can’t fully appreciate the depth of different metal genres.
While we can say that the gender gap continues to close, I can’t help but wonder… why is it that a majority of established women heavy metal journalists are still treated differently than males? Is the stigma of “girls are backstage only for one reason” really that hard to shake?
After being backstage enough for show reviews and interviews, it’s easy to spot the groupies; mostly because they portray themselves that way. Plus, word spreads quickly between dudes. They gossip more than women; I swear. But even though I can throw on my Chucks, torn jeans and Led Zep t-shirt, hold some conversations with a member of the band about work, and show zero sexual interest—I’m still be seen as competition for these girls.
In 2013, a certain bad-ass third generation musician toured through Phoenix. As a heavy metal writer it appealed to me because this particular artist was known for bringing a healthy dose of metal into his repertoire. One of my favorite PR companies was handling the tour, and when I went to will call my press pass read “all access.” That wasn’t really common for my press passes, but who was I to question the logic?
My photographer for the show was a girlfriend of mine whose full-time job was in managing production crews and VIP events for a major concert production company. A few songs into the show, we headed to watch from side stage and get a feel for the environment. Surprisingly, we were the only people back there. In a flash, a big burly guy approached us, demanding to know who we were. I showed him our passes and explained that I was reviewing the show. Skeptically, he questioned if we had made or stolen the passes. Finally he gave up, and returned a few minutes later with the musician’s road manager and guitar tech, who proceeded to try and feed us booze and joints in abundance. Finally we slipped away from the conversation that had turned from light-hearted banter to coaxing and creepy. We literally snuck out of backstage in order to enjoy the show.
Half the time I go to shows I am greeted with skepticism that I’m on the “press list.” One time, a security guard didn’t even look at the list. I reiterated that I was reviewing the show, and finally he sighed, looked at the list and was surprised to see my name. When I asked him why he was so defiant, he said that there have been girls in the past that say that and are just trying to get into the show. Okay; well that doesn’t mean that you can’t continue to do your job.
There have even been times where a musician didn’t want to be interviewed in person by a female journalist. I can only assume that this is because they themselves don’t want to cause any issue for a girlfriend or wife, and it’s just a personal rule. This type of situation is rare, but still astounds me. Nothing can be more frustrating for a writer then trying to build a career on talent and knowledge, with the double whammy of having to prove oneself as a woman. I believe in my craft, but there are times I have to force certain thoughts out of my head: Am I here because I’m talented, or because there’s an inkling in a guy’s mind that he might get laid?
For example: I have a male friend; a very talented writer; who began writing professionally about a year ago. In that time span, he has hung out with more of the musicians he’s interviewed far more often than I have. They invite him on the bus for a beer and a shot, accepting him immediately as one of the guys. He’s never seen as a threat. But when I get an invite to meet an artist for drinks or lunch, I’m left wondering if my acceptance is going to be read into as a flirtation.
In the end, my goal has always been to show society the positive intelligence of the heavy metal genre. All I can do is help increase the credibility and visibility of female heavy metal journalists; and one day, it truly won’t matter if you’re a musician, a vocalist, a fan or a journalist. As long as you’re a chick passionate about metal and loving the music, there won’t be any questions about why you’re there.
Hello and welcome to the first interview of the week. We have talked a lot in recent weeks about the one year anniversary of our blog, and now that we’re in the early days of year two we are going to begin rolling out a few new features that we believe allow us to offer a more complete view of the current music industry. If you have any questions about the content of the blog, or if you would like more information regarding the distributional services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
If you have been following the blog for more than a few months you will no doubt recall a string of artist centric interviews we ran near the end of 2013. Those features were fun, but we ultimately walked away feeling like we could have done a better job of promoting the artists’ work while still finding ways to touch on topics like advice and piracy. After much deliberation we decided to shelve the feature until we felt we had a better grasp on what we wanted to gain from each interview.
Today we are resurrecting our Artist Interview series with a little help from the metal outfit known as Tombs. Their new album has served as the in-house soundtrack to many long days over the last month at Haulix HQ, which lead to several conversations about the band’s lasting authority in the world of hard rock. Savage Gold will only be the group’s third album, but already they are one of the most beloved and furiously defended groups in the metal community.
After reaching out to PR, we had the opportunity to speak with Tombs founder and bassist Mike Hill about the new record’s creation, his thoughts on the state of metal today, and what advice he would offer dreamers who believe they are destined for a career in music. You can read thoughts on all of this, as well as topics like piracy and the group’s plans for the future, below.
Savage Gold arrives in stores next Tuesday, June 10, via Relapse Records. You can access an advance stream of the album right now on Pitchfork. We understand metal is not a style everyone can enjoy, but if there is one heavy album you absolutely need to hear this month it is this one. Take a chance on something you may or may not be familiar with and give the full 57-minute experience an opportunity to entertain. You will not be disappointed.
H: Hello! before we dive in, please introduce yourself:
M: Hi, I’m Mike Hill.
H: your third album, Savage Gold, arrives in stores this month. What has changed in the three years since Path Of Totality came out in 2011?
M: We added a guitarist and acquired a new bassist.
H: I don’t want talk about the last record too much, but i can remember the wave of positive press that followed the album’s release. do you concern yourself much with reviews and what critics say? If so, did you feel any pressure when approaching this record because of the response to path?
M: I don’t pay a lot of attention to what is written about the band either positive or negative. I don’t want anything to skew my energy in any particular direction. I’ve read a fair amount of positive and negative reviews…It’s all subjective so i can’t really put too much stock in any of it.
The only real pressure is our own expectation on improving our creative output.
H: Totality found you focusing a lot on death and the end of various things. While i find the new album to be more extreme from a musical perspective, i also found it interesting how much the focus of the songs themselves seem to have changed as well. What influences and ideas were you channeling when working on the lyrics for this record
M: I think death, in a very real, immediate way has influenced the record. The whole record is a meditation on death and infinity and how we have absolutely no idea about how the universe works.
H: I read in another interview that you hope to make a great impact with the lyrics on this record than your previous releases. What types of messages and ideas do you hope people take away from the album?
M: I don’t recall saying that anywhere. I always want to make an impact with my lyrics. I always want people to think and not limit themselves but i don’t have any kind of agenda that i’m pushing.
H: You originally entered the studio to begin work on Savage Gold back in november with Erik Rutan. Having produced the last record yourselves, what inspired you to seek out Rutan for this album?
M: Rutan is a great producer/engineer. I think his production style fit the goals that we had for this record. basically, we wanted to move away from the murkiness on our first few records in order to hear all of the details. I feel like Rutan is a specialist in producing a clean recording.
H: What was the creative process like with Rutan in the mix? How do you think he impacted the record?
M: Rutan isn’t part of the creative process. all of the writing and creative activity has been completed months before we arrive in the studio. Rutan captured and help mold the sound of the record. he made the listening experience more powerful.
H: When it comes to creating new music as a group, where do you begin? Does one member take lead writing duties, or does everyone bring ideas together and you build from there?
M: The writing isn’t really a group effort. I write all of the riffs and lyrics. The band helps arrange the material and everyone develops their parts in response to the riffs that I wrote.
H: There is a great mix of metal and thrashy post-punk throughout the new record. Are there any specific bands or albums you feel influenced your work on Savage Gold?
M: A ton of bands have influenced us, but i’ll name a few that have taken more of a primary role as inspiration. I think Godflesh, Swans, Fields of The Nephilim, Slayer, Dissection, Morbid Angel, Celtic Frost and Black Flag are all bands that have been part of the consciousness of the record.
H: The metal genre is a curious place in the music industry. Where many areas of music appears to have a constant need for artists to be delivering new material, metal fans seem willing to wait, thus allowing for their favorite bands time to create. You, for example, have been able to take 3 years to get this record out, and fans appear to be as excited as ever for its release. Do you have any thoughts on why dedication and support from fans is so strong in the metal community?
M: I think in general metal fans are more concerned with quality. It sort of goes back to the 70’s heavy rock world where bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath put out a large body of work. Metal and hard rock fans are interested in a band and their long term statement. In that way it differs with other scenes that have a flavor of the month. Hardcore and punk fall prey to the flavor of the month syndrome.
H: We focus a lot of our efforts on helping young artist understand the realities of life in the music industry and what it takes to become a full time professional. When aspiring musicians approach you about make a career in metal, what advice do you offer?
M: I think that the career aspect should be thought of more as a long-term, lifestyle choice. If there is any money, it usually takes a long time to come. I like to look at is as a “creative lifestyle” where writing and performing is part of the natural flow of my life, not a job where i clock in and get a regular paycheck. In that way, it’s similar to learning jiu jitsu; you go to the mat everyday and slowly you will achieve your goals, improve, change the way you see the world. you can’t rush it.
Perseverance is key. Follow the things that make you happy and ignore trends.
H: The focus our day-to-day business is music protection. we do our best to fight piracy at every turn and make people aware of its impact on musicians’ lives. Tombs more or less came up at a time when piracy was rampant, so i am curious as to how view its impact on your career. some say piracy helps get the word out, while others claim it only takes money out of their pockets. where do you stand?
M: That’s an interesting question because I can see both sides of the coin, but ultimately I think piracy hurts the artist. All of this stuff takes time, resources, blood, sweat and tears. It’s not easy. I just want things to be fair. I don’t want music fans to have to pay an unreasonable amount of money for a record, but I also don’t think that it should be free.
H: I want to thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Savage Gold is a fantastic record and we are thrilled to help promote its release. We will likely include a song stream with this post, so what is your favorite track off the new album?
M: I thin seance is one of my favorites.
H: Before I let you go, do you have any final thoughts that you wish to share?
Hello, everyone. Welcome to the first and only Blogger-Meets-Publicist spotlight you will see on this blog all week. It’s a rare treat that we have the opportunity to sit down with someone as engrained in the industry as the person at the center of today’s feature, and the insight she has to share is something you do not want to miss. If you have any questions regarding the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more about our efforts here at Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
One of the beautiful things about building this blog has been the way our coverage of various people and sites has allowed us to network with an even larger community of writers critics, artists, and music fans than we ever imagined. By watching readers share and discuss our stories we have been able to work towards creating content more suited to your interests, and one thing you have made abundantly clear is this: You want to know more about people who balance multiple roles in this industry. We have spent the past several weeks seeking out the brightest minds who currently juggle roles with two or more companies, and in the weeks ahead we plan to profile many of them in our ‘Industry Spotlight’ series, starting this afternoon with the one and only Kim Kelly.
Over the last decade Kim Kelly has engrained herself so far into the world of hard rock and metal that she’s appeared in or on essentially every major music publication with influence in the world of rock. Pitchfork, Noisey, Terrorizer, The Atlantic, The Quietus – you name it and there is a good chance Kim has written for them. She is also the founder of Catharsis PR, which has aided some of the best and brightest young minds in music to gain additional exposure in recent years. In the interview below she tells us how it all came to be, and it’s a journey unlike any we have ever shared before.
I must admit before we dive in that this interview is a bit unique in that my initial research on Kim proved to have some errors. There is time and effort put in to learning the story of every one of our guests before our interviews commence, but sometimes information slips through the cracks. Fortunately for us, Kim was a good sport and didn’t rag on us too hard for our errors.
If you would like to learn more about Kim Kelly, we highly suggest you follow her everyday thoughts and observations via Twitter. You should also check out Catharsis PR. Any additional questions or comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: Before we begin, would you please tell everyone your full name, job title, and a few publications where your work can be found:
K: My name is Kim Kelly. I’m the assistant editor of Iron Fist Magazine and a frequent contributor to Pitchfork as well as to numerous other publications (Noisey, Spin, NPR, Decibel, Kerrang, the Atlantic, the Quietus, the Wire, Fader, Metalsucks, Myspace, et cetera). In addition, I write the ‘Ravishing Grimness’ column in Terrorizer Magazine.
H: Thank you for joining us, Kim. When you look back at your life and consider the formative moments that steered you toward the career you have today, what memories comes to mind?
K: Listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd in my Dad’s pickup truck, spending most of high school sneaking out to metal & punk gigs in Philly with my best friend Kelly, the first time I heard Bathory, working as a DJ and loud rock director at my college radio station, interning at Metal Maniacs, starting my publicity company Catharsis PR, holding the first issue of Iron Fist, being asked to write for Pitchfork, moderating a panel on extreme metal & feminism at SXSW, speaking in front of the Tilburg city council at last year’s Incubate festival…they’ve all been important steps along the way. The first time I saw my name in print and then the first time I was paid for my writing, now those were big ones. I still get excited about those.
H: Who was the first artist you remember obsessing over, and how did you originally discover them?
K: I got really into Nirvana when I was an angsty fourteen-year-old weirdo, then really, really into Cannibal Corpse when I was a slightly older, marginally less angsty weirdo. My mom used to play her Nirvana CDs in the car, and one day, it finally clicked. I found Cannibal Corpse on my own, and immediately became enthralled by death metal, goregrind, and assorted gleefully brutal shit for the next few years.
H: Does that fascination continue to this day?
K: I still like them both, but my interest has faded and musical preferences have shifted. Thou’s Nirvana covers give me shivers, though.
H: Let’s turn the focus to writing for a moment. When did you first look at the world of journalism and criticism as a possibility for your future?
K: Reading Metal Maniacs was huge for me as a kid, because every time I’d open it up to see Liz Ciavarella listed as the Editor, I’d daydream about someday seeing my name in the same place. It became my goal in life to get published in that magazine (I pulled it off when I was 19, but that’s another story). Seeing that month after month eventually made me realize that, hell, why couldn’t I write for them? If Liz, whomever she was, could rise to the very top, why couldn’t I at least paddle around a bit in the shallows? This was years before I became real-life friends with Liz; I’m still a little embarrassed about how starstruck I was when we first met, but she’s continued to be a huge inspiration.
I went into it hoping that I could combine the two things I loved most – music and writing – and with a ton of hard work and lots of good luck, perhaps find some measure of success. I’m not good at much else, so I thought it was worth a go. My original plan was to become a Senator, but then I fell in love with Bathory and ruined everything!
H: [I believe] Your writing career began, like many today, online. Where did you discover Pivotal Rage Webzine, and how long were you a reader before joining the team? What can you tell us about the application process?
K: My career did not begin online. My career began in print, in 2003. I started out writing about politics for my school paper as well as for my local newspaper, the Burlington County Times, and continued in that vein until the day my editor slid me a nondescript metalcore CD and said, “You’re into this kind of thing, right? Want to write a review?” Turns out the CD was rubbish but the music writing thing came fairly naturally. When I was sixteen I hooked up with Pivotal Rage (at the urging of my friend Alexi Front) by sending in some writing samples and crossing my fingers. They asked me to join, and I spent a few years writing reviews and such for them as well as a few other small webzines. I am very grateful to them, but am sort of glad you can’t find any of those websites anymore ‘cause I was nowhere near as clever as I thought.
H: My research shows that your magazine gig in writing came from BAST in 2006. How did that opportunity come together, and what can you tell us about the role Martha Hughes played in making it all possible?
K: That’s not quite correct. I wrote one or two articles for BAST, which was a Bay Area metal fanzine edited by “Black Metal Martha” Hughes. We got in touch via Myspace (lol 2006) and I convinced her to give me a shot. My first proper print magazine gig was Hails & Horns Magazine, which has since been resurrected as New Noise Magazine by my wonderful and supremely capable editor Lisa Root. She let me run wild through those pages, and through that gig, I got to know a lot of the publicists, labels, and writers I still work with to this day. Thanks, Lisa.
H: How would you describe your writing style?
K: Passionate and conversational, I guess? Unless I’m in serious music journalist/critic mode, I just write how I talk. I am pretty excitable and have a big vocabulary ‘cause I read too much, so, there we go. I tend to inadvertently use a weird hodgepodge of slang terms ‘cause I’ve traveled a ton and my boyfriend is English. It’s really all a big mess. I probably curse too much, too.
H: We should mention you also worked in other areas of music around this time. Specifically, you had a role in publicity with MAD Dragon, as well as a promotions title with Candlelight Records. Did you pursue writing before going after these areas of the industry, or did they all develop around the same time?
K: I’ve always been a writer. I was involved with MAD Dragon because it was part of my coursework at college. My school, Drexel, had its own record label, and my music business concentration landed me right in the thick of it. I also had a wonderful experience working with Paula and Steve at Candlelight Records, but eventually had to leave my position there in order to concentrate on my schoolwork. I wouldn’t be opposed to another label job in the future if the right opportunity came along, but, I’m happy where I am now.
H: In recent years you have continued to write while also pursuing a career in publicity (Catharsis PR). When did you decide to step out on your own in the PR world, and how do you balance the demands of both roles?
K: I started Catharsis PR during the summer of 2008. It’s been a tough climb, and I’ve learned a lot of hard lessons, but it’s been worth it to see my work create a positive impact in the lives and careers of the incredible musicians I’m lucky enough to represent. Five years later, it’s going better than I could’ve ever imagined. The gamble paid off. Sure, it can get difficult to keep up with both writing and PR. I’m usually super stressed and working on a hundred things at once, but once you’ve accepted chaos as a way of life, it gets easier. No rest for the wicked, right?
H: Has there ever been a time when you faced a conflict of interest as a result of your roles in both PR and journalism?
K: A lot of writers also do PR. It’s tricky, but it’s doable. It’s important to find a balance, and to realize that sometimes hard decisions will need be made and that ethics must take precedence over anything else.
H: Without going too in-depth, please walk us through a normal day at work:
K: Wake up, answer emails, tea, more emails, tea, write some things, work on PR stuff, bother my boss on Gchat, update social media sites for my clients, remember to eat something, send pitches to editors, delete press releases about lame bands, reply to press releases about rad bands, write more, more PR stuff, realize it’s gone dark outside, make dinner with my dude, then either stay in to work all night or go out. Repeat. I try to keep a am/pm10-7ish schedule, but, it never works. The concept of “free time” makes me anxious, so I suppose it’s for the best.
H: Beyond paychecks and bylines, how do you measure your personal success?
K: There are a few publications I’ve always wanted to write for, and slowly but surely, I’m checking them off the list one by one. It’s also immensely satisfying to slave over a piece of writing for hours on end and then, once it’s published, see it receive a positive response from people you respect or, even better, from the band itself.
Besides that, I’ve got interviews with Loretta Lynn and Attila Csihar lined up for next month so I’m pretty much set for life.
H: What advice would you offer up and coming writers considering a career in music?
K: Don’t.
But, if you’re truly determined, start a blog and write every day for a few years until you’re confident in your work, then start pitching other outlets. Don’t be afraid to follow up. Keep your day job ‘cause you ain’t gonna make much money doing this, but don’t let anyone shortchange you, either. Remember that your work has value.
Oh, and don’t be a dick.
H: There have been a number of people who have suggested there is no longer a need for professional music critics in an age where everyone is given a voice through social networks. Do you feel they still have a place in the world?
K: At this point I think it’s just as valuable to bring attention to new, undiscovered, or obscure bands as it is to bathe a big album by Metallica or whatever in oceans of music criticism. There is so much music out there that it’s impossible to listen to everything. Writers should act as guides, by seeking out and then steering folk towards those hidden gems. I don’t care about what the big bands are doing; plenty of people are willing to write about them, and that’s fine. I’m interested in the other stuff, the ugly, loud, violent stuff. The more people I can expose to that, the better. If I can turn one person on to Crom Dubh, Sortilegia, or Nightfall, my job is done.
H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which distribution platforms do you prefer and why?
K: Don’t be coy, you and I both know that yours is the best. I especially like the streaming feature, ‘cause I don’t like downloading things and my apartment is already a nightmarish morass of books, records, and mountains of CDs leftover from the early days when labels would mail out promos by the sackful. I’m so glad that that practice has died out; cheers for ushering that along, Haulix!
H: Speaking of listening to music for coverage consideration, do you have any advice for the independent artists reading this in hopes of learning how better navigate the industry?
K: Do your research before contacting a writer or publication – find out what they cover and try to gauge how well you’d fit into their tastes or aesthetic before trying to cop a review. Be professional (i.e. don’t bug editors/writers on Facebook!). Work hard. Tour harder. Pay for a good recording. Learn how to swallow your pride, and also how to stand up for yourself. Understand that you will almost definitely never be rich, but that the memories you make doing this will probably be worth more. Remember to use BCC. Do not try to sell me on your fucking indie pop record.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
K: Bury the concept of “The Hottest Chicks…” in anything forfuckingever. Sexism is not metal.
I also wish bands were compensated more fairly for their hard work, and that the music industry was less concerned with jerking itself off and more interested supporting quality music.
H: You have accomplished quite a bit over the last decade. Looking ahead, what career goals are you currently focused on?
K: I’m working on a book proposal and a few other projects, but honestly, at this point my biggest goal is to get published in a something my grandparents have heard of. NPR? Nope. Spin? “What is that?” I thought I’d struck gold with the Guardian, but no such luck. Does American Rifleman have a music section? Maybe I can try them next…
H: I believe that covers everything. Do you have any final thoughts or observations you would like to share with our readers?
K: Thanks for the interview, James. Everyone else is invited to check out my new blog, Necrolust (www.necrolustzine.com), and fight me on Twitter @grimkim. Send me a link to your band if you sound like Hellhammer, Appalachian Terror Unit, or Skepticism (otherwise, please don’t).
Life is too short for second best…and if you are a false, don’t entry.
Hello and welcome to a brand new week of music industry insight and advice here on the official blog of Haulix. We are beyond excited to share the content we have in store with you, so please take the time now to bookmark this page and ensure you never miss another update. [content stuff]
There are a few paths one can follow in the world of entertainment journalism and blogging to find a lasting career, but few are as demanding or rewarding as becoming the editor-in-chief at a popular music publication. Between writing copy, building posts behind-the-scenes, editing other writers’ work, interacting with bands and labels, sifting through promos, managing staff, and of course writing your own original works, it’s a full-time job even if the paycheck says otherwise. The returns for those that put in the work necessary to succeed in these roles however, are both vast and lasting. You not only build a reputation for yourself and your team, but also a living, ever-growing body of work that goes beyond your individual efforts and makes an impact on the world at large. A great editor-in-chief can lead a group of contributors to create industry-changing editorials and reviews, and in our opinion that is exactly what the person at the center of today’s spotlight feature has accomplished with their career.
Doug Moore does not consider himself a journalist. He’s the editor-in-chief at Invisible Oranges, but when asked about his job he prefers to describe what he and his team of contributors create as skewing closer to music criticism than anything resembling news. Either way, the content found on IO is indispensable, with article after article offering insight on the latest and great heavy music to be found anywhere online. There are admittedly not a lot of blogs we read every single day, but Invisible Oranges is one of few we rarely go more than a handful of hours without visiting, and in the interview below we learn about the man that keeps things running smoothly on a day-to-day basis.
If you would like to learn more about Doug and his efforts with IO, please take the time to follow the site on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: Before we get started, would you please tell everyone your full name, job title, and the site you’re most often associated with:
D: My name is Doug Moore, I’m the editor-in-chief at Invisible Oranges.
H: Thank you again for participating in this series, Doug. I am a big fan of your work with Invisible Oranges. Has music always played a major role in your life?
D: Perhaps not always, but I’ve been interested in it for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest clear memories involve listening to my parents’ music in their car as a very small child.
H: When you think of formative moments and experiences that steered you toward the career in music journalism you have today, what memories come to mind?
D: First, I should make it clear that I am not a journalist. Journalists report on facts; they work for institutions with apparati designed to support that reportage. Though I do regularly post news at both IO and BrooklynVegan, I’m not out there pounding the pavement or filing FOIA requests. IO doesn’t have a fact-checking desk or an ombudsman. What I do is much more like arts criticism than it is like journalism.
To answer your question: I grew up in a musical household, in the sense that my parents are big music fans who played rock records a lot when I was a kid. They also encouraged me to pursue my interest in writing generally, as did several teachers I had when I was in elementary and high school. There weren’t many people in my town who were interested in heavy music, so I ended up exploring the nature and history of the genre mostly through music writing — metal blogs, metal magazines. I admired the way that skilled music writers could discuss the music in a way that added something to the listening experience itself. Since I couldn’t find anyone to form a band with, it made sense to try my hand at writing instead. I started writing about music for fun at 16, and started writing for LastRit.es (which was then called MetalReview.com) about a year later. (MetalReview was founded by Matt Brown, who also founded Haulix.)
H: Who was the first band or artist you found yourself obsessing over, and how did you originally discover them?
D: The first album I really loved was Grave Dancers’ Union by Soul Asylum. My parents bought the album when it came out in 1992.
H: Let’s talk a bit about your history with writing. When did you first begin to consider a career in journalism?
D: Again, I don’t consider myself a journalist. But I actually never expected my career as a music writer to become even as serious as it has — I considered it a hobby until very recently.. I suppose that I’ve just taken advantage of the opportunities that I’ve been lucky enough to encounter.
H: Do you recall the first piece of music journalism you wrote?
D: I’m not totally sure, but I think the first album review I ever wrote was of a Curl Up and Die album, which was (fortunately) never published anywhere. My first publicly posted review was of Annihilation of the Wicked by Nile.
H: If my research is correct, you journey Invisible Oranges in 2011. When did Invisible Oranges first come on your radar, and what events lead to you applying to join the team?
D: I initially came across IO in 2009, but I didn’t become clear to me what a special writing talent that our founder Cosmo Lee is until about a year later. His worked ultimately hooked me on the site. I happened to be between writing gigs when Cosmo stepped down from the site and opened up an application process for new staffers, so I applied.
H: Was there any application process, interview, or trial period involved with joining the team? If possible, please tell us a big about getting started with the site.
D: It was pretty simple. I sent Cosmo a résumé and some writing samples. He liked the stuff I submitted and asked me for a few trial pitches, and we went from there.
H: You’re currently the editor of Invisible Oranges. When did you gain that title, and what exactly does it mean in regards to your duties at the site?
D: I started as IO’s editor in September of 2013. My core duty is to ensure that we run at least one piece of quality music writing per day. This duty entails a great many other tasks — writing copy, building posts in WordPress, editing other writers’ work, interacting with bands and labels, sifting through promos, managing IO’s staff, running the site’s social media accounts editing images for use on the site, and so forth. I haven’t done much tech-side development of the site, but otherwise, I pretty much do it all.
H: Without going too in-depth, please run us through a typical work day:
D: I have multiple jobs aside from IO, so walking through my workday would involve a lot of info that isn’t super pertinent to this interview. Suffice it to say that it’s not terribly glamorous and involves a great deal of e-mailing people.
H: Invisible Oranges joined the BrooklynVegan family in 2013. What did this acquisition mean for the site, and how – if at all – has it changed the way you run IO?
D: BV purchased IO well before I took over as editor, so it hasn’t changed the way I run the site.
Though BV has always covered metal, its coverage is more news-oriented and does not involve as much analysis and commentary. The two sites essentially share resources; BV has an excellent set of industry resources at their disposal that have done a lot for IO, and IO shares a great deal of its relevant commentary with BV.
H: Do you have any current openings on the IO team? If so, what should people do if they are interested in contributing to your efforts?
D: I am always open to pitches from new writers. Those who are interested should e-mail me at editor@invisibleoranges; I typically look for some background on the writer’s taste, some writing samples, and some notion of what kind of stories the writer is interested in putting together for the site. There’s no formal process for joining the staff, but people who contribute a certain number of pieces and who seem invested in the site eventually get added to the masthead.
H: When it comes to receiving music for review/feature consideration, which distribution platforms do you prefer and why?
D: I have typically had very good experiences with Haulix, but in general, I strongly prefer platforms that allow me to sample the material by streaming it before I download it. My hard drive is very, very full.
H: There are a lot of up and coming acts featured on IO. Where do you turn when hoping to discover new music?
D: A combination of sources, as do most music writers, I suspect. Some new finds come from promos; some of them come from friend recommendations; some of them come from pure serendipity, or a good live experience.
H: What advice would you offer unsigned/independent talent hoping to one day appear on IO?
D: We accept unsolicited music submissions, though we don’t cover all of them. If you want your band to appear on IO, the first thing you should do is focus on recording good music. I also strongly prefer streaming promos to promos that require a download. After that, it helps to write an easy-to-read pitch e-mail that is reasonably free of spelling and grammar errors — describe your band and provide any relevant biographical details, but keep it relatively short. Play up the stuff that makes you weird and distinctive — that’s what people will remember.
H: You’ve accomplished a lot in your career as a writer, but I am curious what drives you day-by-day. What are your current career goals?
D: Between my various jobs, I work between 60 and 80 hours a week every week. My schedule doesn’t give me much time to reflect on where I’m going next, but I put a lot of effort into making sure that IO maintains a standard of high-quality, thoughtful writing about heavy music. Hopefully it shows.
H: Aside from paychecks and steady employment, how do you measure success in your career?
D: Numbers can tell you a lot, but they don’t always tell the whole story. I read every reader comment in an effort to get a sense of what our audience is thinking. But honestly, my main method of gauging success boils down to reading the stuff we post and asking myself whether I am proud to be associated with it. I suspect that I’m a harsher critic of our output than most readers.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
D: I’d like to see musicians get paid the way they deserve to be paid.
Hello and welcome to another exciting week of music industry insight here on the official blog of Haulix. We have been teasing a rise in metal coverage this month, and today’s we diving head first into one of the biggest online heavy music communities in existence. If you have a site or writer you think would be a great fit for a future installment of this column, please email james@haulix.com and share your story.
In the early days of zines, long before anyone had even heard of the internet, people who wanted to get into music writing had to know far less about the industry than people today. If you wanted to write about your favorite heavy bands, you could do just that and likely find an audience of similarly obsessed metal heads who shared your infatuation enough to read your thoughts without concerning yourself all that much with the rest of the music community. While it’s still possible to have those humble beginnings in 2013, those hoping to make a career out of music need to know going in that being able to appreciate a variety of music is key to finding success in this industry. Today’s highlighted talent is proof of that notion, and we are delighted to share his journey with all of you.
Zach Shaw is the type of person most teens dream of becoming as far as a career in the music industry is concerned. He has a great job at one of the coolest companies around (The Syndicate), exists primarily in NYC, and spends a good portion of each day knee deep in the world of music through his efforts as Assistant Editor for the almighty music outlet, Metal Insider. We spoke with Zach about his time with online metal community, the goals of the site, and what advice he would offer those just getting their start in music. You can find his responses below.
If you would like to stay up-to-date with all Zach’s activities, please be sure to bookmark and frequent Metal Insider. Additional questions and 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:
ZS: My name is Zach Shaw. I am the Assistant Editor and main news contributor for Metal Insider.
H: Everyone has to start somewhere. What was the first album you loved?
ZS: Red Hot Chili Peppers ’Californication.’ I always knew about the band from VH1 and MTV, but you know when you hear a song on the radio and you instantly have memories attached to that song? For me, I just remember having this cassette that just had “The Other Side” on it. This is when I was a kid and I was starting a new school in a new town. I would listen to that cassette every day in the car with my mom over and over again on the way to school. That transitioned into me getting the album and I ended up loving every track on it.
H: That’s not what I expected to hear to be honest. I figured you would have a metal genre staple at the top of your list.
ZS: As much as it may damage my reputation, I’ll always admit to being a sucker for a catchy pop song, like Lady Gaga or Rihanna, just as much as I love brutal metal as well. The truth is that you really need the ability to appreciate a variety of music if you want to work in music. At least in my opinion, anyways.
H: What inspired you to get into music journalism?
ZS: I think what really got me into this was watching Behind The Music on VH1, if we’re being completely honest. I mean, just watching Motley Crue struggling with drugs and fighting through. Just watching how these bands became big made me think, “I want to be a part of that.”
H: So you have this interest in music that you recognize. What happened next?
ZS: Being in the right place at the right time and mingling with other people in the industry. The way I actually got into it is that Metal Insider actually kicked off with an industry summit, or panel, at the New England Metal And Hardcore festival. I thought it would be a great opportunity to ask questions of people in the industry, and what I discovered while I was there is that it’s the perfect place to get your start. Go to events, go to shows, and meet people. Whether they’re writers covering the show or people sitting at the merch table, just getting your name out there matters a lot.
H: I had never heard about this summit until I began researching for this feature. It’s a great idea.
ZS: Yea, I think the way they did it was more to introduce Metal Insider. Whenever I interview a band and tell them about what Metal Insider does I tell them we cover Pantera as much as we cover Spotify, or Warner Bros. We want to be an industry insider site as well. I wish we could continue doing that (summits), but it just takes so much advance time and energy that we do not have.
H: There are a growing number of sites that feature content similar to yours. What sets Metal Insider apart?
ZS: We try to not only deliver the news, but to deliver as much insight into the news as well. There is always a borderline between opinion and facts, and you don’t want to overload the reader, but we try give as much insight to the reader as we are able. We try to say ‘so this happened, and here’s why this is interesting.“ That’s really our goal – to inform the reader as much as possible.
H: That actually leads into our next question as well. A lot of sites are shortening their post length, but Metal Insider is known for more long form, editorialized writing. What do you think makes a great news post?
ZS: I think it’s the story. As much traffic as Mike Portnoy or Pantera brings, if it’s just announcing a signing or in-store there will not be a lot of interest. It really depends on the action and what’s happening. Tour news is good because it involves a lot of bands. Unfortunately, break ups also bring a lot of traffic. But I think it all depends on the actually story and who is involved. It’s about finding stuff that will make people say, "that happened? Tell me more.”
H: When it comes to recruiting, what do you look for in a new contributor?
ZS: I would say we’ve been more lucky as of late in regards to new writers. We’ve been trying to do more outreach and we’re still trying to figure out the right formula. it’s kind of difficult because not only is it about whether or not they can write, but if they have the language. You can easily copy/paste a press release with all the main facts, but then trying to add a bit more flavor to it so that it’s actually fun to read is key as well.
H: You feature a lot of young talent on Metal Insider. When a band submits their press materials to you, what are you looking for as a writer?
ZS: Me personally, I always think it’s good to have notoriety. Whether that means a member in the band used to work with someone more recognizable, or if that means the band has toured with known acts. It sounds awful, but that’s usually a good way for a band to market themselves.
Also, if the music is good. There are certainly bands we cover because our readers like them and we don’t care for them as much, but we strive to highlight bands we really like. It’s hard to be too specific because we have such vast taste, but any kind of notoriety does help.
H: What advice would you offer a band hoping to gain exposure on a site like Metal Insider?
ZS: First of all, know your blog. I get so many emails saying ‘hello, we are this band. we would love to see you review our album.“ If people looked at our site they would know we don’t do review unless it’s a very rare occasion. So bands should do their research on sites and decide what type of content they want from that site. If you’re specific in your messaging there is a better chance you’ll receive a response.
H: Building off that, I’ve noticed that you do not do a lot of reviews on Metal Insider. What is the story behind that?
ZS: We always try to be positive in our material. We don’t like to shit on bands just to shit on bands. There are some bands we feel we have to comment on how stupid their activities are, but most of the time we try to be positive.
Any even though we don’t do review we offer other options. We do interviews, news, exclusive band lists, etc. So I think we make up for the fact that we don’t have reviews by offering other opportunities for bands to receive exposure on our weskit.
H: When it comes to receiving music from industry contacts, what methods do you prefer?
ZS: Haulix is definitely a great way to receive music. Even coming from a publicist standpoint, it’s really easy to send and control who you send music. Haulix gives you more than just music, it allows for photos and press releases as well. But outside of Haulix, Bandcamp is fine. As long as you have a place for me to listen to music I’m okay with it. I know some people prefer downloads or physical copies, but as long as you can provide a way for me to listen to your music and learn about your music that’s good. Having everything in one place really helps.
H: What is the ultimate goal of Metal Insider?
ZS: I think the goal is to inform as many people as possible about what is going on in the metal community, and also making sure Metal Insider is part of that message. Not only raising aware for the metal community, but for Metal Insider as well – as a community.
