Hello again, everyone! We usually save our big company updates for the weekend, but given the size of this new feature we thought it best to give our latest expansion a post all its own. If you read our weekly recap last week you may already know what we’re about to discuss, but this explanation will be slightly more in-depth than before. 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.
One of the biggest concerns we have had in recent months when speaking with clients about their Haulix experience has been the fear of having their press contact information expire or otherwise become useless. You can only set aside so much time to update and reaffirm the information on your contact list, and as the the number of journalists you’re trying to reach grows it becomes increasingly difficult to manage.
We recognize the need for up to date information and easy database management, which is why we have created a new, state-of-the-art profile system that not only allows members of the press to see what labels have them listed as a contact, but also gives them the power to control what email addresses they are contacted at and who can contact them. When a member of the press changes their information that data is then updated on the contact page for every label that has that person listed as a contact.
To access the Profile screen, you must first access a Haulix promo. Once on that page, click the ‘Promos’ button at the top of the screen.
Next, enter your 4-digit code. If you do not have one, or if you think you may have forgotten yours, click the help button located below ‘Submit’ and you will be sent instructions on how to reset this part of your Haulix experience.
On the ‘Promos’ screen, click the ‘Profile’ button in the top left corner of the page. There may be red lettering that says ‘NEW’ next to the button.
Welcome to the ‘Profile’ page! Here you can reset your 4-digit passcode, verify alternate emails, and view a complete list of every label that has named you as a contact. All verifications require email confirmation, but those confirmation emails are sent immediately after each request is made. Unsubscribing, however, is immediate. [Emails omitted for privacy]
As I mentioned above, as soon as this information is verified your contact information will be updated in the database of every label and PR firm that has you listed as contact. It’s of the utmost importance that you double check the information on this screen before confirming it to be accurate. If anything is misspelled you may see an almost immediate change in the frequency of promos being sent your way.
We are always on the lookout for new ways to improve our platform and better your user experience. If you have questions about the profile system, or if you have suggestions on how further improve Haulix in the future, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts.
Hello, everyone! After weeks of promotion we are using this post to launch the latest tool in our ongoing efforts to defeat digital piracy. We have been working on this project for the better part of the year and believe it has the potential to make a significant impact on the liquidity of illegal music online. 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.
Today is a very exciting day for all of us at Haulix. For more than a month now we have been teasing a new tool to help in the fight against digital piracy, and this afternoon we are beyond thrilled to finally make that offering available to all Haulix clients. We call it ‘Piracy Takedown,’ and in the paragraphs below we will look at what it is, what it does, and how it will help keep your music safe.
Haulix was founded with the goal of creating a secure and place for labels and independent artists to store and distribute their unreleased media. We like to think we have accomplished that goal to an extent, and every day we strive to find new ways to further our efforts because like it or not music piracy is still a very big problem in the modern entertainment industry. Until now, the most a client could do to stop leaks was to attached a watermark to their files, which in reality is more of a preventative measure. With our new ‘Piracy Takedown’ tool, however, clients are able to actively fight the distribution of their copyrighted materials online before and after its scheduled release date without having to make more than a few simple clicks. Our state-of-the-art system, which was desinged with a little help from the the fine folks at Toppletrack, will crawl the internet in search of your illegally shared files and automatically issue DMCA Takedown Notices to the appropriate service providers. They’ll also track all recovered links and inform you when those links have been removed.
The best part about our new system is that it does not crawl the internet once or twice, but rather over and over and over again for as long as a client is a member of Haulix. It doesn’t matter if the content in question has been released or not, as long as you select to implement the ‘Piracy Takedown’ feature Haulix will combat the unwanted distribution of your files online.
This sounds great and all, but how does it work?
Good question, anonymous person on the internet. Using the screen shown in the screenshot below, submit one of your promos or manually add a new album. Once submitted, we will crawl the internet looking in all of the popular illegal networks and Google searching for your album and tracks. When the system encounters an illegal link or file, it automatically submits a takedown request to the internet service provider of the suspect site.
This next screen is to show you what a completed form will look like. You must fill in all the information in order to begin the takedown process.
Once your your files have been submitted and all the information has been added, click ‘Confirm & Submit’ to move forward. The next screen, shown below, asks you to review the information once more and confirm that you understand how pricing works for this feature. Your may upload and protect one release for free, but after that each additional release will cost a one time fee of $9 per track for the first 12 tracks of an album. Each additional song will be free. If you agree to these terms, click ‘Submit for Piracy Takedown’ to proceed.
At this point, your release will be placed into our system and scanning for illegally shared files will commence. Click on “My Takedowns” to monitor progress. Haulix will continue to proactively seek out illegal links and files for as long as you are a customer.
The screenshot above was taken less than an hour after the files were originally added to the system. As you can see, no files have been removed, but the system has already targeted more than 50 links. If you click on the numbers under the ‘In Process’ heading a pop up will appear to show you where the URLs in question:
We will be exploring and further promoting this feature in the weeks ahead. If you have any questions about getting started, or if you would like a guided tour through the setup process, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We will be happy to help in any way we are able.
Hello, everyone! Welcome to the beginning of a new work week that promises to be filled with thrilling content and insightful conversation. We have been looking forward to this particular week for several months, mostly because it coincides with the launch of our latest tool in the continuing fight against digital piracy. You can expect to learn more about that as the week carries on, but for now we are going to take a look at what it’s really like to be a professional photographer in the 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.
Every week I find myself engaged in conversation with young people who are both excited and a tad bit nervous about the future of the music industry. In each of these conversations I try to find the time to ask what the person speaking with me sees at their ultimate career goal, and nine times out of ten the response I receive involves spending excessive amounts of time on the road. Sometimes they want to be a tour manager and other times it’s front of house sound, but without a doubt the response I receive most often is that people want to find a way to make a living taking photos on the road. Call it a tour photographer, or a group archivist, or simply a freelance music photographer, whatever the title you slap on it the desired work environment is the same: See the country through the windows on a van/bus and capture every moment along the way.
I wish so very badly that we could provide a step-by-step guide to achieving this goal, but the fact of the matter is that you have about as good a chance of becoming a professional tour photographer as you do winning the lottery while simultaneously being struck by lightning. There are literally thousands of aspiring music photographers across this country, including several hundred who contribute to so-called influential music blogs. The difference between one photographer getting landing a dream tour gig and another not has as much to do with hard work and talent as it does networking and blind luck. The best advice we can offer is to work hard, keep an updated portfolio, and constantly challenge yourself to try new things. Once you have a handle on all that, talk to everyone who will listen and learn to promote yourself without coming across as desperate. In time, people will notice your work and opportunities will begin to come your way. All you will have to do is be prepared for the challenges they will no doubt present.
It’s incredibly important that you understand up front there is no such thing as an ‘easy job’ when you are part of a touring group/festival. Everyone who is not performing on stage nightly has to handle multiple tasks, some not related in the slightest to their job title, in order for the entire production to successfully move from city to city. If you find yourself in a position to join a tour, you too will be expect to chip in daily to help with tasks and challenges as they arise.
To help emphasize and further explain just how demanding life on the road can be for someone hired as a professional photographer, we have partnered with current touring photog Ashley Osborn to present a rundown of what a typical day looked like on her most recent outing with hard rock favorites Chiodos. This was the group’s first tour since 2012 and demand for tickets were extremely high. Ashley took photos, sold merch, and did a few dozen daily tasks in between. The tour lasted several weeks, with each day presenting a similar-yet-unique set of challenges. You can view her daily routine below:
11:00 AM: Bus arrives at venue.
11:30 AM: Wake up, check out the day sheet for the day and evaluate it for a good five minutes to plan out my day. For those of you who don’t know, a day sheet it basically all of the information you need for the day.
12:00 PM: Roll out of bunk and kind of try to make myself presentable to society.
12:01 PM: Grab phone, open google maps, search for nearest place to consume as much coffee as possible.
1:00 PM: Load-In (AKA be back at venue to bring in all of my merchandise). This is when I go in and figure out not only my own spot, but all of the support bands’ merch spots for the night as well, gather up tables and chairs for everybody, etc. I tried my hardest to make it as easy as possible for all of the other merch people.
1:30 PM: Begin setting up displays and merch area. Usually this involves sorting all sizes and making the day’s sheet. Then I figure out what I need to restock for the day.
2:30 PM: Restock merchandise. For people who don’t do merch (haha) this basically means I bring it what I need for the day. Things we sold a lot of / out of the night before. Then I bring it back in and count everything I just pulled from the trailer, add it to my sheets and sort it all into it’s right spot.
3:30 PM: Gather up supplies and make VIP laminates for band’s acoustic meet and greet.
4:00 PM: Find food because usually by this time I haven’t eaten today. Vegan treats were always the #1 most wanted.
4:10 PM: Usually I change and ACTUALLY make myself kind of presentable to society?
4:20 PM: RUN AROUND LIKE A CRAZY PERSON DOING LAST MINUTE THINGS BEFORE 5PM ACOUSTIC MEET AND GREET BEGINS. AHHHHH. Usually during this time a merch rep comes to find me and has to count me in or asks me to send them all of my merchandise sheets or something kind of annoying and last minute (it’s okay because they are just doing their job). I’m just always mega stressed during this stretch of time.
5:15 PM: Meet and greet. Every day I took all of the meet and greet photos.
6:00 PM: DOORS. Now it’s sell time! Hang out and talk to fans, sell merchandise, make new friends with cool fans and edit, show off my semi-cool fanny pack, upload and update photos on the band’s social accounts. Priority other than selling merchandise during this period was trying to get all of the meet and greet photos finished.
9:15 PM: Typically time to go find all of the band and take behind the scenes shots before their set begins. This was my favorite part of the day every day!
9:30 PM: Set time! Shoot, shoot, shoot!
9:45 PM: Run to merch and begin uploading photos to computer, switch memory cards and run back to set to keep shooting.
10:00 PM: Run back to merch again, upload those photos that I just took and edit photos, upload at least 10-15 photos for the band to post after the show. I did all of this while selling merch during their set. This was the most insane part of my night… somehow I managed every single night to have photos done for the guys before the set was over. They never TOLD me I had to do this – so don’t get me wrong. I just thought it was important for us to do this. Fans loved seeing all of the images from their show and it makes the experience that much more personal. I love that! Makes me so happy.
11:00 PM: End of the night mad rush. At least 100 kids come to merch after the show to buy things so it’s just a really crazy (somehow fun) rush that happens in a matter of 10 minutes.
11:15 PM: Begin counting out all merch. This basically means I count every single item at my merch table, enter it into my sheets and boom. While I do this I also pack up bin by bin that way when I’m all done, I’m ready to roll my things out and put them in the trailer.
11:40 PM: Settle out with the merch representative at the venue. For those of you who don’t know, every night most venues take a percentage of merchandise sold from every band on the tour. It ranges from 10-20%. Sometimes they take state tax too. There’s some paperwork, etc I have to do with the venue during this time as well. Sometimes it takes five minutes, sometimes it takes twenty.
12:00 PM: Hang out with tour manager in front lounge while eating dinner (I loved making grilled cheese and tofurky sammies on the bus) and work on finalizing merch sheets for the night, count money, make sure everything matches up then send everything off to management/accountant, edit more photos, catch up on life, watch movies, etc. Winding down at the end of the night is always nice.
4:00AM: Go to bed sort of. This means laying in my bunk and texting friends, tweeting, reading, etc.
As you can see, there is a lot more to being a tour photographer than waking up and taking pictures. We will be partnering with several other photographers in the weeks ahead to present you with their daily routines, but I will tell you right now most are fairly similar to the one described above.
If you want to become a professional photographer, we highly suggest spending some time on our series dedicated to mastering the various aspects of live event coverage. Click the links to read parts one, two, and three. We expect additional installments to be released in the coming weeks.
Hello and welcome to the tenth installment of our Journalism Tips series. We started this column as a way to help aspiring writers get their start in music, but over the last month we have been evolving into a place writers come to have their questions about life in the business answered. Today we are continuing that effort with a response to a question posed by one reader in regards to one can make the most of email interviews. 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.
Let me preface this article with two caveats. Firstly, there’s no right way to conduct an interview (aside from maintaining some professionalism). Everyone develops their own style, and what’s right for me might not be right for you. My style tends toward the conversational. It’s not that I don’t prep questions. I actually prep a lot of them, more than I could reasonably ask. But I treat those questions as guideposts – they’re places to stop at and explore along the journey of a conversation, not turn-by-turn directions to be followed in strict linear sequence. Sure, I make certain to hit on the points I want to hit on, but I don’t worry too much about how I’m going to get to them – if things go as planned, I generally find I wind up in those places without really having to try. If it’s interesting to you, it will be interesting to your readers, so trust your gut and go off-script if you’re onto something interesting.
That leads to the second caveat: I abhor email interviews, because they don’t offer any interplay. (I don’t even like phoners; so much is said in body language). They’re craft, not art; they’re classical, not jazz. Useful for gathering basic info, to be sure, but no fun, and your readers will snuff it out in a heartbeat. The original premise of this article was going to spend time on how to make the most of an email interview, but it turns out I don’t really have any good advice. You have Google, you have Facebook and Twitter, you know how to find whatever info about a band is already out there – I don’t need to tell you how to do your homework. Just try and ask the questions you’re genuinely curious about, in a way that lets the interviewee elaborate, and trust that your readers want to know the same things you do.
Email interviews aside, the best tip I can give for garnering a revealing interview is to let your subject do just that: reveal themselves. Give them room to answer; let them ramble. Let your interviewee follow their own train of thought – if they briefly touch on something that merits further exploration, make a mental note to come back to what they said, but don’t interrupt their flow.
If there’s a pause in the conversation, I try to hold back, to let the moment breathe for a second rather than jumping in with another question right away. In doing so, I’m creating silence. Why? Because silence is awkward, and that awkwardness is something you can use to your advantage. Nobody likes awkward silences, and if you don’t fill that silence, odds are your subject will, often with things they would never have said otherwise. I’ve frequently found that the best, most interesting answer is the one that comes after the stock answer, when my interviewee suddenly finds themselves unexpectedly digging for something more to say. Sometimes, they even surprise themselves with what they reveal in those moments. My best interviews are the ones where I manage to make my subject feel comfortable while simultaneously keeping them ever-so-slightly off-balance. It’s definitely not a technique that comes easily or naturally, but it’s well worth practicing.
Yes, practicing. Especially when you’re first starting out, take every interview opportunity you can get, and pursure the ones that aren’t presented. There are a million bands out there dying to have someone talk to them, even if the results are just going to end up on a personal blog that nobody but their friends will ever see. There are plenty of times I’ve interviewed bands whose music I don’t care for, or about. Remember, your interview isn’t about the music, not really; it’s about the musician, and people are endlessly fascinating. Every artist has a story to sell, but there’s always a story behind the story, too. That’s the part that I find compelling, and it’s the part your readers will find compelling. The facts are important, sure, but – unless you’re getting an exclusive – every interview that artist does will contain those same facts. It’s the other stuff that will make your interview worth reading. I love the challenge of trying to unearth that hidden substory. The more interviews I do, the better I get at it.
There are even occasions where I’ve interviewed bands whose music I haven’t even heard. Usually, that involves a publicist throwing one of their baby bands in front of me while I’m waiting on the artist I’m scheduled to chat with. It’s a dirty trick, but it happens. Instead of treating it as an annoyance, treat it as an opportunity to practice your skills. Even if it goes terribly, what have you got to lose aside from a couple minutes of your day? Also, it will keep you in said publicist’s good graces, which is always a plus, because access is everything.
When you’re done, take the time to listen back to your interviews. There’s nothing I hate more than transcribing a long audio interview, and yet it’s a vitally important part of my process, because it forces me to rehear as a third party what I originally heard as a participant. Generally, I give one listen while I transcribe; a second listen after transcription is done, to make sure that what I’ve written is accurate and captures the context and mood in which things were said; and then, finally, a full read through of the written interview to ensure for clarity and flow. Remember, it’s not just about getting a good interview, it’s about writing a good interview, and those aren’t necessarily the same thing.
Throughout, I’m not just listening for accuracy. I’m paying attention to what I should have asked but didn’t; noting where I jumped in when I should have let my subject talk; and listening for things I should have keyed in on for follow-up, but missed. Every mistake is a learning opportunity, a chance for me to do better the next time out. Because ultimately, interviewing is like any other skill – the more you work at it, the better you will be.
Jesse Richman is a contributor to PropertyOfZack and someone you generally need to know in the alternative music scene. If you would like to learn more about Jesse’s efforts, be sure to follow him on Twitter.
Hello, everyone! Welcome to the final Advice column of the week. We’ve had a lot of fun exploring various aspect of life as an artist in recent days, and in today’s post we’re going to focus on sharing your life with fans. If you have any suggestions for a future installment of this series, or if you have a question you would like to see tackled in the weeks ahead, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
People like to talk about how technology has changed the way we do things in life, but it has also dramatically impacted the way we relate and connect to one another as people. When The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show people watching at home had to put in A LOT of effort to learn about the band who had just blown them away on television. They had to find news articles on the group in big papers, or hope someone on another television program would mention or feature them in the future. There was no internet, no text messaging program, nothing.
Back then, even bands far less popular than The Beatles had a gap in their relationship with fans that no longer exists in the modern age. Now when people see someone on Jimmy Kimmel (or Kimmel’s YouTube channel) they can immediately learn everything about them, or at least how they are perceived, with a few simple clicks. They can download their discography while visiting the band’s website, then look up reviews of recent releases, return to YouTube for music videos, follow/like social media pages to ensure they never miss another update, and buy tickets to the group’s next performance without leaving the chair they were in when they first discovered said group 5-10 minutes prior. The capabilities of the internet are no doubt amazing, but unless you take an active approach to engaging those interested in your music the perception of your work will be left to the anonymous and numerous bloggers/commenters/journalists/etc lurking online. The best way to do that for the time being is with video, and in today’s post we’re going to look at what makes the role of video so important in your future promotional efforts.
First and foremost, video is far more entertaining than pretty much any other piece of content you can put online aside from new music (and if you’re releasing music in 2013 it better have a YouTube stream included). It’s the next best thing to interacting with you in person, and it offers your fans a chance to learn about the individual personalities that combine to create the art they love. You’re a band and a business, yes, but you’re people first and your fans want to feel like they know the human beings who feel the emotions being conveyed in the music.
As you begin to plan your video content, keep in mind that quality far outweighs quantity, and the better your promotional materials look the better your chances will be of getting said material featured on news sites. Journalists, like fans, are not all that interested in grainy cell phone videos shot in areas with lots of external noise. Spend some time researching affordable and transportable video setups, then find time each week/month to focus on connecting with your fans. You can take the straightforward route of having members update supporters on the latest developments, which should at least happen seasonally, or you can take a more creative route and deliver original content on a recurring basis. For some this means running a cover song series that asks fans to submit answers via social media (great cross-marketing trick), while for others it means a monthly Q&A based on questions submitted through Tumblr (also good cross- marketing).
The possibilities for video content are relatively endless, but if you start something it is of the utmost importance that you see it through. The updates, whatever they may be, are forging new connections with listeners who will expect to be given attention on a regular basis. This means new content, and as long as you can stick with it you will see those supporters begin to grow. Like falling in love with a television show, people who anxiously await for your updates will want to share their excitement with others. Keep it coming and the word will continue to spread.
We put together a bulleted tipsheet to help get you on the right track with your own video efforts. Some of the following points were inspired by our friends at Wistia, who know more about video than anyone we know, while others were crafted specifically for this column. If you have any questions, feel free to comment at the end of this post.
Keep your script conversational and write it in your own words.
Don’t be afraid to show your personality.
Don’t be afraid to try new things
Focus on content, not on polish; don’t be afraid to show that you’re fallible!
View every video you make as an opportunity to strengthen your relationship with fans
Make video consistently.
Ask viewers for input, and take what they have to say to heart.
Hello, everyone! Welcome to the final Blogger Spotlight column of the week. We are planning to bring back our Advice series tomorrow, but at this point we are waiting on a few final components to fall into place before revealing the article’s focus. If you have a person or publication you feel deserves to be highlighted in this column, or if you have an idea for a future Advice article, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your recommendation(s).
A hard truth many aspiring industry professionals are forced to face as they grow older is that there will come a day when the fruits of unpaid labor are no longer enough to sustain their continued existence. This a long way of saying that at some point people recognize the need for sustainable and reliable income greatly outweighs the desire to one day work full time in the entertainment business. Those who choose to give up on their pursuit in favor of steady work are sane and rational humans who will eventually come to terms with their decision, but those who make additional sacrifices to further reach for those long-standing goals are the ones that end up in this series. Matthew Leimkuehler is one such person, and today we’re going to learn about his journey into the world of entertainment.
Growing up, Matthew Leimkuehler was fed a steady stream of classic rock by way of his father’s fondness for The Eagles. This love of art was something that was passed down to Matthew, and as he grew older he found artists he connected with in ways similar to how his father adored the group who gave us “Hotel California.” He eventually recognized a desire to share that love with others, and shortly thereafter his pursuit of a career in music journalism began.
Not everyone becomes an overnight success, and though Matthew has come a long way from where he started he has yet to find full time employment in the industry. With the need to support himself always on his mind, Matthew has had to make a few difficult decisions in order to continue pursuing his dreams, and it’s in that determination to succeed that his story truly shines. He has drive like no other, and after reading his story we think you’ll feel a bit inspired as well.
Matthew has his hands in a few projects right now, so those hoping to stay on top of his activity would be wise to join him on Twitter. 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:
ML: Hello all. My name is Matthew Leimkuehler, I work for Under The Gun Review and Substream Music Press. I work as the Music Editor at UTG and I do contributing writing for Substream.
H: When you think of your earliest memories of music, what comes to mind?
ML: Oh! What an interesting question. I always remember my dad playing The Eagles’ Hell Freezes Over. I would listen to it with him constantly. I remember making little mixed tapes on cassettes from the CDs he and my mom owned (you know-when you pushed play and record and captured the tunes, haha) and always being so proud of the mixes I would come up with. I’d walk around the block with my boombox showing off the latest playlist to the other kids.
H: Do you remember the first album you purchased with your own money? Do you still own it today?
ML: I remember purchasing Chumbawamba’s Tubthumper on cassette and jammin’ it in my backyard. My parents ended up hearing the line ‘pissin’ the night away’ and took the tape away from me. I was sooooo upset for days. I still some reservations towards that record to this day. Maybe I’ll go back and buy it now that I’m an adult, and can.
H: We’re going to dig into your current efforts in a bit, but first – can you please share with us what originally pushed you towards a life in entertainment journalism?
ML: My passion for music truly came about in middle school when I began connecting with bands like Green Day and Everclear and blink (this can before my grunge phase, which was to follow). As most, it was a way for me to connect when there was no other connection around. I loved sharing, talking and forming opinions on music back then, which eventually led to this. When I got older and became more connected with my local scene, I did everything I could to share this passion with any and everyone. In college, I played in regional touring bands and majored in mass media, which lead to more and more writing. I’m fascinated with the spreading and sharing of information. Diving into this field is the most logical way to combine these two loves. It also helps that everyone I come across has a similar mindset and work ethic. I like surrounding myself with good people. When I was struggling with finding my place once a few years back, I had a good friend tell me, “Matt, music is your passion. Your words are just the way you want to convey that passion.” Ever since then, I have done everything I can to work into the industry.
H: Who or what is your biggest inspiration as a writer? Why?
ML: I firmly believe my biggest inspiration comes from reading and watching those that create fantastic journalism pieces. It is a true artform to capture and translate someone else’s words to tell a story. This doesn’t need to be an entertainment piece–it could be a long-form New York Times article, or a documentary, anything. I also find myself highly influenced by great records. When I am handed a new record and I make a connection with what this artist is delivering, it comes across as being a great motivation to do a review justice.
H: Which came first, the love of music or the love of writing? When did you first begin to combine the two?
ML: As I mentioned a bit above, the two combined when I found my passion for communication during my undergraduate studies. I stopped touring and playing in bands, but I wanted to still stay relevant to all of the friends I had made and I wanted to continue spreading music in this scene and meeting more like-minded people. I am really happy I was given these opportunities to do just that.
H: Was writing your first experience ‘working’ in music? If not, please tell us about your early experiences in the business.
ML: My first experience was booking and promoting shows on MySpace in central Missouri, haha. It was always a blast. I would throw shows in the bottom of the empty community pool or at a shelter house. I met some of my best friends in the whole world doing things like that in high school.
H: You’re not a journalist by trade, but rather someone who has managed to turn a hobby into a career path. What did you study in school?
ML: I studied mass media and actually had a concentration in audio production. Studying the principles and backbone of audio gave me a great insight into reviewing records. Although I did not peruse a career in a recording studio or as a live engineer, those skills help me review a record every day. Knowing how a producer or musician made the sounds you are hearing can play a vital role in being a critic of those sounds.
H: A lot of people think working in the industry requires you to relocate to a major coastal city, but you currently reside in the middle of America. What are some of the challenges you face because of your location? Advantages?
ML: I do hope to re-locate when the time is right, but until then, being here seems like a content choice. A lot more happens on the coast, but there is also a lot more competition. I live in the greater Des Moines area right now (I grew up in the Kansas City scene but recently moved) where there is not a lot of media coverage in the alternative music scene. This makes it easier for access to interviews and shows and such, but also plays a difficult role because there are not a lot of individuals to connect with on a face-to-face basis. After I finish my work here (currently working on my masters degree) I feel it will be the right time to head coastal and break into bigger cities. Until then, I have to make the best of Iowa!
H: Before you joined the UTG team you were involved with Highlight Magazine. Where did you first come in contact with the Highlight team, and what caused you to depart?
ML: Highlight is great. Everyone on that staff works relentlessly hard to put out a great monthly magazine and constant online content. I departed mainly because I didn’t feel I could give them as much time as the job I was doing needed. I had moved to Iowa and was adjusting to a new full-time role working at Iowa State, and I just couldn’t couldn’t handle being pulled in a lot of different directions at once. Everyone there is so much fun, though. I can’t say enough how driven and dedicated they are to what they do.
H: How about UTG? Where did you first discover that site, and what lead you to apply?
ML: I found UTG when I was first looking into seriously getting into music writing (through following the site on Twitter) and I actually tweeted Jacob (a co-owner/editor) about getting some time writing. I loved the nature of the site, how it could be breaking yet still deliver substance with the news and reviews. It seemed like a rad fit. What I loved most about joining UTG was that it was the only site with a readership of its size to give me a chance to write for them. I was trying so hard to gain traction in this industry and they were the first ones to give me a true shot and it turned out to be an awesome fit.
H: You, like many, do not get paid to be a music journalist. Why do you do it?
ML: I do it because I love music. Money does not supplement drive and passion (maybe mixed with a little bit of zeal). I am constantly attempting to build and grow as a person and professional in this industry and although I may not be getting paid at the age of 23, I can only hope this work and dedication will pay off in the months and years to come as I further my professional goals. I believe everyone who does it for love does it because they know they want to get into this business and dues have to be paid.
H: There are more and more music sites by the day it seems. What do the sites you write for offer readers that they cannot find elsewhere on the web?
ML: UTG is great because every writer for that site has a true and personal voice. The way one person would write a news story is not the way I would write one, and ect. The detail we attempt to deliver in features/multimedia/news/reviews is always unique and in-depth, which is something you might not find among a lot of these young blogs. We always look to create a unique angle that holds true to journalistic ethics.
H: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
ML: Cutting through the noise, for sure. There are so many artists in every genre of music, what do you, as an artist, need to do to be heard above your peers? There are so many different ways to look at how to cut through that noise. You can do it digitally with great social strategy, you can do it through a sensational live performance, you can do it by creating fake Warped Tour passes (lulz). You know? Stand out. See what your peers are doing to gain attention, and do it different or better or both.
H: Some people believe there is no need for critics in the digital age. Do you agree? (Support your response)
ML: This argument probably comes from the same message board people who believe journalism is a dying field. As long as there is entertainment media, there will be people needed to critique said entertainment. It is the nature of supply and demand. I believe, we as entertainment journalists, also need to evaluate how to stand out through the quality of our content. More people being introduced into the field (through the digital expansion) just means you must create content that will make you stand out.
H: Where do you go to discover new music?
ML: I like to poll my peers. I read other sites. I always love to see what is influencing my friends who are musicians and the musicians I interview. Even if it goes off record, I always see what people are jamming. I love to watch what gains traction through the Internet and how that artist gained traction. I would almost argue I love seeing how artists promote and distribute music as much as I do writing about it. Just today, James, I asked your opinion on what a great hip-hop record would be to spin, haha. I’m always trying to find new music. I love that I have so many friends who play music that are constantly pitching their band to me. It’s great to watch them develop and it makes for tasty tunes.
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?
ML: Oh my gosh. Never, ever, in your entire lifetime, use the phrase “I know you get this a lot, but…"Be confident and professional. My biggest mistake, when I was playing in my band, was not treating the band as a job. I was so sloppy when I conducted business. I listen to as many submissions daily as I can. I always take higher interest in artists who simply state they are looking for me to listen to this, rather then a slew of beggy comments or questions.
H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?
ML: There is not doubt Haulix is the best interface. Depending on the device I am most using that day, it allows streams or downloads, which really caters to what I need to hear the material. I am actually studying the diffusion of innovations in one of my grad courses right now and in a recent argument I stated why Haulix is a superior product to competitors. It gives you everything you need about an artist, gift-wrapped.
H: You’ve held a few roles within the music industry. Are there any area of the business you would like to experience that you have yet to become involved with?
ML: I’ve touched on a little bit of a lot of stuff, but I’d love to get more into publishing and distribution. I am studying how digital elements change the way music is distributed to fans, so that really interests me. I would love to look at how poublishing plays a factor in the barriers of entry of success as an artist. But for the time being, I’ll stick to UTG. 🙂 I also think it would be fun to go to the other side of the field and do some publicity work. It’d be fun to gain some experience working on that side of music journalism.
H: What is your ultimate career goal?
ML: I want to be as happy as possible. I would love to either find a place at a company or start a company where I can use all of my skills and truly make a difference in the industry while gaining enough money to put some food on the table. I think that’s what a lot of people my age are striving for.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
ML: The typical answer would be money. Everyone knows there are plenty of hard-working artists out there who suffer from poverty for their art. Aside from that, I wish there were less power in corporate radio and publishing. I feel like Clear Channel decides what the next Imagine Dragons will be. I wish more people who look towards and listen to popular music had more say in what the next big thing is. Radio is a great form of media and plays a vital role, but I believe in a digital era, it still holds too much power of music discovery.
H: Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what you have planned in the months ahead?
ML: Survival is always on the top of my list, haha. In all seriousness, I hope to continue to adapt in my new role at UTG as Music Editor. I want to really work on creating content that looks at different angles of entertainment. I have a couple of cool interviews and show reviews lined out for the rest of the year and I just want to keep spreading music I think is rad to as many people as possible. Thanks so much!
