Ten years ago no one could have predicted what the music landscape would look like today. We knew streaming was going to be a game-changer, but that is just one of maybe a thousand changes the industry has undergone in the last decade. In today’s market a single song or day can legitimately turn a nobody into a Billboard charting talent. Likewise, bands that have spent years building a following from the ground up can find themselves hitting a glass ceiling simply because they do not understand how to leverage digital media for their personal gain.
Industry professionals used to joke about never having a moment to catch their breath, both on the business and artist side of music, but today that once humorous remark is not far from the truth. If you’re not working on the next release then you’re expected to be engaging an audience, promoting to reach a new audience, or developing materials for the next big promotional push. It’s a nonstop cycle that in recent years has put more and more focus on the day to day attempts at success instead of considering what it will take to make a career last for months, years, or even decades.
With all the chaos of day to day existence only becoming more complicated over time it seems less and less people are putting serious thought into longterm goals and how to reach them. This is true in many areas of life, but it has special meaning in entertainment. Everyone who pursues a career in this corner of the business world is told from day one that the chances of making it are slim, and when the day comes that a job does present itself many are so thankful for the opportunity that they accept less than they’re worth just to say they are working in their desired field. This may work out okay in the short term, but if all a professional ever thinks about is the job or tasks in front of them how can they ever be prepared for what might come next?
As hard as it may be in an age of constant connectivity the need to unplug and consider the big picture cannot be overstated. The people who have long-lasting careers in music do not achieve such rare success through chance and luck alone. No, those who find a permanent place in this business do so because they are constantly working to make themselves indispensable. They consider the future, prepare for it, and know what to do when it arrives. They appreciate the fleeting nature of any career in this field and keep their skills sharpened just in case the bottom unexpected falls out (and it will).
There are countless tips on how to make short term gains in the music business, but those seeking a sustainable career in this field need more than quick fix solutions. This weekend, take time to unplug and seriously consider what you want to be doing as your time in this field progresses. Not everyone can tour and/or write forever. You are going to continue developing as a human and your role in this industry should as well. Where do you see yourself in five year, or perhaps even ten? What do you need to do now and in the months/years ahead to make sure you achieve that goal? Be specific in your answers and the path to a long-lasting career will show itself through your effort.
This blog exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
I have spent the better part of the last decade running a music website that was launched from my frozen Michigan dorm room at the tail end of winter 2008. Since that time, well over a hundred different contributors have joined the team, and though many have left some have stuck around for multiple years, developing their careers alongside my own. One of those diehards is Matthew Leimkuehler, a man I have often thought to be a far better writer and leader than myself, and today we’re going to highlight his underrated work in the music business.
I first came into contact with Matthew in 2012, and to be honest it did not take long to realize he was someone with the skills to make it in this often treacherous industry. He’s smart and cunning, with writing and editing skills that would make any large publication squeal with joy. More importantly however, at least in my mind, is his undying dedication to the music and artists that inspire him. Matthew is the type of guy who gets behind an artist he believes in and does everything in his power to help them become household names. In my mind there are few ways better to spend your time in music than doing that type of work, and Matthew has made it his mission to help as many young artists as he is able. In this interview we discuss his passion for music, as well as the importance of editors making sure every interview is special. You can stream and download our chat, in full, below:
Hello, everyone. Whether this is your first or one hundredth visit to our site we are beyond excited to have you joining us for this afternoon’s feature. We were asked way back in the fall of 2013 to begin speaking with more label owners, and it did not take us long to realize those professionals are some of the hardest in the entire music industry to track down for an interview. To date only a few names have graced our page, and today we add another as Triple Crown Records’ founder Fred Feldman finally shares his store. 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.
For more than a decade Triple Crown Records has been a tastemaker for alternative rock and beyond. By forgoing the typical label approach of finding one sound to push, founder Fred Feldman and crew have made it a point to work with any artist they found interesting, regardless of genre. The result of these conscious efforts is one of the most diverse and beloved indie labels in existence, and today the story of how it all came together is being shared by the man who first brought the company to life.
I don’t remember where I was the first time I heard an album from Triple Crown Records, but if I had to take a stab in the dark it would probably be somewhere between 2003 and 2004. It was during this time that the label, which was only a few years old, began releasing albums by Brand New that would quickly become staples within the alternative music scene. Those albums hooked me, as well as thousands of others, to the label’s work for life even though many of their artists did not sound like a Jesse Lacey fever dream. I now own well over a dozen Triple Crown releases, and based on their current roster I am confident I will add many more titles in the years to come.
If you want to learn more about Fred and his efforts at Triple Crown, please take a few moments and follow the label on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: Please introduce yourself to our readers:
F: My name is Fred Feldman and I own Triple Crown Records
H: Thank you for joining us, Fred. We’re very excited about this.
F: No Problem, happy to help.
H: Before the music industry ever came along, what are some of your earliest memories of music?
F: Just being a fan, really. From an early age I was a big fan of music. In high school I played in bands. Nothing good, of course, but I still love playing and being around music. I’m a little older than my audience, so when I was coming up I would take photos for actual fan zines and magazines, not websites. That was back when print was something special [laughs], but yea – decided I would like to have a career in it even though I couldn’t play and took an interest in the business side.
H: What was your first concert experience?
F: It won’t go over well even now probably, but my first concert ever was going to see Boston with Sammy Hagar at the Nassau Coliseum.
H: That’s amazing.
F: Oh, you have no idea. I always smile whenever I see something on Sammy Hagar because that was the first real arena rock moment for me. He stepped out on stage and it was just unreal. I think I was eleven or twelve at the time.
H: A lot of people seem to witness those key ‘influential’ concerts in their early teens.
F: Yea. When I grew up it was all arena rock. My first punk show was in high school with Heart Attack. It was also the first time I saw a pit, which was pretty life changing as well.
H: You mentioned that you started off taking photos for zines. Can you recall your earliest project in music?
F: Well I always very interested in music. This was before you could just email someone for a photo pass. I shot for friends’ fan zines, shooting punk rock stuff in New York that was pretty easy, but a lot of the other stuff would involve attempting to sneak your camera into gigs, getting close and grabbing shots. Then you would write to people, send them your pictures, and hope to get your stuff published. It was always rewarding to see the final product, to open a fan zine or magazine and see your work.
I didn’t really get serious about the business end of things until college. At that point I started booking shows and working at a radio station. That’s when I realized “Oh, this could really be something.“
H: I read online that you attended Syracuse University. Did you study Business?
F: Sorta. I got a liberal arts degree, but I think the thing that was a great opportunity for me at Syracuse was being on a big campus and being able to book concerts for the Concert Board. You weren’t booking a DIY venue, you were booking shows that dealt with real agents, real venues, big production, and generally speaking a lot more tasks than DIY venues would be less likely to handle.
H: Is it through booking at Syracuse that you found your first job in the industry?
F: No, I got out of school and had no idea what I wanted to do. I couldn’t find a job because I never took an internship. I think internships are great and they can certainly be very beneficial, but I did not take the internship route because I had a job and needed to make money. So I literally contacted a bunch of companies and told them I would work for free. Through someone, a friend of a friend of a friend, I landed a job in the mail room at Profile Records. From there I worked my way up from a part time job to a full time role at the company.
H: Wow. That’s similar to those classic industry tales you read about where someone starts in the lowest position and works their way to running the company.
F: I did end up running the company. I got pretty lucky there because there came a point where the two owners of the company split, and I was going to leave the company, but one of the owners told me that if I stayed I could start what he called ‘my little rock thing.’ I loved hip-hop, and I loved working with it at Profile, but I grew up interested in punk rock and initially went to profile because of their rock releases. I ended up doing every job there, and then started another company called Another Planet while running Profile Records.
H: One more question about life at Profile – Did you get to work with Run DMC?
F: Yes, I did. It was a wild time, and I can only say my entire experience there, aside from being very education, put me in a lot of places and allowed me to do a lot of things I never imagined. I worked with them (Run DMC) on their comeback album and it was crazy. To see them perform and work their way back to the top was just amazing. Run is that character people see on TV, he’s both very humble and kind.
H: You mentioned Another Planet. Is that what eventually became Triple Crown?
F: No, that was a label that we started there. Profile also owned Rock Hotel Records, which had put out some of the most important New York hardcore records. The catalog was kind of dormant, so I suggested we reissue those records and sign new things. I’m not delusional, it was kind of hit and miss, but when the label was purchased by Arista they kept that roster and catalog.
H: I was building up to that. When the company sold were you cut, or did you choose to leave and do your own thing?
F: No, they kept me on during the transition. We had a few successful artists at the time, and I was the person who knew those artists, so they allowed me to stay on for a while and make sure everything went smoothly. It was a good position for me because it allowed me to start my own company [Triple Crown] while still having something to fall back on. I think when you decide to do something like start a business you have to dive in, but for a while there I had a safety net.
H: Who was the first artist you signed to Triple Crown?
F: Oddly enough, I was about to make a deal with 25 To Life when I started to think that Profile was going to be sold, so I sat down with the owner to discuss the possibility of taking 25 To Life. I spoke with Rick from the band and told him that I was leaving to start my own thing, but still wanted to do their record if he was interested. He was and we did it. We we also had a Stubborn All-Stars record that was completed for Another Planet, so I licensed that and those became our first two releases.
H: You started Triple Crown in 1997, but then in 2001 you have a small roll at Fat Beats Records. What is the story there?
F: When you’re starting a business and you’re throwing everything you have at it, you just have to hustle. I was looking for distribution and my friend with Fat Beats told me they could help me out if I worked with them to start an in-house label. A year and a half later we signed Atmosphere, so again my hip-hop history started to come through in my work. It was a crazy time, but also an awesome time.
H: How many people are on staff right now at Triple Crown?
F: It depends, really. I think we have three people right now. We assemble a team around each artist/project and move forward from there. Every artist and every audience is different. There may be some crossover, but at the end of the day the best option we have found is to start fresh and build a plan from the ground up.
H: I read in another interview that one of the first things you do with every new band is to get them on the road, playing at least five or six times a week. Is that true?
F: In our industry, touring is one of the most important things. I also think it’s the best way to connect with music fans. As long as the band we have signed recently have a little touring under their belt, we work to give them that extra push that allows them to tour more frequently.
H: Where do you turn when looking to discover new music?
F: Everywhere, really. I try to keep an open mind. Honestly, sometimes I find bands online, or through recommendations. Sometimes I read a story somewhere and start connecting the dots. Maybe I catch an opening slot on a tour we have artists on. The guys in Hit The Lights were the first to tell me about Fireworks. Brand New turned me on to Manchester Orchestra, and even though we did not end up signing them it started a strong relationship with Andy that has lasted several years.
H: Let’s focus on one of your recent signings. What is the story behind the discovery of Tiny Moving Parts?
F: The first time I ever heard about the band was seeing something on PropertyOfZack. It was a video or something, and I was very into what they were doing. The manager reached out a short time later, and from there I caught them live the next time they were in our area. That sealed it for me.
H: What advice would you offer those looking to enter the professional side of the music industry?
F: I always say hard work. Let your work speak for you. Find a way to get an opportunity in the music industry and make the most of it. This is why I think internships are so great. They give you some of the worst or busiest work and allow you to show them how much dedication you have to the job. I’ve been in the business for a long time, and there will always be people who enter with a sense of entitlement, but I think a willingness to do the work is really important. I read an interview not long ago where someone suggested “Don’t be a dick” and really, that’s accurate. Be honest and work hard. Don’t be a dick.
H: Triple Crown has been using Haulix for a long time now. What keeps you around?
F: It’s great. It simplifies everything, and the support is amazing. This used to be so hard and now it’s quick and easy. Also, publicists love it and it saves us a bundle on physical watermarking. I had an issue not long ago that required help tracking down the person behind a leak, and I think Matt (Haulix CEO) replied to me within 12 hours with all the information I needed to move forward.
H: You’ve accomplished a lot with your career, especially during your time working on Triple Crown, so what are your current goals in life?
F: I just want to keep putting out interesting music. If there is one thing that has been a blessing and a curse for us is that we don’t have an identifiable sound. Kids don’t buy a record just because it is a Triple Crown release. I think there are some common threads throughout the music, but there are also some big leaps. I’m really excited about what we have on the horizon. Tiny Moving Parts is really great, which I know we already talked about, but so are the releases we have planned a little further down the road.
H: How many times a month do people ask you to repress Brand New’s Deja Entendu on vinyl?
F: Haha, that’s my favorite question! It’s one of those things where I have to remind myself not to be a dick. (laughs) I have a very close relationship with the band, and they always want to put music out a certain way, both aesthetically and sonically. That’s why I don’t want to just press it and put it out there. When we reissued Your Favorite Weapon they went back and remastered the whole thing. They always want to do things a little bit differently. It’s going to come, that’s all I am going to say, and hopefully there will be a few surprises included as well. The band was very important to me and the label, so I don’t want to just press it and put it out there because it’s not what they would want.
I like when people ask me about this from an innocent angle. Kids will suggest pressing it again to me as if it’s something we have never heard before. I get it. It bums us and the band out when we go online and see how much some people are willing to pay on eBay for copies.
H: We have finally reached the end! Before I let you go, do you have any final thoughts or observations to share?
F: I think we covered a bunch of great stuff. We have a couple more vinyl things planned for the year, so please keep an eye out for that.
Hello, everyone. Welcome to the latest installment of our ongoing industry spotlight series. In an attempt to continue evolving we’re using today’s interview to highlight an area of the business we’ve only briefly touched upon in the past. If you like it, let us know and similar columns will following in the weeks ahead. You can email james@haulix.com with your thoughts, or reach out through Twitter. We look forward to hearing from you.
For many young creative minds, Thomas Falcone lives the music industry dream. He wakes up in a new city almost every day surrounded by his closest friends and spends the entirety of each afternoon and night taking pictures with his camera. Yes, he’s a professional tour photographer, and today we’re going to learn how he found his place in the business of music.
As far as I know there has never been a photographer who attended a single show and instantly found themselves working within the music industry on a regular basis. Like anything worth doing, making a name for yourself behind the camera in music takes time, and Tom Falcon has dedicated his life to mastering his approach to photography. He now finds himself on tour with Mayday Parade, one of the biggest bands in the alternative rock scene, and his future looks brighter than ever.
If you would like to stay in touch with Tom and follow all his activity on the road, make sure you bookmark and frequent his photo blog. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: For the record, state your name, occupation, and who you’re currently working with/for:
TF: Tom Falcone, Touring Music Photographer. Currently on the road with Mayday Parade on the Glamour Kills Tour
H: Let’s start at the beginning. When you think of your earliest memories with music, what comes to mind?
TF: Backstreet Boys. Arguring with my brother on who’s Backstreet Boys album we purchased was going to be. We fought over who was going to be the one holding onto it and listening to it non stop haha.
H: Do you recall the first album you purchased with your own money?
TF: Backstreet Boys.
H: This spotlight is a bit different from others we have done because you’re not necessarily a journalist. You can be, and at times have been, more than anything you’re a professional photographer. To whom or what do you attribute your interest in photography?
TF: I love capturing documentary style photography. What people are doing, in places that others have never seen. We are lucky enough to travel the world and see things a lot of people don’t get to see, so that’s what I like to capture. A lot of my most recent work is very candid, and I love it
H: What was your first camera, and how did you acquire it?
TF: I used my moms Kodak Easyshare camera for random things like photos of flowers and self portraits. I told my parents I wanted to work and purchase my first DSLR. I worked with my father at a auto repair shop for $100 a week for about 7 weeks and purchased my first Canon Rebel DSLR with a 50mm 1.8
H: Do you remember when you first considered pursuing photography as a career? If so, can you tell us a bit about the time leading up to that realization?
TF: It was more when I first started getting paid, and getting the opportunity to work with bands on a personal level. I started meeting local bands and hanging and shooting around with them when I was really young and eventually built a portfolio to pitch to record labels and managers etc.
H: When it comes to music photography, did you start with concert or promotional work? Who was the first band you worked with?
TF: I started with concert. I didn’t think that I was good enough for promo photography just yet. I worked with bands in my local scene called The Showcase, Kick Over The Traces, Moraine etc. I still love them
H: You now find yourself on the roads with bands for a living, something I’m sure every aspiring music photographer reading this would one day like to do themselves. When people ask you how you reached this point in your career, what do you tell them? It clearly was not an overnight occurrence.
TF: I tell them to just be themselves. Shoot something different. So many people take live photos and so many people capture the same thing. Be different and be yourself, I mean, don’t act different around bands, or people on the road. Everyone is normal.
H: At this point in your career, how do you measure success? What would you consider failure?
TF: I know it sounds lame, but I find myself somewhat successful. I have a band that I tour with full time and create images that I love as well as inspire other people.
H: A lot of people believe great photography requires great gear. Do you agree?
TF: No. I just bought a small little Fujifilm camera that does amazing work, and it isn’t even a DSLR.
H: What is the biggest misconception people have about life as a photographer?
TF: That I most likely just party and take photos of them. I’m not sure. A lot of people can think what they want but…we just have fun haha
H: A lot of the photographers we’ve researched maintain online stores. Do you have a place people can buy your prints? (feel free to plug anything you like)
TF: Smugmug is great
H: Networking is key to success in the music industry. What advice would you offer young photographers about navigating the business from a networking standpoint?
TF: Networking is amazing. Conferences, meetings, social networks. It is all the ingredients you need to become successful
H: What is your ultimate career goal?
TF: To build a portfolio of one band over a span of years to see progress, growth, passion and love.
H: If you could change one thing about the music business, what would it be?
TF: I don’t really deal with the “music business side of things” haha. I’m a photographer.
H: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Tom. Do you have anything else you’d like to share?
TF: Just keep on trucking, make images you love and share them with everyone.
Hello and welcome to return of our Haulix Advice series. This column is dedicated to helping developing artists and industry professionals navigate the waters of a DIY career in music. If you have an idea for a future installment of this series, or if you have a question you’d like us to tackle in the coming weeks, do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts.
As your career in music begins to develop, you will eventually reach a point where you will want to at least consider hiring other people, such as publicists and managers, to work with and for your music. This can be a very exciting and fast-paced time if you surround yourself with the right team, and in this post we aim to help you understand the roles those individuals will fill so that you can determine what you need when the time comes.
In order to clarify their roles, I asked Jen Appel, founder of The Catalyst Publicity Group, What artist’s expectations should be in regards to the work performed by managers, tour managers, publicists, and lawyers. This is what Jen had to say:
Manager: When a band can no longer scout for new opportunities at the level they are at or handle their current work load a manager would be the next best step. A manager can be as in depth as arranging the day to day duties of each member to shopping for labels and networking the band around the industry professionals. A band should only actively seek management assistance when necessary. Having the band well organized and in place before reaching out for management will only make the working relationship a lot easier.
Tour Manager: A tour manager represents the band while on the road. The tour manager is the right hand man for the manager, merch person, crew and publicist. They are in charge of many items while on tour such as making sure the band arrives at the venue on time, they get paid at the end of night, and set up any press while on the road.
Publicist: A publicist is necessary to bring on to a bands team once all assets are solidified (music, branding). A band shouldn’t approach a PR team if they have no content ready to release. Once a band has a nice marketing package ready to go and they feel they’ve hit a wall with setting up their own interviews a PR team can help package a marketing plan together and focus on securing press. The goal of a publicist is to properly present the band to the public/press/fans.
Lawyer: A lawyer is a great person to have on a team when it is necessary. A lawyer is able to negotiate contract deals on behalf of a band and make sure that a band isn’t get screwed over in a deal. The lawyer looks after the bands best interest and is there to lend advice along the way.
It’s important to note that every business relationship is different and the deals you develop with the individuals you choose to surround yourself with may not match these guidelines exactly. Before adding anyone to your team take time to figure out exactly what you want to accomplish and research who would be be suited to assist you in accomplishing that task.
Hello and welcome to another edition of the Haulix Blogger Spotlight series. Today’s column is by far our longest to date, so make sure you bookmark this page in case you get pulled away by a cute cat video or, you know, work. If you have a writer or publication you feel deserved to be featured in an upcoming installment of this series, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your recommendation.
Say what you will about the age of reality television, but I have yet to meet a person in the music business who doesn’t still want their MTV. Programming changes have occurred, sure, but the original national stage for all things alternative is still a force to reckon with thanks to the unstoppable efforts of their digital team. Of those, no brand is probably more widely recognized than the Buzzworthy Blog, and this afternoon we’re going to learn about the young woman who leads this long-running section of MTV.
Fate has a funny way of making you think twice about the things you were once sure of, and for a long time Tamar Anitai was sure she wanted to become a rabbi. She entered college with this goal in mind, but along the way realized the rabbinical life was not for her, and as many do began examining her other interests in search of a potential career path. After a few attempts elsewhere she settled on an English major that, coupled with the introduction of the internet to households across America by way of AOL in the early 90s, eventually lead her to a number of internships at various print publications (yes, news was still printed regularly at this point). Here Tamar cut her teeth in writing, and as her career turned digital she began working more heavily with music. She now serves as the Managing Editor the Buzzworthy blog, and today we could not be more excited to share her journey.
Tamar has a gift for wordplay that never ceases to amaze me, and from the early days of this column I knew she would deliver a great interview if the opportunity ever presented itself. We tried for months to connect and the results could not be better. She has built a career for herself through hard work and determination that is nothing short of inspiring, and the craziest part of it all is that she still has a long life in writing to lead as she helps guide MTV’s online presence into 2014 (and beyond).
If you want to stay up-to-date with everything Tamar has going on, make it point to read the Buzzworthy blog daily and follow the official Twitter account. Any additional questions or comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: for the record, state your name and job title
TA: Tamar Anitai, and I’m the managing editor of the MTV Buzzworthy Blog.
H: Let’s start simple. Do you remember the first album you purchased with your own money?
TA: Oh man. I think it might’ve been the Technotronic “Pump Up The Jam” cassingle, the analog precursor to the iTunes single download!! It was definitely from an Eastern Cleveland mall that I’m sure no longer exists. That and the cassingle, both long dead!
H: When you think of your earliest memories of music, what comes to mind?
TA: Folk music that my mom listened to – Mamas and Papas. Stuff my dad listened to when I was a kid – Bob Seger’s “Like A Rock.” Listening to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and being terrified by Vincent Price’s voice.. Watching the making of the “Thriller” video on MTV and being mesmerized and also terrified by Michael Jackson’s werewolf eyes.. Early ‘80s Madonna – the “Borderline” video and how she wore different colored neon socks was like an early Stan moment for me! I was a huge Madonna fan. I still have her “Like A Virgin” tape. I remember listening to a lot of Power 108 in Cleveland and taping it off of the radio. I was really into Debbie Gibson and still wonder about that face she drew on her knee on her “Out Of The Blue” album cover. That was kinda punk. I used to sit in my room for hours and wonder what the New Kids On The Block were doing at that exact same moment and if they or other famous people really used the bathroom. Whitney Houston had a tremendous impact on me in terms of loving a commanding female belt. Her “Whitney album is one of my first albums. I’ve always had a love of musicals from very early on – “West Side Story,” especially. Anything Rodgers and Hammerstein or Sondheim. Anything Barbra Streisand. Oh, and I really loved freestyle R&B. Still do. The Jets, Sweet Sensation, Taylor Dayne. There you go – lots of disparate answers for you. That still kind of informs my musical influences and tendencies today – broad, random and disparate.
H: I know you’re busy, but i want to cover as much ground as we can in this piece. You have been working in writing/content creation for more than a decade at this point. Do you remember what inspired you to follow a career path in journalism?
TA: I started out wanting to be a rabbi. My mom’s still bummed that didn’t work out. Ha. (But for the record, I go to temple more than she does, so that counts for something, right?) In college when I realized rabbinical life wasn’t for me, I thought I might want to teach writing, until I realized that wasn’t really what I wanted to do either.. I liked performing and the theater and singing, and I did that as a kid and in high school and college, but at heart, I lack the ultra ultra cut-throat competitiveness you need in those fields, and I wanted to have more options to be able to support myself, (so I became a writer – HA HA!), so performing became less important to me as a career path. I knew I loved writing and was good at it, and I’d hoped that I’d be able to support myself that way, and I figured it was a hard skill that will always be needed in some way or another (at least I sincerely hope so), so I pursued an English major with a concentration in journalism and technical writing. I always loved non-fiction, journalism, anything that was telling real stories or providing commentary, context, or insight, putting many pieces together into a package (which is a huge part of why I love digital editorial – you have the ability to tell a story dynamically and multi dimensionally). I was only ever really interested in journalism and non-fiction. I’ve never really been interested in creating fiction. I have a massive amount of respect for novelists, short story writers, anyone who can create a whole new world on a blank page. But I do believe truth is stranger than fiction.
In the mid ‘90s when it became a little more commonplace to own a personal computer, and AOL brought the Internet (or some rudimentary portal version of it) and email into the mainstream, and the Internet started growing and becoming available, I loved the fact that you could just get lost in any number of online worlds and connect with people absolutely anywhere in the world. I was in college and thought I might want to write for magazines, and then I interned at several magazines and newspapers, which was an invaluable experience on every level. Newspapers actually let me write. Magazines wouldn’t let us like 1000 feet from their pages, which ended up being a blessing in disguise because I realized I liked the pace of newspapers and became less interested in the extremely slow life cycle of magazines. I liked the pace of daily papers more, but I realized I really loved the ability to publish instantaneously to the Internet, so I finally realized I wanted to “something with writing on the Internet.” Broad, I know, but the opportunities for online editorial are also very broad and more democratic.
H: Which came first, the love of music or the love of writing? When did you first begin to combine the two?
TA: Probably a love of music since I can identify so many different songs for every different year and phase and crucial experience in my life, and I can’t say that I have personal writings I identify with for every part of my life. (I have really embarrassing poetry I wrote in middle and high school and during my Tori Amos phase, though.) But music has provided the meaning behind moments for me. Writing was something I enjoyed when I was in school and realized I was good at it and not horrible at it, like I was math or gym. Ha. I worked at AOL from 2000 – 2005, and I began to combined the two professionally when I got a job at AOL Music in New York in 2001.
H: From what I’ve learned, you got your start in the business by reviewing theatrical productions. Can you tell us a bit about finding your footing in the entertainment business?
TA: Well in high school I was one of four local student movie critics for what was then the Virginian-Pilot/Ledger Star newspaper in Hampton Roads, Virginia. I applied for that gig and wrote a movie review about how I didn’t see “Jurassic Park,” and I guess my sarcasm helped land me that gig. I think I got paid about $25 an article. Not bad for 1993. So I actually had legitimate press clips when I started to put together a portfolio after college when I started looking for jobs. I lived in New York the summer between my junior and senior years of college. I interned at Jane Magazine (R.I.P!) back when it was still part of Fairchild on 34th Street. I interned at W for the then-features editor James Reginato, and I was unpaid at Fairchild, so I needed to make some money. I worked at a smoothie place in the West Village, and because neither publication let their interns write, I knocked on the door at Showbusiness Weekly (like, literally, I think I actually knocked on the door) and asked if they needed theater critics. So they hired me as a freelance writer. (Turns out people love free or extremely cheap help!) I reviewed some off-off Broadway shows, and I did some editing. Actually, I don’t even think I was paid. I gave it away for free. Man, I was a whore. Actually that’s not even being a whore because whores are, by definition, paid. I was a slut, I guess, editorially. But really, I was hustling because I knew I loved New York and wanted to come back after graduation, and I knew I’d need to support myself. I didn’t have any money to spare, my parents were spending money they barely had to put me in an NYU dorm for the summer (no one I knew had heard of Craigslist yet, so you stayed in the dorms). I ate a lot of ramen and other various soups to get that experience to help land me back here after college.
In college I reviewed theater (huge conflict of interest come to think of it, since I also performed – ha, whatever). I went to school at James Madison University in Virginia, and when I graduated, AOL was growing just an hour and a half north in Dulles, Virginia. I loved being online and couldn’t wait to get out of school and hopefully land an editorial job online. I applied to AOL and was offered entry level editorial/ programming jobs at their parenting channel and their local guide channel, and I went with the local guides, which were called Digital Cities back then. They were basically a rudimentary Yelp. I worked in the DC area, had great bosses, wrote and edited, and when a job opened up at AOL Music in New York, I applied and was like LOOK. I’M YOUR GIRL. I PUH-ROMISE YOU. I GOT THIS. At the interview, I bonded with the other programming managers over Jeff Buckley. And I got the gig. That eventually helped me get this job at MTV. Between then I also started my own fashion blog called FashionBinge basically just for fun (don’t laugh – it’s still on Blogger), and I’m so glad I did because I basically taught myself the basics of blogging, SEO, coding, and I still had a place to keep writing..
H: Do you have any advice for those that are currently starting out with dreams of finding steady employment in entertainment as far as early work and internships are concerned?
TA: All of the above. Be willing to hustle. Outside of anything illegal or that offends your sensibilities or moral code, be willing to do absolutely anything. I opened Jane Pratt’s mail, and she didn’t even know who I was, but I wasn’t too good to open mail at Jane, transcribe interviews, fetch coffee, whatever. Be eager. I heard the legendary Joan Rivers speak at the Lucky FABB Conference a few years back, and her advice to the group of bloggers was you’re never ever ever ever too good for a job. Ever. At any age. Say yes. Amazing advice. Be willing and be open. But you’ve gotta hustle. Rarely does anyone give you anything, so don’t be entitled, and don’t expect opportunities to magically appear. Sometimes they do, but they’re rarely “magic.” You’ve probably laid the foundation or left a breadcrumb trail to you earlier in your career. But if you’re not leaving those breadcrumbs behind then they’re never going to find you.
H: From theatre to AOL, you spent a number of years crafting your content strategy efforts before you eventually found your current home at MTV. What can you tell us about landing this job?
TA: I had had a job for a year and a half or so at a stock photo agency doing their communications and marketing. It was a small company that was being grown and groomed to be sold to Getty. I got that job because I’d had three jobs at AOL within five years and was still early on in my career and was looking for a change. Once I was there I realized I missed working at a somewhat larger company, and I saw the gig at MTV and jumped on it. Another piece of career advice – my first role at MTV was at least two or three years junior to where I was at that point, but I knew MTV would be a great place to work and provide far more opportunities, so I didn’t look at that more junior title and say “Oh, I’m so beyond this.” Look beyond the title. Titles mean little when it comes to your day-to-day opportunities and obligations, especially if you’re working for managers who are willing to let you get your hands dirty and experiment and do what you’re good at and do more of that. I’m really glad I didn’t give a shit about titles, because the opportunities here have been tremendous.
H: The Buzzworthy label is one of the most well known aspect of MTV, and it seems every artist or group in music wants to have that label attached to their efforts. What makes an artist buzzworthy?
TA: It’s like art or porn – you know it when you see it. Ha. Just kidding. Kind of. There aren’t many strict parameters beyond, of course, pop music, though we don’t delve too far into country or much metal. Pop music is, of course, extremely broad, which is great because you can cast a really wide net in terms of the content you’re curating. But really, it’s an artist whose sound absolutely grabs me on some level. It might be, like, wow, this is really visceral, emotional, profound music that reminds me of Fiona Apple. It might be like, wow, this feels like early Green Day. Or this is SUCH a good, shameless party jam. An artist that’s Buzzworthy is someone who’s making music that I know will connect with a certain type of person or fan base on some level. It’s something I hear and I can say “I know EXACTLY who this appeals to,” and there’s so much value in that.
H: You’ve successfully grown MTV’s web presence and traffic year-over-year in spite of the growing number of competition in the market. What can you share about your content strategy (without giving away any secrets, of course)?
TA: Well, I have the benefit of the longview, right? Having done this for a while, I can usually identify and say, yeah, historically, this type of content “does well,” this type of content doesn’t, but it’s always been important to me to present the Buzzworthy audience with smart, fun, funny commentary on pop music, and the bigger names are usually the ones who perform better. But you’ve got to have your eyes and ears open for new artists who are under the radar but could be the next One Direction or Katy Perry. Or artists who may never play Barclays or Glastonbury but who are still amazing and deserve recognition and coverage. I love being able to say “Hey, I love this, and I hope you will too.” Anyway, performance and metrics and traffic are important, but curation is just as important. And knowing what type of content to create is hugely important. The same formula and type of content doesn’t work for every artist or song. It’s not one size fits all. Another thing i love about online editorial and working for MTV – there’s so much room to experiment.
H: Some people believe there is no need for critics in the digital age. Do you agree? (Support your response)
TA: Wow, good question. I don’t agree. I think people are looking for trusted names and brands and to cut through the noise and clutter. There’s more music content and entertainment options out there, which is wonderful – it’s literally impossible to be bored. If you’re bored in 2013, you’re doing everything wrong. But given that there’s a bottomless well of available music options, you want that voice who finds the good stuff for you. Which isn’t the same thing as making decisions for you or telling you what to think or believe. I always want Buzzworthy to feel like a person. That nice, cool, funny kid in your class who’s friends with everyone, nice to everyone, and you always trust to be into good music. The kind of person who owns their taste and isn’t into the snobbery of it but loves to discover new music and wants to share that with you. too.
H: When it comes to receiving music for feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?
TA: Honestly, I love the ease of use of Soundcloud. Any of the services that require a separate login and password, which I’ll inevitably lose, slows you down a step, or two. When people send me unsolicited MP3s that kill my inbox, I’ve been known to drop a few F bombs.
H: What is the hardest part of this ‘job’ you’ve made for yourself?
TA: Oh keeping up with the emails, absolutely. Balancing all of the projects I’ve really into and excited about (I get really really hyper and excited about new projects and opportunities. I’m definitely that person who like rushes into someone’s office all gung ho and breathless and like THIS ONE TIME, AT BAND CAMP hyperventilating about some new thing I want to try or implement or share.) But I really do love being busy, and I love that the day flies by. I’ve been at MTV for seven years, and I can’t remember ever once saying or feeling anything like “Man, this day is dragging” or “I’m so bored.” That just doesn’t exist. I’m very fortunate.
H: How would you describe your writing style to someone who has never read the Buzzworthy blog?
TA: The Buzzworthy Blog is where Stan culture meets music discovery. My writing style is usually very first person. I love to be a clown, and I hope that my writing comes across as self-deprecating and inclusive. There’s so much contrarianism and negativity. I love saying WHO CARES about guilty pleasures. If you love it, why is that a reason to feel guilty? I always hope you read my writing or Buzzworthy’s writers’ and feel like you can totally relate because a friend is recommending this to you. People usually tell me I write exactly like I talk, and I take that as a compliment.
H: Music is in a strange place right now. EDM-infused pop is still everywhere, but there is a growing admiration for artists using more throwback-like sounds as well. What do you think the next big thing in music will be?
TA: I kind of love that even that even though dance music is huge and obviously sampling and remixing and slick, glossy production (shout out to Mike Will Made It because I love what he’s doing not just to hip-hop but to hop, and I’ll always love anything Max Martin touches – he’s truly music’s Midas), I love that a guy like Ed Sheeran, who just shows up with a guitar and hoodie and sells out Madison Square Garden three times over, I love that there’s room for singer-songwriters like him and Jake Bugg. I LOVE Haim, so I’d love if more people were more receptive to girls and guitars. Guitars in general are kind of disappearing since dance music. I really miss the singer-songwriter/guitarist. Think about how many songs you love you can identify just by a few opening guitar riffs (shout out to Katy Perry though for opening “Teenage Dream” with that intoxicating guitar riff) “Come As You Are,” “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Losing My Religion,” the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Today,” or “Laila,“ “Sweet Jane,” “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt, “Blackbird,” “Last Night” by The Strokes. I miss a bunch of dudes with guitars! Ha.
Almost any Simon and Garfunkle song. So I’d love to see guitars get their due.
I’m glad AutoTune is basically over, except for Daft Punk or Kanye, because they always get a pass. Speaking of Katy Perry, I love that her “Walking On Air” single as brought back that deep house ‘90s feel to radio, because I never get sick of that.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
TA: More open format radio and less redundancy on the radio. I wish terrestrial radio were programmed more openly and freely. Label deals with radio stations often benefit the same handful of artists, which is great for those artists, and the success of those artists can help labels boost and buoy funds for smaller artists, but it’d be amazing to hear those artists on the radio in the first place instead of the same 10 songs over and over, even if they’re songs or artists I love. I’d love for more discovery to happen on the radio in the first place. But I think this is actually a very exciting time and place for the music industry. Yes, there are fewer labels than in the past, but there are more avenues for music discovery than ever before on every piece of smart technology you own, even your actual TV set. And you don’t have to have a traditional record deal to build a fan base, which is rather incredible. My problems, though, aren’t that much with the music industry itself in terms of labels but rather looking at music more holistically and historically and realizing that music history and lessons are so crucial, and funding for music in schools is no longer a guarantee. When I was in elementary school you didn’t have a choice – you had to lean at least one instrument. So, funding for music in schools is so much more important to me than the commercialization of music and album sales. If we don’t expose kids to music and give them the option to learn to read and write and play music we’ll have much bigger problems than dwindling album sales. Music in schools is literally the future music industry.
H: Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what you have planned in the months ahead?
TA: I have a few incredible Buzzworthy Live acoustic performances coming up, some exciting Live From MTV live music events in the works, some great short-form videos I really hope everyone will love, the EMAs on November 10 are going to bigger than ever with some extra special events planned, our comprehensive MTV year-end review, artists to watch in 2014, we’ll be going back to Hangout Fest in 2014, and so much more.
Hello and welcome to another exciting week of music industry insight and know-how here on the official blog of Haulix. It’s Columbus Day here in the states, and we have admittedly done nothing to acknowledge its occurrence. If you got the day off – consider yourself lucky. The rest of us will have to settle for a bit of escapism by way of our latest Blogger Spotlight column, which yet again focuses on the world of heavy metal. If you have a site or writer you feel deserves time in our spotlight, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your recommendation.
Many of you may have been reading the site featured today for years without even knowing it. For a long time the site we now call Last Rites was known throughout the world as MetalReview, but hoping to carve their own niche the owners thought it best to step out with a more unique name. We’re fans of the new identity, and after today’s feature I believe you will be too.
Zach Duvall, like many of you reading this right now, started out life in the industry as a fan with a desire to tell others about the music that interested him. He had read MetalReview for years, even going as far as to become a regular on their long-running forums, but it wasn’t until a chance meeting with a number of contributors in 2009 that he decided to become a writer himself. Now four years in, Zach has become an integral part of Last Rites, and is one of many team members helping make the site one of the leading outlets for metal news today.
If you would like to keep tabs on everything Zach is working on, make sure you bookmark Last Rites at your earliest convenience. 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:
Zach Duvall: My name is Zach Duvall, and I write for a heavy metal blog called Last Rites, which was formerly MetalReview.com. I primarily write album reviews, but provide the occasional editorial or interview, and have started doing more behind-the-scenes work at the site as well.
H: Your site is known for its coverage of metal. Have you been a metalhead since birth? If not, when did you discover the heavier side of music?
ZD: I wouldn’t say I have been a metalhead since birth. My parents barely listened to anything of the “harder” style, so I discovered it through the “bad kids” in elementary school. But really, when I was about 10 a good friend of mine (still a great friend) let me hear Metallica’s …And Justice For All and that changed everything for me. The track “Blackened” completed changed my life.
H: What was the first album you purchased with your own money? Do you still own it today?
ZD: Boy this is tough. Honestly it was probably some 80s pop music. I think I had a Fat Boys hip-hop tape, or maybe Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA. Can’t remember if that was a present or purchase. As for metal, it was surely a Metallica album, possibly the black album, since “Enter Sandman” was the biggest thing on the planet when I was in middle school. And of course I still own it, even if my view of it has changed over the years.
H: Entertainment journalism is not exactly a path many follow in life. What first attracted you to the world of music coverage?
ZD: I have always loved sharing great music with others, and, from what certain friends would tell you, have a slightly strong opinion on things. So it turned out to be a pretty natural hobby for me to take up, and the added bonus has been connecting with bands and labels, and knowing that I’m helping out good people and quality artists.
H: Did you write for any sites before Last Rites (formerly Metal Review)?
ZD: Nope, that was the first, and I was quite honestly pretty intimidated at first.
H: The logical follow-up: Where did you first come across Last Rites, and what lead you to join the team?
ZD: Well, I read the old MetalReview for years before eventually becoming a very active member on the forums. I became “internet friends” with a bunch of the crew and other forum regulars, and the Facebook connections began. I eventually met up with several of them at Scion Rock Fest 2009 in Atlanta, and was told I should think of writing. A few months later half of the team ambushed me on Facebook and told me to join up.
H: Who was the first artist you worked with as a writer? Can you tell us a bit about that experience?
ZD: My first review was of a great German band named Valborg. I had actually won the album in a MetalReview contest just a month or so previously, and knew it would be cool to write about. I look back on it now and laugh at my tentative writing, trying to hard to make some profound point. But little did I know that writing about Valborg would introduce me to an entire great family of bands on the Zeitgeister label in Germany (Owl, Woburn House, and Klabautamann are other great bands on the label), while allowing me to get “internet acquainted” with one of the most active members of those bands. From the very beginning, this hobby was revealing its true worth to me, and those connections have only grown over the last four years.
H: Last Rites is a relatively new name for the site. What were the reasons for the change, and how has your audience changed (if at all) following the move?
ZD: Well, if you search on Google for the words “metal” and “review,” you don’t exactly get great results. There are several sites with some combination of the words in their name, so we didn’t stand out despite having what we felt was a superior product. We needed to develop a brand, something that was distinctive. Other than some forum regulars complaining that their internet world was being destroyed by the brand change, I’m not sure it has affected our audience much at all. If anything it looks way cooler when we see ourselves quoted in a press release.
H: LR is one of the few music sites still using forums, and that is in no way a complaint. Do you feel having a built-in community has helped your site thrive over time?
ZD: I certainly have met some amazing people through the forums, both people on staff and others. Activity on the forums is certainly not what it used to be, and the rise of Facebook, Twitter, and everything else is probably a huge reason for that. At this point, I’m not sure the forums add or take away from the overall site experience, but I do not think the MetalReview/Last Rites readership would have grown as it did over the years without that extra community feel. I probably never would have become involved.
H: I’ve noticed a drop in the number of forums being implemented on younger sites in recent years. Do you feel these web communities are missing something?
ZD: Well, it’s tough to say. Managing a forum is a complete asspain, that’s for sure. There are idiots to moderate, and you have to decide exactly how much you want to police things. Then there is the programming side of it I’m sure, even though I don’t get into it. So in that sense, I feel like newer sites may have decided that their time is better spent on creating content. In the wake of the rise of the Twitterverse, forums may be slowly dying anyway. It’s a bit sad, because it’s far less personal, but I feel as if that is just the reality of the situation.
H: I’ve noticed there is far more original news and written feature coverage than new media content. Do you any plans to expand further into video/photo moving forward?
ZD: Well, we just resurrected our podcast, and one of our guys really wants to keep that going. I wasn’t sure initially if people would actually pay attention to it, but it was extremely well received and I think it’ll be a great feature moving forward. Plus it’s just fun getting on Skype and shooting the shit with the guys. It would also be fun to find a staff member solely dedicated to covering metal shows, and adding photos and video. Because I don’t go to the number of shows I used to, it won’t be me, but if someone else added it, game on.
H: Writing styles change site-by-site these days, and from what I can tell LR strives do produce more long form content than ‘bulletin board’ style. What do you think makes a great news story?
ZD: I think great music makes a great story, if not necessarily news. Sometimes I will push out a shorter review or news blurb (coverage of the new Ihsahn single, for example), just to help out with content, but those long form reviews are what I enjoy the most. The best music makes the gig both fun and easy, and when music really seeps into me, finding words is no problem.
H: There are a number of people who contribute to LR on a regular basis. How big is the team?
ZD: The team is officially about 15-18 people, but some of those are more in a contributor type role. I’d say the regular team is about 10 folks.
H: You, like many in music journalism, make little-to-no money for your efforts. Why do you keep writing?
ZD: All of those reasons stated above. I just love music, and after years of struggling with wanting to actually play it again (after playing in high school), I realized that the writing gig was a great way for me to become involved, and to help out. Plus, it’s a great thing to keep me sane when my 9-5 job becomes mundane or stressful.
H: Some people believe there is no need for critics in the digital age. Do you agree? (Support your response)
ZD: In the age when everything is readily available for free consumption, you don’t necessarily need to read a review to know how to spend your cash, but the act of discussion is still valid in and of itself. Plus, the folks who believe that we don’t need critics are likely spending their time critiquing the critics in some expression of scene politics, which to me just means that they love internet dickishness more than they actually love the music. And that, quite frankly, is sad. Besides, if there wasn’t still a need for critics and promotion, labels wouldn’t constantly be sending me so much free music and begging me to listen to it. For small labels and upstart bands, blogs like Last Rites are still the best way to spread their name.
H: When it comes to receiving music for feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?
ZD: Without tooting your guys’ horn too much, Haulix and similar services have been the best way. It’s great just having a link in an email. I think it says something that only a few labels are still using ipool or something else you have to log into.
H: There are a growing number of sites competing for attention in the metal realm. What is it about the content offered on LR that separates you from the competition?
ZD: I think we have as good a collection of writing talent as anyone out there. There are times that I feel almost inadequate to be amongst dudes who are not only such great writers, but so informed and insightful about metal and all music. I also feel as if we’d be pretty good evidence against notions that metalheads are dumb, droolin’ troglodytes.
H: What would you say is the most difficult part of this ‘job’ you’ve created for yourself?
ZD: Having to tell an honest, hardworking band that quite frankly they just don’t have it. I always attempt to frame such arguments without sounding like a dick, critiquing in a constructive manner as much as possible, but sometimes it is still difficult. Sure, occasionally I’ll cover an album by guys who are clearly writing trash just to write trash, and I will treat it as such, but if it is a group of hardworking kids that have the fire but not the fuel? That’s tough.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
ZD: I’m not sure there is anything I would change that would make much of a difference. Economic mechanisms are going to behave as they will, and the music industry certainly fits that model. What I would change, however, if human behavior. The biggest problem for music and art in general is that people just don’t try to find something better. Most people don’t even try a little, and that’s all it takes, trying just a little. If everyone who claims to have an appreciation of great music, film, and human expression would occasionally go out of their comfort zone even the slightest, the appreciation of art worldwide would increase substantially, and deserving artists would thrive.
H: What is your ultimate career goal?
ZD: Honestly, doing it right now. Keep writing about great music. I’m not sure I really have a desire to make money on this, or at least not to make it a career. Besides, I don’t think Last Rites could exactly match the 401K I get at my actual job.
H: Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what you have planned in the months ahead?
ZD: I will just keep doing what I do, finding something interesting to write about, and cover it. I try to keep variety going not just for our readership, but for my own enjoyment as well. On the slate over the next couple weeks I have a couple high profile black metal acts and something a little more on the oddball side. As a full site, Last Rites has some big things planned, but I’m not going to spoil that here, sorry. Other than that, year-end-list time is coming up before long, and that’s always a blast. Gives me an excuse to make up fake awards and toss them at deserving recipients.
Greetings, everyone! Another Friday has found its way into our lives, which means it’s time to reflect on everything happening at Haulix HQ.
The past few days have been rather hectic here at Haulix. Our product team continues to refine our protection and distribution tools while also laying the groundwork for the mobile platform we revealed in last week’s update. We wish them the best in all they have on the horizon and promise to bring you more information on everything product related as soon as it’s ready to be shared.
On the blog end of things, we have been anxiously preparing for October, which we recently dubbed ‘metal month.’ Our normal features will run as planned, but throughout the month of October we will be highlighting various members of the metal world and their efforts to keep the genre alive in 2013. I thought about revealing some of the names we have on the horizon in this post, but then I thought it might spoil the fun and decided to hold off another. That said, a little bird told me people who follow Haulix on Twitter are the first to learn about updates to both the product and blog (hint hint).
There are probably a billion things on your to-do list this weekend, but if you can find the time to just relax and read for awhile we promise it will make a world of difference to your overall well being. You probably have a few books or articles saved for such an occasion, but here are a few weekend reading suggestions from us to you, just in case:
Hello and welcome to a very special edition of the Haulix Blogger Spotlight series. We have featured a number of young journalists in recent months, but today we could not be more excited to highlight the efforts of someone who has been writing about music since before the internet was a thing average people cared about. If you or someone you know would make would like to be considered for a future installment of this series, please email james@haulix.com and share your story.
In 1985 a young man by the name of Doug Van Pelt started a fanzine called Heaven’s Metal to discuss and promote the world of Christian hard rock and metal after developing a love for journalism while working for his college newspaper. This was the same year Alternative Press, Spin, and Metal Edge Magazine launched, and like each of those now iconic publications the efforts of Van Pelt would soon begin to impact the lives of countless people around the world. He placed an ad for his new publication in the classified sections of numerous music rags (aka “old school Craigslist”), and before he knew it subscriptions began rolling in.
In 1995 Heaven’s Metal reached a crossroads. A change in the industry lead to the word ‘metal’ being somewhat tainted from a marketing perspective and Van Pelt decided it was best to change the magazine’s name to HM. The publication still focused on the heavier side of Christian rock, but also opened its doors up to a variety of new, rising alternative artists as well. It was a risk that could have drove away subscribers, but instead paid off in continued sustainability and news readers.
Things remained more or less good for HM magazine in the years following the name change until the rise of digital publications and social networking brought a new world of challenges to print publications in the mid-2000s. HM held on as long as possible to its physical format, including offering simultaneous digital editions beginning in 2007, but in December 2011 the zine was forced to go completely digital in an effort to cut costs. Van Pelt remained editor for another year, then in February of 2013 sold HM to current editor David Stagg. He remains on staff as a contributor, and today we’re honored to share his story.
We spoke with Doug Van Pelt about his life in the music industry from the beginning of Heaven’s Metal to today, and I think you’ll find the stories he has to share are truly one-of-a-kind. Doug has seen the best and worst the industry has to offer, and I guarantee you there is something everyone can learn from his experiences.
If you want to stay up-to-date with Doug’s efforts moving forward, be sure you bookmark and frequent HM. Additional questions or comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: You are by far the person with the most experience in music journalism that we have featured to date. Do you remember the first album you truly fell in love with? How did you discover it?
DVP: First album I truly fell in love with? Wow. That’s a tough one. Early albums I spent many “miles” with in life: Kiss – Destroyer Aerosmith – Rocks Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti UFO – Strangers in the Night Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush – Live
I can hear the next song start to play in my head before the previous one finishes tracking on all those albums above.
Kiss had me listening closely. I loved the grooves of Aerosmith and felt they were superior to Kiss.
Physical Graffiti might be my Desert Island disc, or one of them, if I get about five to bring with. Ten Years Gone, Down by the Seaside, Kashmir, Bron-y-aur. Great, tunes that stand up to the test of time, for sure.
UFO – Strangers in the Night. Michael Schenker’s lead breaks are just so fluid, melodic and have so much feeling. They’re like musical songs within a song. Love the UFO song structure, the backdrop of keys, drums, rhythms. Great songs all. Best live album ever. The solo that builds and builds and then explodes in “I’m A Loser” is so sweet. The solo in “Rock Bottom” kinda does that as well. “Love to Love” has so much building emotion. Love that tune. Frank Marino was the living guitar hero of my day. Such an expert at controlling feedback and crafting great, hypnotizing guitar sounds and leads. His solo – “Electric Reflections of War,” followed by “World Anthem” and then “Purple Haze” is such a great concert closer.
Scorpions – Tokyo Tapes has two epic songs – no three – that are just beautiful, featuring Uli Jon Roth just going off: “We’ll Burn the Sky,” which is just a majestic melodic metal tune. Klaus Meine’s vocals and Uli’s singing leads are beyond great in this tune. The song “In Trance” is another killer tune and “Fly to the Rainbow” has a divebombing solo a la Hendrix/Marino that is fantastic.
First album I fell in love with might be Stryper’sSoldiers Under Command and the song “First Love” specifically. It mixed my love for a forgiving Messiah (Jesus) with my love for melodic metal – both flowing beautiful lead vocals and emotive guitar leads. It was one of the first albums I loved that I was able to express myself with writing about and helped me get into doing music journalism.
H: You started HM as a fanzine in 1985. What attracted you to the world of journalism in the first place?
DVP: I was a student at the University of Texas in Austin and their policy of letting students write for the school paper (The Daily Texan) allowed me to write album reviews of recent Christian rock albums, so I was able to express my love for Christian rock, evaluate in a critical way and even turn people on to artists of faith, which would, in some ways, expose others to my faith. Using art to start a spiritual conversation was kind of a natural thing and it left room for people to be more comfortable entering into this conversation than did, say, street evangelism, which was kind of confrontational to a fault sometimes. These reviews of albums led to a concert review here and then a feature article to promote an upcoming concert with Stryper, which was their first out-of-California tour for the band – hitting five or so cities in Texas. This experience of working with an editor, planning the editorial, setting up the interview with Rick Orienza – the publicist at Enigma Records – and doing the interview with Robert Sweet and selecting the photos to use and writing the piece was my first big experience in rock journalism. That was kind of when the idea of starting a Christian heavy metal magazine started to gel.
H: According to the Magazine wikipedia, you found early success thanks to a classified ad place in Kerrang! Magazine. Could you share with us a bit about the early days of HM (then called ‘Heaven’s Metal’) and the aforementioned ad?
DVP: Yeah, this was in 1985 – long before the days of “filesharing.” We shared music back then by making “mixtapes” on cassette and sending them through the mail with heavy metal “penpals,” so to speak. Metal Edge had a section in their magazine (Metal Edge started in 1985, by the way, as did Alternative Press, Spin and HM.) There was an “underground” of music traders, music fans and metalheads. Word was spread in those days through classified ads in magazines, free local music newspapers and actual (physical) bulletin boards with notes like, “Looking to start metal band. Need guitarist. Must have chops without attitude,” or “must have look," hahaha. I took out classified ads in other underground Christian rock publications, like The Advocate, The Cutting Edge and also bought a classified ad in CCM Magazine, Cornerstone Magazine and Kerrang! Magazine. The ad in Kerrang! was booked at a good time, because unbeknownst to me it was going to be the magazine’s 100th issue and feature a new distribution onto US soil with an increased print run of 100,000 more copies than usual. How beneficial was that? It had Motley Crue on the cover (of course, they ruled metal mags in those days). The response I got from all those classified ads was positive and the growth was on. Heaven’s Metal Magazine started to spread by word of mouth and via classified ads like those.
H: Who was the first artist you worked with for HM? Why did you seek them out?
DVP: The first issue had photos I took of Stryper in Austin, Texas, on that show that I referenced earlier, which I had written about in the local student newspaper – The Daily Texan. The next issue had Jerusalem on the cover, but that feature article was done without an interview. I did my first real "So & So Says” interview without really trying in that issue, by interviewing a band called Prophet, which had a beautiful melodic rock song,called “Everything You Are,” which bled like a Christian metal worship song, I tell ya. Check out the video (let’s see if a quick search on youtube can drag it out): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsa8D_lMBac
Yeah! Tell me that doesn’t hint at being faith-based. Turns out it was not, at least according to Scott Metaxas, the bass player (I think) that I interviewed for that issue.
H: You changed the name from Heaven’s Metal to HM Magazine in 1995, then brought back the name in the 2000s for a fanzine accompaniment to the magazine that later became a part of the regular publication. What inspired you to make this change initially, and why did you choose to bring it back?
DVP: The name change came in 1995, when metal as a viable mainstream and commercial genre took severe hits and the industry considered metal dead. I shortened Heaven’s Metal to HM as a way to transition beyond that change.
Later in 2004 I woke up in the middle of the night with an idea and about seven or eight points to relaunch Heaven’s Metal as a dude publication to serve those older and new metal bands and fans. We had been trying to serve this part of the scene, but the mix was important, as the younger readers didn’t think bands like Bride or Whitecross were hip. At that point (around 2001 to 2004) this metal coverage was relegated to one or two pages. I still wanted to be able to champion what was good, so this idea sounded like a good platform to do that. We got nearly 600 subscribers in just a few short months (no retail distro), so it seemed like a success. My wife (at the time) didn’t like the idea of doing more work and I look back now and wish I hadn’t, but I’m not sure that would’ve saved our marriage that was severed by her in 2012/2013. After awhile the fanzine (which is what I called it since it was printed on standard bond paper and all black and white), started to lose money. I decided at that point to move it to a section inside the magazine. Like a zine within a magazine.
H: Aside from focusing on heavy-leaning Christian rock bands, what would you say separates the content offered by HM from that being created by your competitors?
DVP: It depends on what you mean by competitors. If you’re referring to Alternative Press, that’s one thing. If you’re referring to Jesus Freak Hideout or CCM or some other online Christian hard music publication, that’s another. The content differences may not be that great. From time to time the content you’ll find in HM is from hard music veterans, which makes a big difference. Not all of our content is written from these types of writers, but when it is it can be engaging and excellent. I don’t think HM (and I’m speaking of my own writing for the magazine) has been 100% brilliant. At times, though, it’s been really good. And good rock journalism is an artform and fun to read. There’s some other good coverage of music out there, to be sure.
H: You were a journalist before social media was even an idea, and in the years since Myspace launched have evolved your publications in many ways to meet the demands of our hyper-connected society. Do you ever have nostalgia for the days before the internet, or do you prefer the urgency of modern times?
DVP: That’s a great question. It’s true that HM predates that stuff. When HM (Heaven’s Metal Magazine) started in the mid-80s, music sharing was on mixtapes sent through the USPS. It was as fun or funner, but obviously a lot less immediate than digital file sharing.
If I was to choose time travel vs. staying in the present, I would choose the present. I like technology. If I was going to use time travel (as I spell out in my novel, Desert High), I’d use that technology to go back to a specific time in my high school football career and right a terrible wrong that occurred.
H: HM went strictly digital in recent years, but remained a print publication well into the 2000s. How do you feel about having made the transition away from physical the product, and do you ever think we’ll see a time when print is popular once again?
DVP: Advertising sales went from 30K per issue to 15 and below. It wouldn’t cover the print bills and other overhead, so it’s not so much about print as it was economics. I’d love to see print make a comeback. Holding something in your hands is superior to the value-less (or less valued) online content. With the right investment and right marketing to promote the magazine and increase circulation, it could be successful. Not sure how you could interest record companies whose advertising budgets have been cut could make it up and start advertising again.
H: What is the biggest drawback to running an all digital publication? DVP: Hmmmm? Good question. Perhaps it is the public’s perception that it should be free.
H: As a writer with decades of experiences, what is the most common mistake you see younger writers make when starting their journalism careers?
DVP: Maybe not knowing or learning the balance of knowing when to avoid first person language (most of the time) and when to use it. Not sure what to criticize here. I don’t have any fresh mistakes in my mind to use. One problem might be lack of confidence. A shyness and hesitancy to go for anything.
H: HM has been responsible for breaking a number of heavy acts over the years. When you want to discover new music, where do you turn? How has your search for new music changed over the years?
DVP: Part of it is just being a part of the scene. When you care, you just pay attention and you stay caught up. Also, when you become a respected media outlet, then publicists and news comes to you. It makes scouting easier and not so necessary. Due to this aspect, I didn’t have to do much scouting over the years. A magnet attracts metal. (smile).
H: I see bands on Twitter looking for coverage from HM from time to time. What advice would you offer artists hoping to stand out from others vying for attention in your inbox and social feeds?
DVP: Hmmm. I would say avoid begging. Avoid the assumption that i’m looking for links to click and new music to hear. You know, journalists are like anyone, we listen to our friends. when you have a bro that tells you, “Dude, you need to hear this band such and such. They are so cool.” Getting credibility isn’t easy, but just doing your job – making music and playing live – and credibility will come (if it’s good).
H: Do you think there is still a need for physical press kits?
DVP: Yeah, I sure like to hear music on different platforms (before my car stereo broke, playing a cd in my car was very helpful and it offered undivided and very loud attention.
H: What is the biggest mistake you see young artists make?
DVP: rushing their music production, not letting time and tweaking “season” their music. An easy criticism would be “trying to look like all the rest” of the bands out there.
H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?
DVP: any platform that allows me to download the tracks, along with album artwork and lyrics … and the ability to do this without an expiration date coming too soon. if i drag my feet, i hate to have to chase down the publicist and request a download again. that’s happened more than a few times.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
DVP: hmmmm. small, independent labels and festivals not paying their ad invoices!
H: Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what you have planned in the months ahead?
DVP: I plan on illustrating a children’s book I’ve written. and I’m writing a book about the suffering and lessons learned experienced during the last year and a half of my life. I’m writing articles and reviews for HM still.
Welcome to another edition of our ongoing Haulix Advice series. Last week we discussed how to better market yourself going into a tour or festival appearance. This week we’re staying in line with that idea and looking at what needs to be done after your set. Your songs may win over the crowd, but if efforts are not made to retain those newly interested music fans your growth will be significantly stunted.
One of the biggest problems young artists face after developing a live show is how to retain new listeners they engage during performances. Fans who comes to see you will (in theory) remain fans following your show regardless of your direct interaction with them, but those unfamiliar with your music prior to seeing you live are far more fickle. They may be interested in what you have to offer, but to them you could be any one of the countless bands they’ve yet to discover and if you do not act fast you’ll lose their attention as fast, if not faster than you earned it.
We are not exactly known for our work with touring, but we realize how vital the live performance is in the career of artists who use our service and wanted to do our part in helping the talent we love further develop. To do this, we spoke with a number of industry professionals and put together a list of ___ tips to help better your fan retention efforts. You can read our advice, as well as insight from a number of our friends in the industry, below. Any questions or comments can be left at the end of this post.
1. Never underestimate the power of a strong email list – Email marketing is one of the oldest forms of digital brand promotion, and to this day it continues to be one of the most effective. Permission-based email marketing has a higher return on investment than unsolicited email, direct mail, or traditional advertising and has revolutionized the way we do business. Having an email list signup at shows encourages fans to become involved in future efforts at zero cost to them and essentially removes any major barriers to entrance someone interested in your art may encounter. It’s the easiest way for someone to show an interest in getting to know more about you, and if used properly can yield a dedicated and engaged following. That said, if used for spamming and/or endless product promotion the same list that once held a world of potential could be the first step toward failure as annoyed music fans begin sharing their bad experience with others. We suggest using lists like this or this to refine your email marketing skills before diving too heavily into this area of fan engagement, but cannot emphasize enough how important of a role it can play in long term retention.
2. All hail the mighty power of social media – We often open these lists with the most obvious answer, but this time that title moves to tip number two. Social media is the easiest, fastest, and most direct way to engage those who are just discovering your music following a live event. By reviewing your tagged messages and searching social feeds for non-tagged mentions of your name you are able to see and interact with music fans curious about your future efforts. This opens a direct line of communication between you and music fans that, if used for conversation and not hard selling, can yield dedicated and engaged new listeners. Much like email, however, incorrect messaging and/or a perceived lack of interest in who listeners are as individuals will only serve to hurt you in the long run. The people you’re hoping to reach know that you know they liked your music, but that doesn’t mean they need to sell them on purchasing whatever you have available. They’re looking for a relationship. Give it to them.
3. Post media from events and request those who attend do the same – Nightly gigs may become a way of life for you, but for the people who attend your shows any night may be the only night they see live music all year. Concerts are not a regular occurrence in life for most people, so when they do have the opportunity to attend something special they like being able to keep that memory with them for as long as possible. Blurry cell phone photos hastily posted to Instagram are one way to create such keepsakes, but your band can help fans keep their memories near by actively posting your own imagery and video from each performance. By hosting such media on your personal accounts, you establish a connection with fans who spot themselves as having been part of something that will never happen the same way again. It also promotes engagement on updates (likes, comments, etc.) and encourages those who see themselves to tell others about the image, which in turn brings additional new eyes to your page.
Additional insight from around the industry:
“Talk to them! Utilize social media to build relationships with new fans. That doesn’t mean you’re tweeting kids to buy your album – you’re talking to them as fans of all music. Plus, you can make someone’s day just by talking to them – everyone loves when a band responds.” – Jack Appleby, Siren Records
“We live in a social media world these days. Fans have access to bands in a way that is accessible like never before. I think because of this the industry is now driven just as much by the fans connection to the band as the music itself. So having band some time and reach out to their new twitter and facebook followers on a personal level is a quick way to cement a solid relationship following a fest. It is a simple gesture to show the new fans that they are just as important to the band as the band is to them.” – Josh Hammond, Publicist
“I would say whatever you do, do not let too much time pass between ending your festival run and getting back to every city you just played. Even if it means playing your new fans basement. Be humble and remember your fans don’t owe you anything, you owe it to your fans to over deliver every night.” – Danny Fonorow, Jonas Sees In Color
“This one is probably a no brainer, but stay incredibly active on social media. It’s really easy to take "time off” after a long tour or festival, but you want to stay in people’s minds, so they can continue to connect with you, the first week or two after a tour is crucial in getting people to not just enjoy your band, but want to support your band.“ – Tyler Osborne, Under The Gun Review
