Three of music’s most exciting publicists recently came together for a panel on the state of the industry that cannot be missed.
If there is anything to learn from the age of COVID-19, aside from the need for personal hygiene, it is the importance of connection. Human beings are not meant to live in isolation. We need relationships as much as we need air in our lungs and water in our cups. Friendships are the key to everything, including happiness and success, which explains why these long periods without human interaction are so tricky.
With that in mind, Haulix LIVE! is here to fill a void in the entertainment business. Twice a month, Haulix brings together the greatest minds in music publicity and promotion to share their knowledge with anyone hoping to hear it. These events are 100% free, and they are open to everyone.
On Thursday, August 20, at 2PM EST, we held a free PR roundtable with special guests Jesea Lee (High Road Publicity), Jon Asher (Asher Media Relations), and Rey Roldan (Reybee Inc). The event covered the state of music PR today, emerging trends in music publicity, and advice for people hoping to work in the field. Viewers also had an opportunity to ask our guests questions.
About the panelists:
Jesea Lee, a man who hails from the birthplace of Rock n’ Roll where the river was hot, but the beer is cold, is the co-owner and Head Publicist at High Road Publicity. Lee fell in love with music at a young age, starting his first band before he could even play an instrument. Applying that “dive headfirst” attitude to the business side of music, Lee was hired as a PR intern at Tragic Hero Records which quickly led to him becoming the director of publicity at Tragic Hero, Sun Pedal Recordings, and Revival Recordings. At the beginning of 2015, the newly-formed company High Road Publicity launched with Lee at the helm. Since then, he’s worked with many talented and burgeoning artists, making meaningful impacts to their careers.
Jon Asher, known for being a regular fixture on the Montreal music scene, founded ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS in September 2007 to aid bands and labels in celebrating their headbanging tunes to the world. A musician himself, and a McGill University graduate in public relations, Jon had his epiphany – to help out the struggling artists and help them gain the attention they need to support their music. He has worked with a number of independent and established artists such as Annihilator, Gene Hoglan (Testament, Death, SYL, Fear Factory), Quo Vadis, Fuck The Facts, Striker, Psychostick, Necronomicon, Helion Prime, Hibria, Mutank, Anonymus, Sons of Butcher, Kill Devil Hill ft. Rex Brown (Pantera) + Vinny Appice (DIO, Black Sabbath)), Drum Wars (Vinny Appice vs. Carmine Appice), Nephelium, Ninjaspy, Scythia, All Else Fails, Auroch, Planet Eater, Vesperia, Rockshots Records, Wacken Metal Battle Canada/USA, Armstrong Metal Fest, Loud As Hell MetalFest, Calgary Metalfest, Metalocalypstick Fest, Decimate Metal Fest, Le FestEvil, Obscene Extreme America Fest and many more. He has also guest lectured at McGill University on Music Publicity for the public relations program plus has spoken on panels for Alberta Music (Calgary), Indie Week (Toronto), Noctis Fest (Calgary), Halifax Pop Explosion, and mentoring sessions at SXSW (Austin, TX).
Rey Roldan is a veteran of the music industry, both as a publicist and journalist at I.R.S. Records, Mammoth Records, Grass / Wind-up Records, Jive /Silvertone/Zomba Recordings, KSA Public Relations and Island Def Jam, for over two decades. He’s also the founder of Reybee, Inc. (est. 2004). Throughout his career, he has been involved with musicians and artists from practically every facet of the entertainment business including music, film, books, television and plays. He has spearheaded campaigns for artists including Britney Spears, Brooks & Dunn, Duran Duran, director Baz Luhrmann, Backstreet Boys, Sting, Hootie & the Blowfish, Hanson, Dresden Dolls, A Tribe Called Quest, as well as the films Bridget Jones’ Diary, Grammy winner Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,O Brother Where Art Thou? He has also helped launch record labels including Lost Highway, Jive Electro, and Planet Dog. If that’s not enough, he’s also currently a staff writer at American Songwriter Magazine.
The Haulix LIVE! panel series continues this month with an in-depth conversation featuring three of music’s leading publicists.
If there is anything to learn from the age of COVID-19, aside from the need for personal hygiene, it is the importance of connection. Human beings are not meant to live in isolation. We need relationships as much as we need air in our lungs and water in our cups. Friendships are the key to everything, including happiness and success, which explains why these long periods without human interaction are so tricky.
With that in mind, Haulix LIVE! is here to fill a void in the entertainment business. Twice a month, Haulix brings together the greatest minds in music publicity and promotion to share their knowledge with anyone hoping to hear it. These events are 100% free, and they are open to everyone.
Join us on Thursday, August 20, at 2PM EST for a free PR roundtable with special guests Jesea Lee (High Road Publicity), Jon Asher (Asher Media Relations), and Rey Roldan (Reybee Inc). The event will cover the state of music PR today, emerging trends in music publicity, and advice for people hoping to work in the field. Viewers will also have an opportunity to ask our guests questions. Click here to register.
About the panelists:
Jesea Lee, a man who hails from the birthplace of Rock n’ Roll where the river was hot, but the beer is cold, is the co-owner and Head Publicist at High Road Publicity. Lee fell in love with music at a young age, starting his first band before he could even play an instrument. Applying that “dive headfirst” attitude to the business side of music, Lee was hired as a PR intern at Tragic Hero Records which quickly led to him becoming the director of publicity at Tragic Hero, Sun Pedal Recordings, and Revival Recordings. At the beginning of 2015, the newly-formed company High Road Publicity launched with Lee at the helm. Since then, he’s worked with many talented and burgeoning artists, making meaningful impacts to their careers.
Jon Asher, known for being a regular fixture on the Montreal music scene, founded ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS in September 2007 to aid bands and labels in celebrating their headbanging tunes to the world. A musician himself, and a McGill University graduate in public relations, Jon had his epiphany – to help out the struggling artists and help them gain the attention they need to support their music. He has worked with a number of independent and established artists such as Annihilator, Gene Hoglan (Testament, Death, SYL, Fear Factory), Quo Vadis, Fuck The Facts, Striker, Psychostick, Necronomicon, Helion Prime, Hibria, Mutank, Anonymus, Sons of Butcher, Kill Devil Hill ft. Rex Brown (Pantera) + Vinny Appice (DIO, Black Sabbath)), Drum Wars (Vinny Appice vs. Carmine Appice), Nephelium, Ninjaspy, Scythia, All Else Fails, Auroch, Planet Eater, Vesperia, Rockshots Records, Wacken Metal Battle Canada/USA, Armstrong Metal Fest, Loud As Hell MetalFest, Calgary Metalfest, Metalocalypstick Fest, Decimate Metal Fest, Le FestEvil, Obscene Extreme America Fest and many more. He has also guest lectured at McGill University on Music Publicity for the public relations program plus has spoken on panels for Alberta Music (Calgary), Indie Week (Toronto), Noctis Fest (Calgary), Halifax Pop Explosion, and mentoring sessions at SXSW (Austin, TX).
Rey Roldan is a veteran of the music industry, both as a publicist and journalist at I.R.S. Records, Mammoth Records, Grass / Wind-up Records, Jive /Silvertone/Zomba Recordings, KSA Public Relations and Island Def Jam, for over two decades. He’s also the founder of Reybee, Inc. (est. 2004). Throughout his career, he has been involved with musicians and artists from practically every facet of the entertainment business including music, film, books, television and plays. He has spearheaded campaigns for artists including Britney Spears, Brooks & Dunn, Duran Duran, director Baz Luhrmann, Backstreet Boys, Sting, Hootie & the Blowfish, Hanson, Dresden Dolls, A Tribe Called Quest, as well as the films Bridget Jones’ Diary, Grammy winner Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,O Brother Where Art Thou? He has also helped launch record labels including Lost Highway, Jive Electro, and Planet Dog. If that’s not enough, he’s also currently a staff writer at American Songwriter Magazine.
Good afternoon, everyone! Thank you for carving out a few minutes in your day to spend with us. We have been looking forward to sharing this feature for several weeks, and we hope you love it as much as we do. Jesea has a great history, and his future is very bright.
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 would like more information on the content in this article, or if you know of an industry pro you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
Jesea Lee is the kind of music industry professional I love to highlight on our blog. So many aspiring entertainment pros believe they have to relocate to one of the coasts in order to be successful, but Jesea is one of many who prove that is no longer the case in 2014. As long as you work hard, stay motivated, and continuously put the needs of others before yourself there is no telling how far you can advance in any endeavor you choose to pursue. That’s what Jesea has done with his love of music, and today he shares his journey with us.
If you would like to learn more about Jesea, as well as his efforts at Tragic Hero, be sure to follow the label on Twitter. Additional questions and comment should be left at the end of this post.
H: Hello! Before we dive in, why don’t you go ahead and introduce yourself to our readers:
J: Hey there, hi there, ho there! My name is Jesea Lee and I’m the publicist for Tragic Hero Music Group.
H: It’s great to have you with us, Jesea. I feel like I’ve known about Tragic Hero for a long time, but I’ve never had a chance to look ‘behind the curtain’ so to say. How is your day going?
J: Not bad! I hope yours is going well. I’m currently working on a bunch of tour press at the moment.
H: Let’s begin we a little bit of your personal history. If you had to pinpoint a specific moment or experience, when would you see you initially fell in love with music?
J: When I was 12 years old I used to skateboard and that was my biggest passion. I would think about skateboading all day. One day at school I was daydreaming about playing guitar and couldn’t wait to get home and learn some new songs. Some friends asked if I wanted to go skate after school and I remember just thinking that I’d rather go home and play guitar. That’s when I realized music was my new passion and nothing has replaced it since. It’s a silly story, but that’s honestly the moment I realized how much I liked music because I chose it over what I believed to be my biggest passion at the time
H: Do you remember the first album you purchased with your own money? How about the format?
J: It was a Blues Traveler CD. I bought it specifically for a certain song, but didn’t know the name of it. My parents didn’t have the internet, so I couldn’t just google the lyrics to find the title. I took a guess and bought “Save His Soul”…and it ended up being the wrong one. I ended up loving that album, though.
H: First concert? Bonus points if you share an early story of fandom.
J: Cold and Evanescence. Completely random because I’m not a fan of either band, ha. My first fandom moment would probably be seeing Senses Fail in Cleveland. I met Buddy Nielsen (vocalist) outside after the show and totally “fangirled.”
H: Most people do not immediately connect their passion for music to the idea of working on the business side of the industry. Did you ever try your hand at being a musician? Did you chase the rockstar dream before turning your eyes toward business?
J: I sure did. I’ve been in bands since I first picked up a guitar when I was 12. I’ve toured, put out records, and have been lucky enough to do a lot of things that most musicians won’t get to do. I think all those experiences makes it easier for me to empathize with the artists I work with.
H: I mentioned Tragic Hero early on, but you’ve had a few roles in music up to this point and I want to cover everything I am able. From what I found, you studied Music Business at Cuyahoga Community College. Is that a program you would recommend to others seeking a little more guidance on the music business?
J: I’m not sure how much I really retained and use from that program because I felt like it wasn’t as in depth as it could have been. Also, I felt like it may have been a little outdated. I still think any extra education is great, though.
H: Do you think college/higher education is something all aspiring industry professionals should seek out?
J: I don’t really endorse getting a really expensive degree that you have to spend the majority of your life to pay back just because you think that’s what you’re supposed to do, but I do think if it’s financially reasonable and it’s actually something that you’re gonna use then why the hell not? To that end, I would say I’ve learned waaaaay more about the music business from real life experience.
H: Around this time you also landed your position with Tragic Hero Records, which as many know is owned by Tommy Lacombe. Can you tell us a bit about how you learned of the position and shed some light on the interview process?
J: I spent the time after college pretending to be a rock star basically, ha. In 2010, I met the Business manager of Tragic Hero through a mutual friend and it wasn’t until 2013 that I approached him about a job with the company. It took about six months of talking and interviewing before I secured the position.
H: Once you secured the gigs you have no, your free time had to be pretty limited. How do you keep everything balanced while still making time to relax?
J: Work-life balance is almost virtually impossible in our generation. Your bosses and clients can reach you any time, day and night. One of the things I like to do is leave my phone in the locker when I’m working out. Nothing can mess up a good set more than an email from a writer rejecting your pitch. Things like that can wait until after I get my pump on, ha.
H: With that in mind, would you please walk us through a typical day of work for you?
J: I usually spend the first hour catching up on emails that came in while I was sleeping. That also involves sending links of new coverage to artists/management. Then I make a schedule for the remainder of my day. For example, 10-11 “X BAND” tour press, 11-12 “Y BAND” tour press, 12-1 “Z BAND” album press, etc. It almost NEVER goes according to schedule, though. There’s always something that pops up that need to be taken care right then and there, but the schedule is definitely a nice starting point.
H: What is the greatest lesson about publicity/A&R that you have learned in the two years since your professional journey began to take off?
J: Persistence and follow-up is key. It seems like every time I think “I hope this second follow-up email doesn’t annoy this person” that’s the one that they respond to.
H: If you could offer one piece of advice to people reading this who may be considering the pursuit of a career in entertainment, what would you say?
J: Network, network, network. That’s really the sole reason I am where I am right now …..that and my good looks ;). The entertainment business is really tough to break into and you won’t often see a craigslist saying “Record Label Seeks Publicist,” so you need to get out there and create opportunities.
H: Piracy is something we fight on a daily basis here at Haulix, but there are many young people who do not grasp how leaks can impact labels and the artists on them. Can you shed some light on your anti-piracy efforts at Tragic Hero, and how unwanted distribution of your copyrighted materials hurts the music business?
J: At the risk of sounding like I’m pandering, I use Haulix everyday. That’s the absolute best platform out there right now for protecting music. Leaking an album early and can really destroy any momentum that a label/artist is trying to build up. Leaking music is exceptionally annoying to me because most of the time these people who are leaking albums aren’t doing it because they love the band, they just want to be the ones that leaked it first. It’s like a game to them and their ignorance can have an adverse effect on people’s lives.
H: If you had to guess, where is Jesea Lee in five years?
J: Going down a giant slide made of Laffy Taffy into a pool of money! Honestly though, I love being a publicist and working in the music business, so that’s where I see myself in five years.
H: What are your current career goals, and more importantly – what hurdles are preventing you from reaching them?
J: My current career goals are pretty simple. To get as much press and exposure for my artists as possible. The only thing preventing me from reaching them would be writers not responding, ha!
H: Okay, I think that is all I have for right now. Before I let you go, are there any final thoughts or observations that you would like to share with our readers?
