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.
Combining equal parts heartache and hopefulness, the enchanting new EP from Best Ex will make you dance and cry, possibly at the same time.
Oh, to be young and finding yourself under the (pre-COVID) lights of New York City. It sounds like a fantasy to many, one that movies and books explore repeatedly, but for Mariel Loveland, it’s a real-life experience. She’s overcoming heartache and learning what matters most to her in a place where the possibilities are endless, and she captures every sensation on Good At Feeling Bad, the latest EP from Best Ex.
Not one to fall into the tropes of Bukowski or Salinger that entangle many of her musical peers, Loveland’s style of storytelling is one of wide-eyed optimism presented in the face of uncertainty with unabashed honesty. She’s neither the hero nor the villain in her journey. Her perspective is that of a world traveler that has felt the overwhelming joy of mass acceptance and the cold chill of failure. Good At Feeling Bad is about what comes after all that, which is where the real adventure begins. Loveland knows anything is possible, and she’s open to whatever the next chapter entails.
“Gap Tooth (On My Mind),” the opening track and recent single, places the notion of caring for one’s self front and center. It begins as any breakup song would, with an evident longing for a connection that has recently severed, but as the first verse gives way to the chorus, a more grounded and rational way of thinking emerges. Loveland’s broken heart is begging for something immediate to soothe the wound, such as a kiss from a stranger or a night lived with reckless abandon, but her mind knows better. Life has taught her that trying to fill the void the exists when someone you love leaves with anything less than a more significant emotional connection will ultimately lead to a pang of more profound sadness. A wild night might be fun, but the next day she will wake with the same longing in her soul, so what is the point?
Later, on “Lemons,” Loveland breaks from the adage of making lemonade to suggest biting the lemons life serves instead. That message, which is mirrored on the track “Bad Love,” perfectly encapsulates how age and experience are informing her perspective on life. You can go through your time on this planet sugar-coating reality to make it more palatable, or you can face challenges head-on and learn from them. The music of Best Ex tells us that running from the truth never gets you very far and that real growth stems from putting in the work to be the person you are to become.
But Loveland isn’t foolish enough to believe such decisions are easy. “Feed The Sharks,” for example, ruminates on the feelings of regret and unease that follow difficult choices. She understands that knowing what you should be doing and following through with it are two different things. Personal development is not a straight path. It’s a complex web of choices and feelings that rage like tornadoes in our chest, and even when we do what is best for us, we often feel bad. Luckily, she’s getting good at living with that feeling.
Haulix Recommends is a recurring feature where the Haulix staff chooses one or more recent releases from their clients. Click here to discover more great music being promoted through Haulix.
On “Gap Tooth (On My Mind),” Best Ex provides listeners a space to escape their worries and discover emotional catharsis in the wake of heartbreak.
It’s unclear who was the first artist to realize the best cure for sadness is movement. There were probably generations of musicians who understood this simple fact long before recorded music existed. People would gather in concert halls or theaters or around fires burning as high as the materials would allow, and they would dance while music played. They danced to shake off the worries of the world, to free themselves from the concerns of the day or what may lie ahead in the future. They did whatever they could to be fully present in the moment, and in doing so, reconnect with their souls.
Mariel Loveland, otherwise known to the world as the face and voice of Best Ex, is the latest in a line of musicians stretching back centuries to provide that excuse for escapism we so desperately crave. What sets her apart, however, is that she seeks freedom through processing emotions rather than running away from them. Her music creates a space where listeners can work through complicated feelings of love and loss while simultaneously giving them an excuse to move their bodies. It’s a fine line to walk, and it requires surgeon-like precision to master, but Loveland and her musical cohorts do so in a manner that makes such artistic expression seem easy.
“Gap Tooth (On My Mind),” the latest single from Best Ex, places the notion of caring for one’s self front and center. The track begins as any breakup song would, with an evident longing for a connection that has recently been severed, but as the first verse gives way to the chorus, a more grounded and rational way of thinking emerges. Loveland’s broken heart is begging for something immediate to soothe the wound, such as a kiss from a stranger or a night lived with reckless abandon, but her mind knows better. Life has taught her that trying to fill the void the exists when someone you love leaves with anything less than a more significant emotional connection will ultimately lead to a pang of more profound sadness. A wild night might be fun, but the next day she will wake with the same longing in her soul, so what is the point?
But there’s another problem, and it’s the key to what makes “Gap Tooth (On My Mind)” a compelling song. The recognition of what you should and shouldn’t do when soothing a broken heart does not help with the healing process. Loveland doesn’t want to find someone else, nor does she wish to forget everything she shared with this other person. What she wants more than anything, for better and worse, is the other person in the story. Loveland’s built her life around someone she wants to be with, and knowing that cannot continue has left her at a loss. The only thing she can do is work through the pain, and “Gap Tooth (On My Mind)” provides the perfect song foundation to do that through dance.
The beauty of dance is that it has no rules. We’ve all seen the reality competitions and social media clips of people moving their bodies in jaw-dropping ways, but those individuals are outliers in the world of dance. Most people, including myself, don’t move like that. I don’t know what I look like dancing, but graceful is not a word I associate with how I move to the music I enjoy. What I do know, however, is that allowing myself to get lost in sound and movement is the most freeing experience on Earth. With “Gap Tooth (On My Mind),” Best Ex provides everyone with the ability to shake off the pain and stresses of existence, and that is all any song can hope to offer.
2015 has been a transformative year for the music blogging community. Sites big and small have been falling apart while the lack of paying positions continues to shrink. Everyone has a drive to succeed and the passion needed to create great content, but people can only chase a dream for so long before they need some kind of return for their effort. We have highlighted a number of influential voices who have chosen to walk away from the sites and columns that first gave them a name in music, and to be honest we can’t blame a single one for their decision. Music writing is, and will likely forever continue to be, a cutthroat corner of the entertainment industry.
Joshua Hammond has appeared on the Haulix blog before. He spent several years running a site of his own before deciding to walk away and start freelance writing for a variety of sites he had no ownership stake in whatsoever. From there, Josh transitioned into the world of music PR as a member of the Reybee publicity team, which gave him a full time position in the entertainment world he never expected to hold. That said, the move was one Josh needed, if only to have enough time away from writing to find the passion to start over again.
Recently, Josh decided to return to blogging by launching a new site dedicated to the world of folk and americana. Mother Church Pew, which launched in the last few weeks, is Josh’s first attempt at running a site of his own in half a decade. Such a move struck me as curious, so last week I had a conversation with Josh about his motivations for returning to music writing, as well as his goals for the new site. You can find highlights from our conversation below.
H: To help us begin, please tell everyone a little about your history in music writing. This isn’t your first time tackling the journalism side of the industry.
J: Roughly 100 years ago in industry time, I started an indie blog in Kansas City called Popwreckoning. It was more of a hobby than anything, but it built a pretty decent following and was getting somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000 reads a day by the time I left. I ended up leaving it behind to find homes at Under The Gun, The Deli, Property of Zack, Diffuser and High Voltage (to name a few.)
H: The last site you ran, PopWreckoning, lead a long life online. What initially lead you to step away from site leadership, and what was it that inspired your recent return?
J: PopWreckoning and I had a very complicated relationship towards the end of its life. In reality, life got in the way in a mental capacity. I was working on the site when both my grandfather and my mother (unexpectedly) passed away. So there was some guilt attached to that I guess. It made it hard to keep going I guess? So I opted to walk away and do something new rather than stick around a place with a black cloud hovering above it, even if it was my baby.
H: You have also spent time contributing to various sites you have no ownership stake in at all. What would you say you gained from those experiences that you might not have found when running a site of your own?
J: I find that freelancing I have more of an opportunity to express my voice. I always found that at Popwreckoning I was stuck behind the scenes working on the editorial side of things. The spreadsheeting and assigning. When I’m writing for someone else I can just speak.
H: Let’s take a step back and talking about writing in a more general sense. When did you first realize you had a passion for the written word?
J: It sounds extremely silly, but I can remember be a really young child (4 or 5 years old) and writing stories at home. I always had a passion for creating things with words. I can’t really remember a time when I didn’t want to write.
H: Do you attribute your interest in writing to anyone or anything?
J: My grandmother use to read to me when I was younger. She would also push me to read the words myself and retell the story as I would have written it. I believe that my love of words probably comes from that.
H: Back to the world of music, you’ve spent the last few years working in the world of publicity. Having worked on both sides of the journalism fence, what has doing PR taught you about music blogging?
J: I think if anything it has taught me to look for unique angles. Everyone who writes can give an opinion. I’ve learned that music journalism is far bigger than my perspective on anything. It is about finding the story that one one is telling and pushing it out into the world. It has made me look for the most interesting bits of stories in a way I guess.
H: Are there any common/frequent mistakes you see sites make when dealing with PR you can pass on?
J: I think that the most common mistake I see being made is that writers on the smallest level of blogging are not open to working with the smaller bands. Everyone is looking for the quick hit and biggest name. Frankly I find that boring. There is so much music out there that people are overlooking, but you have to dig and search for it. I think there is something special about being the person finding a band to love rather than recycling the bands that everyone already loves. I’d rather read a site where I’m going to learn something new any day of the week.
H: Now onto your new effort, Mother Church Pew. What’s the story behind the name?
J: The name comes from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. It is referred to as “The Mother Church of Country Music” in the Americana circles. You walk in to this extremely old room in Nashville, where literally EVERYONE who matters has played and you can feel the history of the room. The venue is set up like a old church and there are these very worn and beat up pews that fill the room. When I saw that I was really taken by the fact that people had sat in these seats and watched Cash and Elvis and countless others play. I wanted to play tribute to that concept because it is as Americana as it comes.
H: What type of content will we find on the site, and how often are you going to be updating it?
J: We’re leaning very folk, americana and roots on the site. We’re trying to very modern in our coverage in a hype machine kind of way, providing lots out interactive parts where you can listen to music as you read. I think that’s important today in a world where streaming has become so vital.
H: You’ve already ran some great content. What has it been like re-entering the world of blogging?
J: It has been hard. I’m often swamped with publicity stuff, so writing has had to be done on my own time. I’m lucky to have a great partner in Susan Hubbard, who also runs a little blog in Nashville, East of 8th. She bails me out a lot when I’m overwhelmed.
H: Do you have any goals for the site, or for yourself through the site?
J: Really I’m doing this for the music. I missed the part of discovery when I was running PopWreckoning. I always loved digging through emails to find a new band that kicked me in the face emotionally. So I guess the goal in this is to rediscover that part of me that I had lost when I walked away.
H: You told me in our email exchange that you’ve been planning what to run in the future. How far out does your content calendar stretch? Do you feel that kind of planning is key to success, or just sanity?
J: I have things planned through about the second week in October right now in terms of album reviews. Schedules always change and things always pop up, but there are blueprints.
H: Are you looking for more contributors? If so, how can people get in touch?
J: We’re happy to take a little help here and there if someone has something they’re really passionate about, but for the most part we’re keeping the site simple and between Susan and I. I can be emailed at joshua@motherchurchpew.com
H: Looking ahead to the future, where is Josh Hammond in five years?
J: Honestly, I’ll be 40. I’m hoping to be living in a cute house in Nashville and hopefully still be part of the game.
H: Thinking even more longterm, do you feel music is your home at this point? Do you see yourself exploring careers that lie outside the entertainment industry?
J: I 100 percent feel at home in music. I worked extremely hard to get here and I can’t see myself being happy doing anything else.
H: I think that is all I have for now. before I let you go, is there anything else you would like to mention?
J: Everyone should listen to the amazing trio of guys bursting out of the Oklahoma music scene right now; Parker Millsap, John Moreland and John Fulbright. Amazing things happening in that scene right now. It is definitely worth paying attention to.
Earlier this week I was browsing a forum for online music journalists when I came across a question I knew we had to feature on the blog. I won’t out the person who first posed this inquiry, but I did want to share their original comment in full as I feel it’s probably not far from how other young writers have felt or acted when trying to build their brand. It reads:
“Okay…. I just want to make sure I’m not making some rookie mistake. When I get haulix invites or private links, I forward it to my writer depending on their tastes, yeah? Obviously, you’re not supposed to share the invite, and my writers sign a disclaimer about not sharing music and if they do it’s on them, but surely they don’t mean “do not forward this to a writer?” I just ask because I got Finch’s album from razor and tie and she asked me to please not share it. I would never do that outside of sharing it with ONE writer that is writing the review.”
This is not an uncommon question, and to be honest we are kind of glad someone brought this post to our attention as it provides the perfect opportunity to address this concern on a large scale.
To put it the simplest terms possible: You should never share a Haulix promo. There is messaging included with every promo sent out that informs recipients their promos are not to be shared, but there are many who do not follow this request. By sharing Haulix promos you are not only breaking the trust of the label/publicist who sent you that material, but you are also putting yourself in a position to face severe legal repercussions should that material find its way onto the internet.
Most promos sent from Haulix are injected with numerous watermarks that not only identify the original recipient, but also the geo-locations of every person who accesses the respective promo. You should check each promo you receive to know whether or not that particular advance has a watermark. If you share your watermarked promo with someone, and that person later leaks the material online, our tools will point to you as the person responsible for the piracy. You may not have leaked the album yourself, but because the record was entrusted to you it is your responsibility to ensure it is not made available for public consumption. Should that occur, any legal action taken to recoup lost profits will be made against you and not the friend who you allowed to enjoy your advance.
To better explain what happens when an album leaks, we asked Rey Roldan of Another Reybee Production to share some of his experience with piracy:
“A blogger who is part of this site once sent a download of a band I was working with to two writers. One of his writers leaked the album (it was a very highly coveted advance). When we traced it back, we found his watermark. Label, management, band and I were thisclose to taking this a step further in the legal direction. While the writer was responsible for the leak, said "blogger” was ultimately responsible because he breached the contract (I often tick off the “watermark warning” with writers who I am unsure of, just as an extra warning). We got very close to making it legal but we opted to re-strategize and move forward.
I know some editors pass round links designated for them and it sucks. I usually often tell editors that if they are assigning a writer, give me their email address so I can get them their own watermarked music. To be honest, do YOU trust your writers to NOT leak music? If they did leak it, do you want to be legally and professionally responsible for that because YOUR watermark is on that music? God forbid, you pass your streak or download to a writer who inadvertently leaks it, do you want to become that industry pariah?
The music industry is really pretty tiny… Make the wrong move and it can follow you… Be smart about this… Request a link for anyone who is reviewing it for you. Don’t take the fall for anyone because it can happen a LOT easier than you think.”
Some sites may believe an easy solution to this problem is to have one email dedicated to receiving promos that every contributor can access. This may work at first, but should any member of your staff leave the site it is of the utmost importance you change both your email password, as well as your 4-digit Haulix passcode. That way, if they have a promo link and/or access to a promo, they can’t get to ***all**** promos, because they won’t know the passcode.
Likewise, if you allow writers to reach out to publicists on their own and one of your writers decides to leave your site, make sure you inform all publicists the writer has left and is no longer a part of your writing team. If not, that person may continue to receive advances that are linked to your site. Should something happen to those files, it may come back to you.
The best thing you can do to protect yourself and the reputation of your site is to first do a good job vetting your writing staff. Make sure you trust everyone you send releases to not only as writers, but as professionals in the industry. If you would not trust a writer to contact a label directly you might not want them handling advance releases.
Haulix has no say in what happens to individuals caught sharing watermarked materials. We are simply a middle man between journalists and labels. It’s up to our customers to handle the situation how they see fit.
Additionally, you should ALWAYS request additional promos if someone other than you will be reviewing material you have been sent. It may seem like this complicates or otherwise draws out the assignment process, but publicists would rather know who is in possession of their music than have less work to do. For example, let’s say I send you, a blog owner, a copy of my client’s album for your site. You receive the promo, pass it off to a writers, and several days later send me a link to a review of my client’s album written by someone who is not you. Who is this third party? How did they get the watermarked music I sent you? Are they someone I can trust? I have a million questions about this anonymous person. In fact, I may not want to send you another advance if I think you’re going to pass it off to more people I do not know.
It’s easy to understand why forwarding promos seems like a quick solution to the issue of how to get advances from one person to another, but actually taking part in such efforts puts you, your reputation, the livelihood of your site, and possibly even the reputations of your contributors at risk. It takes less than a minute to request additional promos, and doing so keeps you out of trouble.
Don’t risk a leak just to save time. It’s just not worth it.
With the third year of our blog still finding its footing, we thought now would be as good a time as any to introduce our latest guest contributor. Rey Roldan has lead an incredible career in music PR that now spans multiple decades, and in the coming months he will be sharing some of his vast industry knowledge with us through his very own bi-weekly column. Enjoy!
“I loved the opportunity, but I only liked a handful of the bands,” texted a friend recently about a job at a growing indie label that I had recommended her for. The label was a solid company – full benefits, allotted vacation time and a publicity team… and the bands – mostly indie rock with a smattering of alt-country (which she abhors).
“You should look at the job first, and THEN the bands,” I typed back, trying to convince her that she needs more experience. “And besides, you like a lot of the bands.”
“I know, but I want to love ALL the bands,” she replied. “I want a job at [INSERT HIPSTER LABEL HERE].”
I stared at the text message and almost did a facepalm. I typed, “Like THAT will ever happen”… but I deleted it before sending.
While there’s a really great advantage to only work bands that you love as a publicist, many publicists don’t get that dream job in the early part of their career. Learning the craft is more important than loving the bands you’re working. But if you’re able to combine the two, you’re golden.
For some, like Amy Sciarretto of Atom Splitter PR, they’re able to achieve just that. “Most of my career has trafficked in hard rock and metal, as a writer and a publicist,” she says. “I have ventured outside the genre somewhat, and I have worked with artists that are not metal. But I do have that specialty. You really do get to know your base and your ham ‘n’ eggers and go-tos. You tend to develop awesome strong relationships and friendships with people you work so closely with. I find that the outlet and I can get really creative as to how much we work together. We’ll come up with new ways to publicize a release or a band, for maximum exposure for the artist and the outlet.”
The big advantage of working a certain genre is that writers and editors trust that you know what you’re talking about. If they’re working on a story and need a band that fits your wheelhouse, then they know who to go to. Being a trusted name in your field is a huge accomplishment and Sciarretto, by far, is one of the most trusted people in the metal and hard rock world. When one thinks of metal publicists, her name is at the top of that list.
In a lot of ways, it also makes it like one-stop shopping for a writer who is working on a genre-specific story to find appropriate artists. “You usually know what to expect when you’re getting a pitch from a genre-specific publicist,” says writer John B. Moore of Blurt, New Noise, Innocent Words and others. “But if I’m writing for pubs that aren’t likely to cover that genre of music, I usually don’t bother even opening the emails from those publicists.”
“Speaking for myself, I found it easier to do publicity within one genre of music,” answers Jim Smith, Sales and Promotions Manager of Metropolis Records. Once a genre-specific behemoth in the industrial/goth/electronic/avant-garde label world, Metropolis has been slowly shifting and evolving into a much broader spectrum of artists that still includes many of those bands like Frontline Assembly, Skinny Puppy and Covenent, but now includes legendary 70s punk and postpunk artists such as Gang of Four, The Rezillos, Membranes and even 80s stalwarts Alison Moyet and Ali Campbell of UB40. “When we first started out as a label that catered to a very narrow field, the shrinking media market combined with the challenges of developing new relationships in other niche music markets presented a slew of new challenges. When we were more specialized, we had a stable of press and media people that we had long-standing relationships with. Now, it’s an ever present challenge to get publicity outside of what we have been pigeonholed into.”
Broadening the palette into much wider and colorful strokes instead of gothic black is how Metropolis is evolving. For writers too, a wider view offers more colors to choose from. “For me, it’s all about the music, not the genre label,” says William Dashiell Hammett, a freelance journalist who has written about a myriad of artists across a multitude of platforms. “It’s great to be able to work with people who can draw knowledge from across the musical spectrum and make comparisons those too focused on one specific style would never consider.”
In my personal experience, I’ve been lucky in my career to go through phases that took me through from a legendary artist-driven label, I.R.S. Records (The Go-Go’s, R.E.M., Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine), to a buzz-heavy alt-rock label in Mammoth Records (Squirrel Nut Zippers, Juliana Hatfield, Jason and the Scorchers), to a blues/rock label in Silvertone (Buddy Guy, John Mayall, Stone Roses), to a pop/urban labelJive (Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, A Tribe Called Quest), to a high-powered boutique PR firm KSA PR(Sting, Duran Duran, Fiona Apple), to a major label Island Records (Hanson, Ryan Adams, Mariah Carey).
Now with my own firm, I thrive in a diverse roster of talent that covers all those genres without heavily concentrations. You’ll find English Beat, KMFDM, Dashboard Confessional, Yellowcard, The Fratellis, andBlackalicious all cohabitating my roster. For me, being able to switch gears is what keeps my job interesting. It’s a challenge to talk about the heavy alt-country of The White Buffalo in the same breath as the piano house music of Game of Thronesactor Kristian Nairn (“Hodor”).
Rounder Label Group’s Director of Publicity Regina Joskow (a sage in the publicity realm) has had a similar wide-ranging history as me, having handled widely eclectic rosters as well as a highly specialized and focused clientele. “I’ve worked on both sides of that fence. I think that it’s probably easier for a publicist to work with a broader range of music and with more broad-based journalists, rather than work within a specific genre where you really, really need to know your stuff,” she explains. “Metal writers and the metal community in general can be very welcoming, but in certain genres – say, jazz or classical – you really have to be educated. So if you’re already really knowledgeable and passionate about the music, you’re in good shape. But if you’re not, you really need to get educated. Jazz writers (at least the good ones, and there are many good ones) tend to be extremely knowledgeable, and in order to get any respect from them, you need to have to know what you’re talking about. You can’t just fake that.”
Moore adds that it’s not about the genre a publicist specializes in, but from the publicist’s knowledge of what kind of music he covers. “Ultimately the best way to get my attention is to read what I write and learn the types of bands I cover. I have a handful of publicists that I have been working with since the late 90s and I read every single e-mail they send me and will listen if they say ‘I think you’ll dig this,’ simply because they have learned my tastes. Also, never underestimate the ego of a writer. If you are even half way pretending to follow my stuff, I’ll engage with you.”
As for my friend who turned down that job? She was just handed two country bands as clients and she hatescountry. And her dream label? It just extended its publicist’s contract for two more years. She now wishes she went for that other job.
With the third year of our blog still finding its footing, we thought now would be as good a time as any to introduce our latest guest contributor. Rey Roldan has lead an incredible career in music PR that now spans multiple decades, and in the coming months he will be sharing some of his vast industry knowledge with us through his very own bi-weekly column. Enjoy!
As the pool of publicists gets more and more crowded with journalists and bloggers trying their hand at hacking away at artists’ campaigns, a direct result of this influx is the flooding of inboxes with massive amounts of press releases and pitches. Many of the higher-tiered journalists can get pummeled with over 500 pitches a day – some even more than that! Each morning, writers, bloggers, producers and editors weed out their emails, deleting hundreds of them without even knowing exactly what the pitches are selling.
So how does a publicist cut through the clutter and get a journalists’ attention?
“Well, I think it’s a fairly simple answer: if you can’t make a really compelling case in the first paragraph, chances are, your press release or pitch will either go unnoticed, or will simply get deleted,” answers Regina Joskow, Director of Publicity for the Rounder Label Group. “It’s kind of like an audition when a performer gets to sing 16 bars, and that’s what determines whether they get a call-back or not. These days, people are inundated from all sides with email messages, text messages, social media posts and messages, instant messages – it’s completely overwhelming. People’s attention spans aren’t what they used to be.”
And she’s right. The secret to getting a journalist’s attention isn’t flooding them with information, bio material and too much text that they didn’t ask for… It’s about getting right to the point. An old editor friend of mine, Gus Pena of the amazing but unfortunately now defunct Chord Magazine, once said, “It’s about the first three lines. If I don’t know what your point is by then, you’ve already lost me.”
“To me, the first paragraph is very crucial,” agrees Gil Macias, Editorial Coordinator atPlayboy and contributing editor of Inked Magazine. “An accurate description of the band’s sound makes or breaks whether or not I want to listen to something…. and comparing the band or musician to other bands that sound similar also peaks my interest.”
“For me, the first line of a press release is very important,” says Lori Majewski, longtime music editor, writer, and author of Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs That Defined the 1980s. “If I don’t read anything there that appeals to me, I’m not going to go any further.”
While it’s always nice to start off with a pleasant “Lovely day, innit” type of greeting, being rather direct can save everyone a lot of time. “The first paragraph is mission critical in my opinion, this stems from my journalism training,” explains Heather West of Western Publicity. “Writers sometimes want to get ‘creative’ and bury their lede in a morass of descriptors that obscure the key elements, which are who, what, when, where and why. Journalists, in my experience, find this irritating. So it’s best to get right to the point.”
Some journalists might be so busy that if they don’t like what they immediately see, they might not even get to the first line of your pitch. “Actually, even more important than the first line of a press release is the subject line of the email,” adds Majewski. “Journalists are inundated with so many emails daily, you have to stand out somehow, someway, or it never even being opened.”
“I read every press release I get, and as important as the subject line is, the opening paragraph is equally – if not more – important,” counters Chuck Armstrong, Editor-in-Chief of Diffuser. “I want the story. I want to know why this band or this song or this video is important to me and, potentially, to our readers. If you can sum that up in the beginning, you have my attention.”
So it boils down to subject line and the first three sentences… Capturing your audience’s attention lies within a short window of words and can turn a writer’s apathy into intrigue that forces them to read your pitches. Armstrong adds the parting shot, “The only time I don’t open an email is if it’s from Rey Roldan. I delete that shit before it infects my computer with his well-known publicity viruses.” #shotsfired
In preparation of South By Southwest (SXSW), the music industry’s most epic and grueling music festival, I felt inclined to make a list of advice and suggestions that I wish that someone had told me in 2009, as I headed into the event. So to all of you SXSW rookies out there, read the following:
1. Drink water, not whiskey.
Since SXSW is unlike any other festival in the fact that it is a marathon, not a sprint, pacing yourself is key. With schedules spanning six days and shows popping up from breakfast to bar close, bracing your body is absolutely vital. With Texas heat and expecting to be able to push yourself to unrealistic limits, SXSW can break down even the toughest of ironmen. Therefore, logistically speaking, drinking your lunch might not be the best plan for success. Picture the festival as a week-long season of Survivor. You have to be smart to stay alive, stay on top of the scene and maximize the shows you attend. Otherwise, you’re just another piss-stained pair of skinny jeans passed out on the sidewalk of Sixth Street that Nick Cave has to step over on the way to his next gig. Don’t be that guy.
2. RSVP for everything.
Sure, it seems like a waste of time now as you sit on your couch eating corn chips and watching Scrubs. Also, I understand that you have no intention of attending all of the 650 parties that I am currently asking you to plop your email address into. “It won’t hurt to skip just this one,” you tell yourself as you make a b-line for the events featuring your favorite new band. Yet, if you fast forward to the festival’s third day of bands, you’ll find yourself having drinks with a beautiful redhead named Zooey, who happens to work for Columbia Records. She has chatted you up through the whole of the last set, flirting and charming you into a state of complete smitten and butterflies. You stop for Tito Tequila shots on the way to her next assignment as a talent scout. She is on her way to analyze the talent at the “Next Big Thing” party at Emo’s in 20 minutes. She asks you to join, claiming ‘she doesn’t want the conversation to end.’ You’re in, man, hardcore. You, however, didn’t RSVP for that party because you didn’t know any of the bands on the list.
Long story short, don’t cock block yourself personally or professionally by being lazy.
3. Bring a power strip.
We live in a time where it is impossible to exist without our cellphones. I mean, how the hell do you expect to check into every bar on 4square, keep in the SXSW know through Twitter and update your Facebook status if your iPhone runs out of juice? Obviously at some point during the course of your 18-hour day, you will need a jump. You will also quickly discover that as everyone in the modern world (and some bands from the dark-age countries) descends into the Texas state capitol, power outlets become scarce. You’re doing everyone a favor by packing a power strip. You’ll be a hero at the convention center when you add five new ports to the mix. Additionally, you be forced to socialize as people ask you permission to plug into your device. Phone-addicted application junkies will unite as one and the world will bond over the experience.
4. Be prepared to snack. A lot.
At some point you are going to find it impossible to eat at SXSW. This is not due to a lack of access to food—that actually couldn’t be any farther from the truth. Hell, everywhere you turn around in Austin there is a dining option. In reality, starving will come due to a lack of time. With bands starting sets more often than Taylor Swift starts relationships, there will too-often be no time to sit down and snarf a steak. It would be wise for you to pack a collection of “hiking food” in your bag. Power bars and granola are both light and take up very little space, yet leave you with plenty of energy in return. Shoving them in your face on the go leaves much reward for little effort.
5. See someone play in a church. Anyone.
The coolest thing about SXSW is getting to see bands play in places you’ll experience no place else. I’ve gotten to see Fiona Apple play in a Presbyterian church and Broken Belles rock a parking garage. Both experiences have pushed the boundaries of what I expected to experience in my music journalism career. They are unique and amazing stories I am blessed to have. Do yourself a favor and experience them too.
6. Leave your TOMS at home. Bring your Jordans.
At SXSW, you’re going to walk. A LOT. Wearing shoes that are made to comfort your feet is a stellar idea. Sure, it is important to look cool, but honestly how cool are you going to look as you limp around from the quarter-sized blister you gathered on your heel?
Think comfy, not cool.
7. Bring a hoodie, just in case.
Sure, Texas is hot. Texas is T-shirt and jorts (jean shorts) hot. Your shirts are going to pit stain and you’re going to want to change clothes a minimum of three times a day during the fest. Texas is this hot IN MARCH. However, fluke weather happens. I can remember standing in the photo pit of Auditorium Shores preparing to shoot She and Him a few years back, freezing to death. The weather had dropped from 75 and sunny the previous day to the 40s and rainy. Come prepared for everything.
8. If that secret show has been announced on Twitter, it isn’t secret anymore.
It is pretty badass that Green Day has decided to play their one and only show at SXSW in a tiny, hole-in-the-wall dive off the beaten path. The venue holds roughly 300 people. The event will be second to none and something that you will never get the chance to see again. It is something that you don’t want to miss. However, it is also something that hundreds of thousands of other people will not want to miss. You do the math. Do you want to stand in line nine hours early in order to get in the venue? Or would you rather see nine other bands play?
Seeing the big names are great, but you’re missing out on a lot.
9. Expect for your schedule to fall apart.
You can make as many spreadsheets, Google docs, to-do-lists and itineraries as you want, but at the end of the day all of them will fail you. SXSW is a clusterfuck, plain and simple. Bands are going to miss their sets. Shows are going to run late. Shows are going to hit capacity and you’re going to be left outside.
SXSW doesn’t give a shit about you or your spreadsheet. You have to adjust. If one bar is full, go next door and see what you find. You never know if the next band that you randomly walk into will turn out to be that band that changes your life.
Take a chance on a no-name or two.
10. Be polite.
You’re going to be tired and cranky throughout the week. Your feet are going to hurt and you’re going to be overwhelmed by the amount of people who are constantly in your face. Weather, delays, drunks and a gaggle of other obstacles are going to piss you off throughout your experience. You have to smile through them. It is understandable for you to be annoyed, but don’t be an asshole. Everyone else is just as fed up as you and it pays to have friends from all over and you never know who you’ll meet!
Josh Hammond is a music industry lifer. After years spent reviewing artists and discussing their ongoing activities as a music journalist, Josh now spends his time pitching talent as one member of Another Reybee Production PR. Follow him on Twitter to gain more insight on his life in the music business.
Hello, everyone. If this is your first time visiting our site then please know we are thrilled to have you join us. If you are a regular reader, we’re happy to have you back. We promised on Monday that this week would be jam packed with big features, and we hope to keep that trend going this afternoon with the second half of our interview with Rey Roldan. If you have any questions about the content of the blog, or if you would like more information regarding the distributional services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Today we are excited to unveil the second in a two-part interview feature with Rey Roldan, founder of Another Reybee Production (part 1 can be found here). We originally started working on this feature way back in August of 2013, but due to email troubles and scheduling troubles we had to start, stop, start, stop, and start all over again. It’s okay though, because we have finally had a chance to learn the story behind this powerful force in Music PR and are now prepared to present his journey to you.
It would be pretty difficult for you to find anyone working in music today who has not crossed paths with Rey Roldan at one point or another. From working with top 40 acts like Britney Spears and Duran Duran, to helping develop more buzzworthy alternative acts than I could possibly attempt to name here, Rey has spent the better part of the last two decades helping the world’s greatest talent find attention in the public eye. He started in the label world, but it’s when he decided to step out on his own that his career really began to take off.
I have known Rey for over half a decade at this point and can say beyond the shadow of a doubt he is one of the nicest, most professional, and often funniest people you will ever meet in the music industry. Everybody has a Rey Roldan story, and every single one makes him out to be someone you want as your new best friend. The insight he has to share is priceless, and we thank him for taking the time to share it with us.
The first part of this feature dealt mainly with Rey’s life before he started his own company, so this time around we are discussing the life of Another Reybee Production. If you would like to learn more about Rey and his efforts in music PR, please take a moment to follow him on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: Who was your first client?
R: At Reybee, my first clients were this Boston punk band called Lost City Angels and LA’s 50s-girl-group-combined-with-cowpunk Miss Derringer. I’m still friends with the members of both bands (Lost City Angels are on ‘hiatus’ but occasionally reunite for their legendary St. Valentine’s Day Massacre shows; Liz and Morgan from Miss Derringer had a baby and are hopefully working on new music… They’re so great).
H: You’ve worked with a wide range of names, including everyone from Britney Spears to Ryan Adams (during the ‘Heartbreaker’ years, no less). Have you found any genre of music to be particularly easier to work than another? Do you have any personal preference when it comes to the genres you work?
R: That’s a bit of a tough question because there are elements of each genre that are easier than others, but as a whole, each genre has its sweet spot. For example, we do a lot of industrial/synthpop/electro and I love how dedicated many of those writers are to the “scene”. There are about 20-25 writers who I know who I can assuredly go to and say, “Hey, [NAME], I have a brand new IAMX album… let’s go!” and it’ll connect. But on the flipside, working that kind of music to the bigger press outlets is a daunting task because it’s not as viable in the mainstream as a Top 40 act. When it comes to which genre is my favorite, I’d have to say that it’s not exactly a “genre” but I love working bands who are starting out (I would never call these kinds of artists “baby bands” except in a derogatory fashion… “Baby bands” is just so disrespectful of a term). I love being presented with a challenge and working my ass off to help these bands in their trajectory. I love the excitement getting a band their first good “look”… I love getting a band their first positive review, feature, cover, etc. Knowing that I helped a band in their strive to achieve their dream is one of the greatest satisfactions.
H: Without going too in-depth, please walk us through a typical work day:
R: Coffee… More coffee… and perhaps lunch at some point? Kidding aside, my mornings are the most hectic. Like most of us who are constantly jacked into our email, if I wake up in the middle of the night, I check email… mainly in preparation for the morning because I get anywhere between 400 to 1,500 emails overnight. Some of it is spam, but most of it is work-related, so my first hour or so of work is sifting through emails right away and answer as many of them immediately as I can. Then it’s pitching pitching pitching via email, phone, IM… and oddly, sometimes text. I always set a goal for myself every day as to how many interviews I set up, how many reviews I lock in, and how many calls I make. I’ve learned that setting goals every day makes me far more productive than doing it the standard PR strategy of letting things land where they fall. Publicity is far more effective when you’re proactive.
H: You were active in publicity before the rise of social media. Do you feel the digital age and abundant access to information has made your job as a publicist easier or more difficult?
R: Technology was a double-edged sword for publicity. In my early days of my career, I met a lot more journalists face-to-face. We met for lunch, drinks, concerts, even sometimes in the morning commute if we were heading in the same direction. Publicity was 60% social, 40% office. I had a group of friends who were a mix of publicists, journalists, TV bookers, and musicians. We’d hang out all the time (I’d say we were bar and/or concert hopping maybe four or five nights a week). Back then, we all had expense accounts (since I was at major labels, I had a huge one so I was usually Mr. Moneybags). Since we were all friends, it was easier to get our artists into Rolling Stone, Spin, and all the big mags… and the “friend of a friend” thing came in handy when pitching people who were in our little group but were associated with one of us. Pitching was done either in person, on the phone, through USPS mail, or… the modern day precursor to email, fax. There was answering machines to occasionally tend with but before caller-ID, people picked up their phone whenever it rang.
With technology came the dying out of the “hang outs”. Email slowly crept in and then soon took over and phone calls stopped being de rigueur. And it all became too convenient. Sending an email was so much more passive than making a phone call or meeting for lunch or a drink. And bosses, knowing that these meetings weren’t that necessary anymore, made us work harder… and longer. Writers became savvy to avoidance and voicemail and caller-ID prevented many personal connections from happening.
It’s MUCH easier these days to reach a lot more people, but it’s also a lot more impersonal and unfriendly. I still try to make as many phone calls as I can to establish some sort of personal interaction and keep human contact, but almost 65% of my job now is digital communication. It may be more convenient and perhaps “easier”, but I really do miss that human interaction of the old days.
H: We ask journalists a lot about what up and coming bands can say to help them when networking for coverage. As a publicist, what advice would you offer writers hoping to work with your clients?
R: Courtesy and respect will get you everywhere… or at least help you get everywhere. There are so many emails and phone calls I get from writers who feel that the way to get what they want/need is to be demanding or entitled. That doesn’t fly in my book. I don’t care if you’re from the biggest publication or a blog with three readers, I’ll treat you the same way. I’m very karmic. If you barge through my door and demand, I’ll push right back. If you come in with respect and courtesy, I’ll return it in kind. I can’t fulfill every request I get, but if I can, I will. And please, if you’re going to use a template or a form letter, make sure all the details are correct. Sure, my name is oddly spelled so I’ll forgive you if you write “Ray” or “Mr. Roland”… but if you’re requesting an interview for “Yellowcard” and you forget to change “All Time Low” in your email, that’s going to send me a different signal than you originally intended.
H: Piracy is one of the most discussed topics in the industry today. Do you feel album leaks are preventable? If so, how would you advise an artist to keep their music safe while still getting the word out?
R: Leaks aren’t 100% preventable but there are ways to insuring you stop leaks from coming from you. I’m a big user and supporter of Haulix (and no, I’m not fishing for brownie points because you’re interviewing me). 90% of the writing world is familiar with Haulix and how it’s watermarked with each writer’s info. So that’s a good preventative. Most writers aren’t hip to streams but will deal if that’s the only alternative. But for me, one of the biggest ways I’ve learned to prevent leaks from my own dealings is through firm and honest trust. When I am working a very high-level record, I will connect with the writer first and make sure they are planning on covering it before I send it. And when I connect with the writer, if I don’t know them already, we establish a trust bond that will tell me if I feel it safe to send to them. There are bands where I’ll send downloads and streams in my first pitch, but I tailor my list to those people who have exhibited trust to me in the past. I don’t do big blasts of downloadable music to hundreds of people who I may or may not know… That’s just asking for a leak.
H: When it comes to working with your clients, how do you prefer to share their music with press? What is it about this method that appeals to you the most?
R: As I mentioned above, I’m a firm believer in Haulix. We put a good portion of our clients on Haulix. And it’s great too because you can run reports and see who has listened to albums and which songs the most to help tailor follow-up calls. But I also use Dropbox, mostly when a record has already been released and the fear of leaking is over.
H: Looking towards the future, what are the biggest challenges currently facing your company?
R: I’ll be honest. Reybee is at a VERY good place right now. Thankfully, I’ve really never had to actively pursue projects and I don’t mean that in an egotistical way. One thing I’ve always maintained is a great relationship with many of our clients both past and present. We get a lot of repeat business (and I hate to call it “business” but there’s a lack for a better term). We’ve worked every Yellowcard record since they came off of hiatus. With the exception of one Bayside record, we’ve been attached to their last handful of records. We work all of the high-level projects off of Metropolis Records. Chuck Ragan probably will stay with us forever (I hope). Because of our track record working with Chris Carrabba on Twin Forks, we are now working with Dashboard Confessional. The Architects have been with us forever. And the great thing is, these bands and their teams recommend us all the time to their friends. I take pride in being a faithful to bands. It’s a great feeling going to a show and meeting bands who I’ve always been a fan of and have them say, “Wait, YOU’RE Reybee? We need to talk.” That’s happened countless times and it feels awesome.
H: What are your current career goals, and how have they changed in recent years?
R: I don’t set goals too far into the future. I set benchmarks to help me get where I want to go. When I started out in publicity, my goal was to work at a label. When I got to a label, I wanted to build an artist from the ground up. When I did that, I wanted a platinum record. When I got that, I wanted to run the publicity department… etc… all the way up to running my own company. And I’m there now. I’m not one to be too open about my plans because I don’t want other people to see what I’m planning and beat me to the punch… but let’s just say that I have my eyes set on my next step… and if you look at my past record, I’ve achieved pretty much every career goal I had set for myself. Place your bets now!
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
R: I don’t mean this in a “oooh, he’s asskissing”, but I want the music industry to go back to being about the artist and the album. I mean, I had a hand in propelling the idea further of a “singles-dominated industry” with my hand at being a teen pop publicist for Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, etc., but we lost sight of music as art. There are some really awesome artists who have amazing full “albums” but not many people today have the attention span to listen to albums in full. We forget just how deep some of these wells are that artists dig to write these songs. I still marvel at intricate musicianship that most people pass over in search of a hook. I still am amazed at lyrical word play and clever lyrics. And the industry tends to look for “hits” or whatever “fits” the current hot sound.
H: Your roster is as eclectic now as ever before. Do you have any plans or releases on the horizon you would like to bring to our attention?
R: We just signed three amazing artists that I’m floored by. SPEAK and Tinnarose both from Austin and Mustered Courage from Australia. SPEAK is this, for lack of a better genre, rockin’ synthpop band that wanders the line that Passion Pit, Phoenix and Kids of 88 traipsed. They’re very close to Tegan & Sara, Ra Ra Riot and RAC too, so they’re a band’s band as well which is awesome. Tinnarose is this brand new band with sublime boy/girl vocals like The Magic Numbers and The New Pornographers but with a rootsy twist. Mustered Courage is one of Australia’s biggest young bluegrass bands and are huge Down Under but the US isn’t hip to them… yet. They’re making a move toward being a string band for their next chapter but this album we’re going to be working is freakin’ phenomenal. You think you heard where the new generation of bluegrass-infused Americana a la Mumford and Sons and Avett Brothers? Just wait… just wait.
H: I think that covers everything. Before I let you go, are there any final thoughts or observations you care to share?
R: Best way to tackle publicity (or any music industry job) is with humor. Even when I get the most annoying requests or dealing with the most tyrannical managers, humor can disarm anyone. Plus, life’s too short to be humorless.
