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Industry Spotlight: Stephen Thompson (NPR Music)

Hello and welcome to the first industry spotlight of the week. We are thrilled that you chose to spend a few minutes of your day with us, and hope you will tell your friends to do the same if you enjoy the content found below. Writing this blog brings us a lot of joy and great conversation, but our mission to be the most secure and easy-to-use digital digital distribution tools available on the planet remains. If you would like to learn more about the efforts of this blog, or if you would like a tour of our servicing platform, please do not hesitate to contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Say what you will about the life of top 40 radio and whether or not it will still exist the way it does today in a decade, but in my opinion NPR – otherwise known as National Public Radio – is eternal. It’s all a matter of public funding, I know, but it deserves to last forever. There is not a day of my life that goes by without at least a few minutes having been spent engaging with their brand, be it through radio or article on the web, and I always come away from that experience feeling like I have done something positive for myself and my world perspective.

When I engage with the music side of NPR, something different occurs within. I see the way the contributing staff writes about the artists and songs they feature, and I challenge myself to one day create content that is as engaging and thought-provoking as what they have presented. I learn as well, of course, but more importantly I recognize that there is still room for personal and professional development in my own life, and that motivates me to work harder with each passing day.

I always wanted to bring my admiration for NPR to this blog, but to be honest I was not sure it would ever happen. The demands of being a member of the NPR news team are numerous, and as a result it can be difficult to find individuals willing, or even able to carve out an hour to work share their story. I knew we hard to try regardless, and after months of back and forth we finally have something substantial to present to all of you.

Stephen Thompson is a writer and editor for NPR music. He also appears on a number of NPR programs, including Pop Culture Happy Hour and All Songs Considered. He has spent the better part of the last decade guiding the music efforts at NPR, and in that time has helped bring many new features and shows to life.

Thompson’s influence on and presence within the entertainment industry extends beyond NPR as well. He is also credited with aiding The Onion in creating The A.V. Club and copy-editing six best-selling comedy books, as well as editing the 2002 book, The Tenacity of the Cockroach: Conversations with Entertainment’s Most Enduring Outsiders.

I had the opportunity to ask Stephen Thompson about all of this and a whole lot more over the last month and am thrilled to present his responses to you in in the interview below. If you would like to learn more about Stephen and his efforts in writing, please take a few moments to follow him, as well as NPR music, on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: For the record, please tell everyone your name, job title, and the company you work for.

ST: I’m Stephen Thompson, and I’m a writer and editor with NPR Music. I also talk on a handful of NPR shows – every week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, more or less every week on Here & Now, and usually once or twice a month on All Songs Considered.

H: Thank you again for participating in this feature. I know you’re a busy person, but before we get your work today I would like to take a look at your career up to this point. When you think back to the formative moments and experiences in life that led you to pursue a career in music journalism, what comes to mind?

ST: The interest first surfaced when I was 12 or 13 and began chronicling the pop charts in spiral-bound notebooks; I’d listen to Casey Kasem and Rick Dees every Sunday and take notes on chart movements and whatnot. I took music very personally and seriously from an early age. I once rode my bicycle into the back of a parked car because I was reading Billboard magazine at the time. I was probably… 15?

Career-wise, the single biggest moment came in October 1992, when I bumped into The Onion’s Dan Vebber – a friend and former colleague from one of the campus daily newspapers at the University of Wisconsin – and he asked me to write record reviews for him. Even in 1992, The Onion was a desirable gig; less than a year later, I was the founding editor of what would eventually become The A.V. Club, which I edited until the end of 2004.

H: Did music always play a large role in your life, or is it something you grew to appreciate with age?

ST: I’d say music and adolescence came as a package deal. Over time, though, I began to discover music beyond the pop charts I’d so eagerly documented. I grew up in Iola, Wis., just outside the reach of the nearest (terrific) college radio station in Stevens Point. So I didn’t really get immersed in great stuff – aside from a few hand-me-down punk records from my sister and uncle – until I came to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and stumbled into a vacuum at the then-dormant student radio station. I became the music director at 19, and that was it for me. I was hooked for life.

H: While we’re still on the topic of your early years, we should touch on your life in writing. Do you recall what initially sparked your interest in journalism? 

ST: I was raised by editors and writers; my parents, Don and Maggie Thompson, co-edited a magazine called Comics Buyer’s Guide until Dad died in 1994. He’d been a newspaperman since long before I was born, and Mom’s involvement in CBG continued until it went out of business early last year. So journalism and writing of one sort or another were always deeply ingrained in the household. Writing in my family goes back many generations: My grandmother was a Hugo Award-nominated science-fiction writer, and that side of the family tree forms a straight line back to the 17th-century American poet Anne Bradstreet. (I can’t write poetry worth a damn.)

So I always felt I’d go into some sort of field relating to writing, and I seized every opportunity to get published. I remember obsessing over the idea of my words getting professionally printed on paper; how thrilled I was when I’d, like, take second place in an essay-writing contest that would get me published in the Appleton Post-Crescent. It’s always been there, basically.

H: What was your first gig in the world of journalism, and how did you go about obtaining that position?

ST: My first real gig was an internship at Joe Jones Publishing, a trade-magazine operation in my hometown. I was brought in to empty wastebaskets and proofread ads, and through an assortment of coincidences – nothing Machiavellian, I swear – I wound up editing their flagship magazine (Camping & RV) after three weeks. At 17, I was simultaneously editing a nationally distributed magazine and working as a stock boy at the local grocery store, the latter a job I’d held for three years. I remember, at the end of that summer between high school and college, Joe Jones saying, “Boy, I wish you’d come to me three years ago! You never would have had to work at the grocery store!” At which point the bitter memories of a thousand $3.35-an-hour urinal-scrubbings came flooding back.

H: While still in school, you helped The Onion launch The A.V. Club, which has since gone on to be one of the most influential voices in entertainment. We read it daily, in fact. Was it an easy sell to editors at the time? If possible, we would love to know the origin story.

ST: As so many worthwhile things do, it happened very gradually – really over a matter of years. As I mentioned earlier, I was brought in to write a few record reviews each week; those ran in the back of the paper alongside other non-comedic odds and ends like concert listings and movie reviews. As The Onion grew in popularity, it became harder and harder to crank out enough decent comedy to fill, say, 48 pages. So there needed to be something else, and I was an ambitious kid – I started there when I was 20 – so I took on every available opportunity. I started compiling the concert listings, assigning more reviews, and generally taking over more and more of the non-comedy parts of the paper. In the summer of 1993, we started formally separating out my stuff under the banner “ENTERTAINMENT” (really rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?). I edited everything therein except the movie reviews, which were someone else’s baby until a couple years later, when we renamed the section The A.V. Club. 

For the editors at the time – mensches and all-around class acts like Rich Dahm, Dan Vebber, and Scott Dikkers – it was a very easy sell, because it made their jobs so much easier. My section could expand or contract based on page count, which meant theirs didn’t have to. It was quite a bit trickier to convince the comedy writers that it was wise to turn all that stuff over to someone who wasn’t a comedy writer. As I grew into the role and started developing more of a vision and voice for the section – bringing in and training my own people, taking on a more serious tone – it got easier. But there were some early battles.

H: You joined the NPR team in 2006, which was two years after your departure from The A.V. Club. What inspired you to go after the position you now hold, and what can you tell us about the interview process?

ST: It was 17 months between the two jobs. I was burned out after 12 years at The Onion, and had bought stock in the company years earlier. Basically, I had enough money from selling my stock to take eight months off, so I took 17 months off – much of which was spent snacking, taking naps, and waiting for NPR to figure out what to do with me. It also meant moving from Madison, Wis., to the area around Washington, D.C., which was a pretty big deal to me and my family. 

Only about three months after I left The Onion, I met Neda Ulaby, an NPR Arts Desk reporter, while at SXSW. We hit it off and became friends, and a little while later, someone in management happened to ask Neda if she knew of anyone with experience spearheading large and ambitious projects related to music journalism. Truth be told, I wasn’t the right person to run the entire project – I have little patience for meetings, for one thing – but they realized that they wanted me in some capacity. So I went through several rounds of interviews in D.C., one for head of what would become NPR Music, and one for the job I took, which had more to do with editing and production. My job has evolved a lot since then to where I am now; at this point, what I do is split surprisingly evenly among writing, editing, and talking into microphones.

H: Your start at NPR roughly coincides with the initial boom of social media. How has your role at NPR evolved over the last several years as a result of technology?

ST: Well, we spend a lot more time discussing how to promote our content offsite. I used to sit through hours of training for things like search-engine optimization, and now it’s much more nuts-and-bolts: “Can we get this promoted on NPR’s Facebook page?” “Is this headline grabby enough?” Aside from that, I’m careful to cultivate an approachable public persona on Twitter and Facebook. But really, most of the job comes right back to writing, editing, and talking. It’s all communication, and the use of social media only enhances that.

H: In addition to your normal duties at NPR, you have appeared on a number of NPR programs and podcasts. You also helped Bob Boilen launch the Tiny Desk Concerts series. What have you yet to accomplish during your time with NPR that you hope to achieve in the future?

ST: I like the idea of sitting here, typing this, and having no idea what as-yet-unhatched idea will develop into something cool. As much as humanly possible, I try to stay notionally open to new ideas and projects, because you never know where they’ll lead. The Tiny Desk Concerts were hatched six years ago while Bob Boilen and I were commiserating at a concert; we’d never have guessed that that conversation would spawn a signature project for NPR Music. A little less than four years ago, Linda Holmes and I were drinking beer in my living room when we sketched out the entire vision for what would, in a matter of weeks, become Pop Culture Happy Hour. Big ideas can pop up at any time, and I’m hoping to have a few more of those as the years roll on.

H: Beyond this job, do you have any other career aspirations you are currently working towards? Another book, perhaps?

ST: I’m really focused on NPR, honestly. I’m a big believer in attaching yourself to something great – a great idea, great collaborators, a great goal – and then growing along with it. I just want the stuff I do at NPR to get better and better, and in the process reach more and more people. I’m a stubborn incrementalist, and that means playing the long game and pushing yourself to get better every day.

I sometimes joke that I’m waiting to write another book until the publishing industry completes its collapse. If I do crank out another book, it’ll likely be something I put together in collaboration with someone else. I don’t have ambitions to write a novel, and I do my best work when I’m bouncing off other people.

H: Okay, now the question every aspiring music journalist has been waiting for: What advice would you offer someone hoping to break into the music journalism arena in 2014?

ST: Hoo boy. It’s rough out there, in terms of available full-time jobs, but I’ll give the advice I give everyone in any creative profession: Don’t wait to do the thing you want to do. Don’t ask to do the thing; don’t wait to be asked to do the thing. Just start doing what you want to do. Seek out vacuums, step into roles, pursue internships, work hard, make yourself easy to reach, and be as easy to deal with as humanly possible. You can never have enough friends, you can never do enough favors, you can never be there for enough people – that’s career advice and life advice rolled into one, because a good support network can be a literal and figurative lifesaver. You won’t encounter opportunities by hiding from the world, so engage and connect and communicate. Be interesting, be funny, be fun. Put yourself out there, on social media and beyond. Find your voice by writing constantly. If no one wants to publish you, publish yourself; these days, it doesn’t cost a thing except time.

H: Do you have interns at NPR? If so, what can you tell our readers about the application process and any potential openings?

ST: We have three waves of interns each year. I don’t know much about the application process – I don’t pick ‘em – but it involves sifting through stacks of hundreds of resumes. Beyond the advice above, I’d encourage applicants to demonstrate writing chops, the ability to function in a fast-paced workplace, and a low-drama personality. Pursuing internships is like pursuing any job: You need to make your skills and attributes plainly visible, and you need to communicate clearly and approachably. And experience counts, even at the very beginning of your career. 

H: NPR has long been a tastemaker in the world of music. Where do you turn when looking to discover new talent, and what advice would you offer bands hoping to one day find their way onto an NPR broadcast?

ST: To answer your first question, I listen to friends’ recommendations, and I spend a lot of time sifting through the figurative and literal stacks of CDs, downloads, and press releases that cross my desk. Every year before SXSW, I plow through songs by about 1,500 different artists, panning for gems and discoveries. I listen to Song Of The Day podcasts put together by NPR member stations, skim music magazines and blogs, try to stay conversant in what’s attracting people’s attention, and look for great obscurities wherever I can find them.

As for finding a way onto NPR broadcasts, my best advice is: Figure out your narrative. What’s your story? Even interviews with great bands are pretty boring if there’s no story being told; your story can’t just be, “My friends and I got together and started a band, and now we’re really good.” If you’re trying to get booked for a Tiny Desk Concert, all you have to do is have the stars align and be great in such a way that someone on staff will pound the table for you and your music. But to get booked on an NPR newsmagazine, it really, really helps to have a hook – a story that sets you apart.

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

ST: I’d like to see a far more robust middle class in the music industry. It feels to me like you have a few high earners on one end and a huge throng of low earners on the other – people who make so little money that they’re either desperately poor or they come from families who can afford to support them. Music, and by extension the music industry, would benefit greatly from an easier path to a stable living for people who are good at it, regardless of family support or willingness to live out of a broken-down van for 10 years. 

H: Beyond steady employment and financial compensation, how do you measure success at your craft?

ST: Steady employment and financial compensation are important! I spend a certain amount of time poring over web metrics and podcast downloads and Twitter followers and iTunes charts; I can be a number-grubber with the best of them, I won’t lie. But the real measurements are far more circumstantial, and they come in the form of word of mouth trickling back to me. A nice letter from someone thanking me for something I worked on means way, way more than an uptick on a spreadsheet, in all seriousness. I like feeling like the stuff I do matters to someone – who wouldn’t? – so kind words from strangers are by far my favorite metric.

H: I know you’re a busy man so I will make the last one relatively easy. What can we expect from your team at NPR in 2014? 

ST: It’s hard to see the forest for the trees in terms of grand ambitions; it often feels like the answer is, “More of the same, but better!” But then I think about it for a few minutes, and it’s like: Oh! We just launched this incredible R&B stream, and it’s so cool. Our Microphone Check people have been doing amazing interviews that are enhancing some wonderfully smart hip-hop coverage. Our videographers and photographers have been experimenting with amazing visuals, from hilarious GIFs to high-definition concert videos that look like DVD footage you’d pay $20 for. In classical music, in jazz, on All Songs Considered, on Alt.Latino… every subdivision of NPR Music is trying new things that make me proud to be involved, however tangentially, in what it’s doing.

H: Okay, we’ve reached the end. Do you have any final thoughts or observations you would like to share with our readers?

ST: I guess the last piece of advice I’d give, for someone just starting out or struggling along the way, is to find your tribe. Everything I’ve ever accomplished, I’ve done with the aid of brilliant collaborators – people I count among my friends, people I respect, people I want to emulate, people who make me better. Don’t go it alone unless you absolutely have to, because success is almost always a team effort, and everyone you meet has something to teach you. Life is people.

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Job Board News

Blogger Spotlight: Todd Kunsman (Oh So Fresh! Music)

It’s funny how our experiences in life slowly steer us toward the careers we eventually seek. I’m sure most of you can remember a time in your youth when you sat in the back of your parents’ car on a summer day and sang along with whatever was playing on the radio. Metallica, Spin Doctors, Britney Spears, it did not matter who came on next as long as you could sing along (or at least pretend to), preferably at the top of your lungs. That’s an experience almost every child goes through, and it’s something most parents reflect on later as a ‘golden memory’ of their children. For some children, however, it’s something more. They do not know it at the time, of course, and neither do their parents, but for a select few those first car ride sing-a-longs are laying the foundation for a career in music that will likely impact thousands, if not millions over time.

Todd Kunsman remembers those car rides, and from a very young age he knew he wanted to be involved in the world of music. Unfortunately, due to college, work, internships, and the tasks of every day life in between he found making time to do so incredibly difficult. Anything worth doing is worth doing to the best of your abilities, after all, and realizing this Todd waited to begin his journey in the world of music criticism until he had finished school and found time in his demanding schedule for a new project. When that day came, he bought the domain OhSoFreshMusic, and in no time began developing a following passionate about new artist discovery.

Today, OhSoFreshMusic is a hub for people who want to know about the latest trends in music. Through timely news, engaging editorials, interviews, and an ever-expanding collection of unique features Todd has managed to carve a unique niche in the world of music discovery that stands apart from the rest of the blogging world in all the right ways. You can read any article on OhSoFreshMusic and feel the passion the creator of that content had for their subject. If that is not the sign of a truly great zine, I do not know what is.

We spoke with Todd earlier this month about everything he experienced while starting his site, and he was kind enough to offer an in-depth look at everything he went through to get where he is today. If you would like to learn more about Todd and his efforts in music criticism, please take a few moments to follow OhSoFreshMusic on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: Before we begin, please tell everyone your full name, job title, and the site you’re here to discuss:

T: My name is Todd Kunsman and I am the founder, editor, and social media person for Oh So Fresh! Music blog.

H: Thanks for joining us, Todd. I’m a fan of your site, but must admit I have never learned the story behind its name. Would you please tell us the origin story of ‘Oh So Fresh,” and when the site came into existence?

T: I’ve actually wanted to start something music related for a long time, but with College, interning, and working, there really wasn’t much time. However, back in 2010 a few months after graduating college I decided it was time. And to be honest, the name was something that first came to mind and the domain was available so I snagged it. I just had in mind that I wanted a place to find fresh new music and post about fresh faces that might not be getting notice. 

H: Now let’s take a step back and learn a thing or two about you. When you think about your earliest memories with music, what comes to mind first?

T: Probably singing in the car as a young kid to all sorts of different music. My parents listen to a whole mix of stuff, so I’d be jamming out to MC Hammer then Spin Doctors. Pretty embarrassing now that I think about it haha. 

H: Who is the first musician you can remember obsessing over, and how did you originally discover them? Feel free to share any early fan-boy moments you’re able to remember.

T: Man, I would say Bradley Nowell of Sublime. A friend had showed me some of their music back in in middle school because his older brother was a fan and I instantly became addicted to them. I know almost all the lyrics of Sublime’s catalog just because of the constant replays. I’m still a big fan today, especially of Brad. 

H: On what format was the first album (or single) you bought with your own money?

T: Hmm, I know was fairly young and it was probably Will Smith’s Big Willie Style, who didn’t have that album in the mid/late 90s? 

H: Do you remember your first concert experience? Go on, paint us a word picture:

T: I’m quite sure my parents dragged me to some Hall & Oates concert at a local music festival in my town. Not really my type of music, but those guys know how to put on a good show.  

H: Let’s turn our focus to writing. Can you pinpoint any specific moments in life when you realized your abilities in writing could be put to good use in the world of music criticism?

T: I took a journalism elective in College and surprisingly enjoyed it, which then lead to my communications minor. Since music was always a big part of my life, writing gave me a way to talk about the music I love. From there I just kept pursuing different outlets where I could write about music.  

H: Who or what inspires you as a writer?

T: Good music. Every time I hear a song that just catches my attention, the writing just flows easier. It basically gives me more thoughts and passion in the writing when music clicks with me. 

H: How would you describe the content offered on your site to someone who may have never visited your blog before reading this article? 

T: I think the site description says it best: “The freshest music posted on a daily basis. We share some of the best tunes before the mainstream even knows about it.” But, I would also say if indie. hip hop, electronic, and EDM are genres you enjoy, then you’ll find what you are looking for at Oh So Fresh. There is the occasional interview and feature as well to mix it up.  

H: There are a number of sites covering similar areas of entertainment. What is it about the content offered on OSF that separates you from the competition? 

T: I think that we don’t always rush to post the latest track as soon as it comes out. Some blogs really compete with each other to be the “first” sharing a tune. Granted, that can get you more traffic, but I like to listen to a song a few times before sharing. So while a song might of just come out, we might write about 3 hours later or maybe a day later. The music we share are songs that we indeed really like and aren’t just posted for the sake of seeming cool or to be the first ones. 

H: Out of curiosity, how large is the writing team at your site?

T: It’s varied over the years, currently it’s 5 other writers and at one point I had 7. Typically they write a few times a week, but I post multiple times a day. 

H: Are you currently looking for additional team members? If so, what should those interested in contributing to your site do to apply?

T: Sure, I can always use writers or people interested in marketing. All you have to do is email me (osfeditor@gmail.com), tell me a bit about yourself, music you love or currently enjoying, and a bit of your experience. Simple as that! 

H: When you were first starting off, who were some of the first labels/publicists to give you a chance and/or take you seriously in the music industry?

T: There were very limited interest from labels at first, but PR people were there from day one. The one I recall really reaching out first was the Planetary Group, who still send me things today via email and to my home. Really nice group of people right there. 

H: What advice would you offer to someone reading this now who may be considering pursuing a career in the world of music journalism/criticism?

T: Just go for it. It’s a crowded market, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a go. If you are really passionate about it reach out to bloggers or others in the industry. Sure some will ignore you, but others are also willing to share some knowledge if they sense your passion and enthusiasm.  

H: You have featured a number of up and coming artists on your blog, in addition to national headliners. Where do you turn when hoping to discover new music, and what should indie artist looking to appear on your site do to get your attention?

T: There are a ton of places I discover new music. One being my email, I get sent 150+ a day and while plenty are not my style, there are always a few gems in there. Soundcloud has been a big one too because it plays similar songs to something you just listened to or the artist shares tracks of other artists they like. And I occasionally find some great material from other writers out there. 

An artist can grab my attention by an original email, not some mundane robot-like paragraph. it’s more personable and you can get a better sense of the passion they have for their craft. 

H: When it comes to receiving music for review/feature consideration, which digital distribution services do you prefer and why?

T: I like Soundcloud, Bandcamp, and Audiomack. They all have clean designs and are easy to embed when we create posts, which is perfect for blogs.  

H: How many articles do you write in a week? 

T: I tend to write 4 a day, and maybe like 2-3 during the weekends. Typically it will be between 20-25 a week. 

H: What are your current career goals? 

T: Currently I’ve been interesting in doing more freelance/consulting work in the music/entertainment industries. Whether it’s social media, marketing, blogging, design, or A&R related things. Trying to get as much experience as I can. 

H: What are your goals for the site, and how have those goals changed since launch?

T: I would love to keep seeing the site grow. I’ve had my ups and downs with it (almost quit back in Summer), but I’m glad I stuck with it because I would miss writing and interacting with the music industry. Before it was just a place for me to share music and my friends to check out, now I have more of an audience so I keep them in mind as well.

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry today, what would it be?

T: I’d say some labels pushing generic sounds out there for a quick buck. It’s no wonder there is a decline in album sales (Besides the Internet causing that as well) and that many artists are getting their music out there without a label. Look at Macklemore winning Grammys as an independent artist. I think a lot of labels need to rethink their strategies and many are starting to realize that. 

H: Who is one artist you think is severely underrated? 

T: That’s a tough one because there are a few I could name, but I’ll go with Jhameel on this one. He’s grown tremendously since he first reached out to me back in 2010, but deserves so much more attention. He’s a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, choreographer, and a generally interesting artist. Think Michael Jackson meets Prince meets modern pop. 

H: What can we expect from your site in the remaining months of 2014?

T: We’ve rolled out a new feature to get College radio stations involved with our site. We just started it so hopefully more will get on board in the next few months and this potentially could be a great feature. Otherwise, great content will continue and hopefully pushing more great artists to the readers. 

H: Okay, I think that covers everything. Before we go our separate ways, do you have any finals thoughts or observations that you would like to share with our readers? The floor is yours:

T: If you are thinking about starting a music blog, just do it. If it’s on your mind go for it because many bloggers are friendly and willing to help with questions you might have. I’ve learned a lot along the way, made plenty of connections, and realized this can be a great resume booster. I’d like to thank anyone who visits the site daily or even if it’s only one time, I’m still surprised people actually have such an interest in my site. I also want to thank anyone who has written or is writing currently because they enjoy the site and love music as much as I do. We all have busy schedules but they still make time to work on posts and emails. Also, I’ll be launching a lifestyle and culture site in late Spring called THVT GOOD, check it out! 

Thanks for interviewing me James!

Categories
News

Industry Profile: Jerry Graham (The Syndicate)

Hello again, everyone. Welcome to the first industry spotlight feature of the week. We originally began working on this specific article in the first weeks of the year, but due to delays and scheduling troubles we were only able to complete it in the last week. We think the information received was well worth the wait and hope you will as well. If you have any questions regarding the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more information about the services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook. 

Last week, the website I started a few months after beginning my career as a music critic turned six-years-old. It was the first ‘birthday’ I had spent away from SXSW, and instead of spending my hours strolling Sixth Street debating which pizza place(s) to indulge in I spent time reflecting on all the opportunities that had come my way as a result of taking those first steps to put my name out there. I thought of my first interviews and reviews, as well as the people who made them happen. Today, in a somwhat full circle moment, I have the honor of sharing the journey of one of those people with all of you.

For the better part of the last decade, Jerry Graham was known as the man behind Warm Fuzzy PR. It was his company from the very beginning, and during its existence Jerry was fortunate enough to work with some of the biggest names in modern hard rock. In 2011, however, he decided the time had come for a change and joined forces with The Syndicate as the director of publicity. 

The rest, as they say, is music industry history.

I originally met Jerry during the first few months after the site mentioned above came into existence. No one knew my name or anything about my writing, but Jerry offered me the opportunity to work with several of his smaller projects. As time went on he aided me in contacting bigger names, and even helped me in setting up several interviews in the hard rock arena I will never forget.  

The music industry is an insanely difficult place to make a name in, but thanks to people like Jerry driven young people are able to find opportunities to showcase their skills before entering the workforce. He’s an industry lifer who only wants the best for his team and everyone they’re connected with, which in this business is essentially anyone able to read this post. He’s kind, intelligent, and one of the most down to earth people you will ever meet.

You can learn about Jerry’s journey in music by reading the interview below. If you would like to know more, if you just want to keep up with everything related to Jerry’s latest publicity efforts, please take a few moments to follow The Syndicate on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: Hey there, thanks for joining us. We ask everyone the same question to begin. Would you please share your full name, job title, and the name of the company where you presented work:

J: Sure, Jerry Graham, Director of Publicity at The Syndicate.

H: You have a long history in music, so we actually have a lot of ground to cover today. I’d like to start by learning a little about your history with music. When you think of your earliest memories with music, what comes to mind?

J: I grew up in Brooklyn in the late 70s, so disco and funk were all over, blasting out of car speakers and those giant portable boom boxes. Rock was happening, but the first real memory I have is the song “Don’t Stop The Music.” It’s this 8-minute, big funk song that has this chipmunk voice that says, “aw, you don’t want to stop.” I remember my dad took me took work in Manhattan when I was like 5, and that song played somewhere in the office, and I just remember being fascinated by it. 

What’s funny now, is that when my son was born a few years ago I got that CD for him and started playing it. Now he and my daughter love it as well, and they actually sing it on their own. It’s funny how it came back around like that.

H: Speaking on music purchases, can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? 

J: Probably not. I mean, I can guess, but it will probably be wrong. One of the earliest ones I can remember is Living Colour ‘Vivid.’ I also remember, as far as hip hop, there was Kid-N-Play ‘Too Hype.’ Those two in particular stick out to me.

H: This answers really showcase at what point in music history you began purchasing your own records. 

J: I guess [laughs]. I always grew up around hip hop and stuff, but my love of rock and metal didn’t start until later. I don’t really have a point of reference for that.

H: That’s a good point. When do you think rock and metal come into the picture for you? Those genres have played a big role in your career.

J: I remember being in high school. There was a girl who wore a Gorilla Biscuits shirt, and people who wore Misfits t-shirts. I guess it was Metallica’s ‘Garage Days’ EP in high school that made me aware of that stuff, but as far as loving it, what really kicked it off for me was hardcore. I’m more into hardcore than metal, and that stuff really kicked it off for me when the post-hardcore era started happening. 

…THAT’S WHAT IT WAS. It was Helmet. It was Helmet, ‘In The Meantime.’ I remember seeing Beavis and Butthead talking about Helmet and how they didn’t even dress like they were cool. I’m butchering their delivery, but that is what captured me. Orange 9mm, Helmet, Quicksand. That whole genre drove it home for me, liking hard rock and punk that is.

H: Moving a bit forward, you went to college before jumping into the music industry.

J: I graduated from University at Albany. It was called SUNY Albany at the time. 

H: ..And you studied Theater at the time? Did you have aspirations for life in Hollywood?

J: Oh geez, yea, I wanted to be an actor. I got a degree in Theater and ended up working in the entertainment industry for about 3 years. I had a variety of jobs, including casting and extra work. Dabbled in standup comedy as well. 

Then I got sick of that lifestyle. I really didn’t enjoy it as far as…doing it. Basically, if you’re going to do those things you have to really commit, you know, ride or die. And I really didn’t have that mindset, but what I did have was music. No matter what was going on in my life, I turned to music. I didn’t turn to entertainment or standup comedy, but music was always there and dear to me.

I had a lot of day jobs as well, which I was not good at because I could not focus on them. I remember, at the time, Walter from Quicksand was starting a label. I said to myself that I really wanted to be a part of it and be involved. I called the office and they told me they weren’t hiring. I told them I didn’t care and that I wanted to be involved. It wasn’t really an internship. I came and worked for free, basically. Whatever they would let me do I did. It wasn’t even that I gravitated towards publicity right away, it was just something I tried while there and it fit my personality really well. 

H: Not long after this period you ended up launching your own PR firm, Warm Fuzzy Publicity, which you ran for a decade. How did that come together?

J: When I decided I really wanted to do this, I started going to NYU at night for a certificate in Public Relations because I thought having an education would help me get ahead in the business. What I learned there was great, but I definitely learned more doing things on my own. 

So I did that, then I worked at another company for 18-months and hated it, but I did get to work with heavier bands. When I parted ways with them, I immediately started my own company because I felt like I couldn’t really get a shot otherwise. I was supposed to speak at a conference in Boston through my previous job, but when I left that gig they filled my role at the conference. I decided to go anyway, and emailed Hydrahead Records, who were based in Boston at the time about meeting up to talk about PR.  When I got home I was very pleasantly surprised to have an e-mail from them and they became the first client of  Warm Fuzzy Publicity.

H: You ran Warm Fuzzy for a decade, and in that time worked with a number of artists and labels. Then you joined The Syndicate, which is where you remain today. How did The Syn come into the picture?

J: The Syndicate had a PR person back in something like 2004, and she was awesome, and then she left the company and for one reason or another they did not formally offer a music publicity service for a number of years. My colleague Matt, who I believe you featured before, did that and Comedy, which began to really take off. They decided they wanted someone to aide them in offering more music publicity services and I connected with Moose, the general manager here and Tracey, one of the partners.  We hit it off from the interview process and yea, that was two-and-a-half years ago now.

H: I’ve noticed that anyone who joins The Syndicate seems to stay there for a long time.

J: For me, everyone here is very down to Earth. Everyone is genuine and not too guarded about being themselves, and that’s what I like about working here. It’s not like I wear a cardigan to work or have to go to certain shows to be seen. The people here are very passionate about music and we’re all very normal, if you know what I mean.

H: What advice would you give someone looking to get started in the music industry?

J: That’s a tough one, man. It’s not the same as when I started, and I am sure people before me said the same thing. It’s like…I don’t want to compare it to a gang, but it’s the kind of thing where you’re either a lifer or you’re not. This industry is going to give you knocks every day, and you’re either going to take the knocks and keep coming back or you will find something else to do. I don’t know if there is really any advice, but I guess mine would be that if this is what you want to do you have to be available 24/7. That’s it. Especially for management. If a band a band is stuck somewhere at 3am you need to be prepared to handle that. If you’re in publicity, you need to be prepared to cut a vacation short if need be or pull an all-nighter to correct a project. 

H: Do you have any career goals or lifelong aspirations you feel you’re working towards at this point, or are you more in the groove your professional life?

J: That’s an interesting question. I will say I really enjoy the international opportunity that being at the Syndicate has allowed me. For example, we just did the US publicity for the M For Montreal festival. A couple years ago I went to Oslo, Norway. I greatly enjoy that because 1. it allows me to see other aspects of the world and 2. it’s nice to be a part of these major events, bringing people together and such.

There are just these great experiences outside of the normal artist, album, tour area that I spent so many years cutting my teeth in. It’s exciting.

As far as career aspirations I will say that I am enjoying how things are moving, and how these new aspects of what I do are beginning to open up. 

H: That’s great to hear. What can you tell us about The Syn’s plans for 2014?

J: Well, we just had a very successful run at SXSW including our Hype Hotel presented by Taco Bell showcases, The Laugh Button Live comedy shows as well as running U.S. PR for the French Tech party, M For Montreal and artists from Germany, Brazil and all over.  Andrew W.K. is a whirlwind of activity for P.R. at all times so we have a lot of fun things to promote for him in the coming year.  There’s a lot of coming projects for the P.R. dept so I can’t talk about all of them here but I will say on the music side that we have a well-balanced roster of indie rock, heavy music as well as some global music, hip-hop and EDM. 

H: That covers everything, I think. Before I let you go, do you have any final thoughts or observations to share with our readers?

J: No, not really. It’s not like I’m an editorial person or anything, but I will say that I am very thankful for the people who have given me a chance to work with them over the years. 

Categories
Job Board News

Blogger Spotlight: Kriston McConnell

Welcome, everyone. This is the final Blogger Spotlight of the week. We have spoken to people running major publications in recent days, as well as Billboard featured bands on the cusp of stardom, but we will always enjoy talking to writers in currently doing whatever they can to make a career for themselves most of all. That is a very basic summary of the person featured below, and as you will soon learn they have a lot to offer others in the struggle. f you have any questions regarding the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more information about the services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

For the past several years Kriston McConnell has been one of the leading voices on Under The Gun Review. She currently resides in Seattle and, like many who are attempting to have a career in music criticism, spends her days working jobs outside of the music business in order to make ends meet. When those tasks are complete, however, she opens her laptop and types until she can barely keep her eyes open. The next day, she wakes up and does it all over again. 

Kriston may not have a full time time job in the music business just yet, but she already has the qualities that make up a great industry professional. She’s dedicated, driven, hardworking, and able to balance many unrelated tasks at the same time. She recognizes the work that needs to be put in if she ever wants to get ahead and finds the strength within herself to get it done. She is determined to succeed, and knows that doing so means helping others reach for their dreams as well. In the interview below, she offers advice on her others can do the same. 

If you would like to learn more about Kriston’s endeavors in the world of music, please take a few moments to follow her on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: Let’s start with the basics, shall we? Please let everyone know your your full name, job title, and the site where your work can be found:

K: My name’s Kriston McConnell, and I’m a News Editor at Under The Gun Review.

H: Thank you again for joining us, Kriston. It’s an honor to feature your story. Tell me, has music always played a major role in your life?

K: Easily. For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a musician. I sang along to every song I could, and I remember writing my own songs when I was 11. There’s always a tune in my head, whether it’s my own or someone else’s.

H: If you had to guess, what do you think is your earliest memory of music?

K: Probably a Disney movie. I remember I used to own the soundtracks to Lion King, Aladdin and Pocahontas. When I was six or so I used to play the Pocahontas soundtrack to make the rain go away. I also pretended to be Aladdin once, possibly twice. Seal’s “Kissed By A Rose” always reminds me of being a kid too. I was six and that song made an impression on me.

H: Who was the first artist you recall yourself obsessing over, and how did you originally discover them? Don’t be afraid to share your early fangirl experiences.

K: Definitely N*SYNC. They were the first band I ever saw live and I saw them three times. I don’t really remember how I discovered them, but I imagine it had something to do with TV. Backstreet Boys were cool and all, but N*SYNC had Justin Timberlake.

H: How about the first album you purchased with your own money, and the format?

K: Shadows Fall – The War Within. CD. From radio music to metal, I did a complete 180 when I hit Jr High. I just started a new relationship, and they were taking me to my first metal concert. I had zero idea what to expect, and I had never even heard of Shadows Fall. So naturally, I went to the store and bought the first CD of theirs I found. I was hooked immediately. I also got my ass kicked at the show.

H: Do you ever miss cassette tapes?

K: Not really. My parents had given me a few when I was young, but by the time I really got into music CDs were a thing. I did own a New Kids On The Block tape which I enjoyed though.

H: You have spent several years writing about music, and I think it’s safe to say at this point you have become what most would refer to as a ‘lifer.’ When you think back on the formative moments and experiences that steered you toward a life in music criticism, what events come to mind?

K: You know, I had never even considered being a music critic. I wanted to be in journalism though, that much I knew for sure. I wrote for my high school newspaper, and couldn’t get enough of it. It never even occurred to me I could, and may want to, write for a music publication until I met Jacob Tender. He put the idea in my head when he asked some street teamers if they wanted to join his music blog. I love it though, and I can’t imagine my life without it.

H: Can you pinpoint any specific moments or points in time when you realized your gift with wordplay could be applied to a career feel?

K: I always excelled in English in school. That was pretty much the only class I ever received high grades in. I loved to write essays and make up stories, so when I had the opportunity to join the school’s newspaper I jumped on it. I think that’s when I realized that I could build a career writing. I enjoyed every moment of it.

H: Most of your work to date can be found on Under The Gun Review. How did you originally discover Under The Gun, and how long was it from that point to when you decided to apply?

K: Jacob Tender was the one who introduced me to the site. I had been writing on his blog for only about a month or so, and he messaged me letting me know he had this great opportunity to join UTG’s board. He said he was allowed to take some writers with him, and asked if I wanted to join the crew. I was flattered, and after browsing the site for about 10 minutes decided that I would do it.

H: While on the topic of your joining UTG, would you mind telling us a bit about the application process. We want to know your origin story.

K: To be honest I don’t really recall applying. After I told Jacob I’d be happy to join he went to the rest of the board to confirm. All I really remember after that is waiting a couple of weeks I was sent some details about posting etiquette and log in credentials for the site. It all seemed to happen so fast and I was overjoyed to be a part of a team that had similar interests as me.

H: UTG is a site that often gets mentioned alongside the likes of Propertyofzack and Absolutepunk. What is it about the content you feature that separate Under The Gun from its competitors?

K: Well for me specifically, I tend to gravitate toward unsigned bands. That’s what really set me apart from the beginning. While many music sites cover unsigned artists, I obsess over them. I love discovering new bands, and I want to share that sense of discovery with our readers. I can get just as excited to watch a band with 500 fans as I would a band with 500,000. I certainly do my fair share of big news stories, but my love for local artists trying to make a name for themselves will always be there.

I think there are two things that separate UTG from similar sites. First, we have a variety of staff with a variety of passions. We have people like me, who love post hardcore, and people who love metal, indie, dubstep and everything in between. We have some very passionate movie critics, and we’ve interviewed a number of big name actors/directors. We even have regular comedy columns, which I is not something you really see that often.

Second, we have a knack for posting timely articles and unique features. Timing is everything in the news world, and while we might not always hit the nail on the head, we do a pretty damn good job at posting breaking or time sensitive pieces quickly. This includes unique features as well. We always are thinking about the next new feature we can try out and run with it. One of my favorites is the list we made for the ugly band Christmas sweaters last year. We posted it right when the flood of sweaters were being released, and it ended up being a huge hit with readers. I even bought a couple myself.

H: What are one or two accomplishments you have made during your time at UTG that you are particularly proud of?

K: The first thing that comes to mind is networking. Before I joined UTG I really didn’t know very many people in the music industry. There are still tons of people out there that I’d love to connect with, but I have definitely garnered a bunch of music connections with some awesome people. Aside from that, I’d have to say earning the spot as the News Editor. I started at UTG with hardly any experience and I never imagined I’d earn the trust and respect to become part of the editorial team. It gives me a sense of pride and responsibility, as well as accomplishment. I have yet to meet any staffer in person, but they are family.

H: We should mention you do not write about music full time (YET). You also have a quote/unquote ‘real world gig.’ What is it?

K: I currently am working as the only Quality Assurance Generalist for Customer Service at zulily. I basically audit calls and emails taken by agents and run reporting off them. 

H: How do you find time to balance that commitment with writing, and why do you make sacrifices to write in the first place?

K: It’s hard. If I could write all day everyday and still pay my bills I would. When I have spare time I check up on things to make sure they are running smoothly, and on my breaks and lunches I almost always publish an article or two. Most of my contributions occur in the evenings though, which I sometimes do for hours depending on my schedule. When you’re passionate about something, it’s easy to make sacrifices for. I try to keep it balanced though. Some days I will spend as much spare time as possible writing, and others I will have extra meetings at work or I have an appointment or a dinner date. Those days I will do what I can, but can sometimes find myself with only a small number of posts. I almost never go an entire day without writing though.

H: What advice would you offer someone currently considering the pursuit of a career in music criticism?

K: Go for it. You might have to start off at a music blog, but there are opportunities everywhere. Get yourself involved in a street team or go make some friends with local musicians or venue staff. I met Jacob on the DRUGS street team. If I hadn’t joined that, I would not be where I am today.

H: I have noticed that you are usually the person highlighting unsigned rock bands on UTG. Where do you turn when hoping to discover something new?

K: Anywhere and everywhere. I won’t give away all of my secrets, but I will say that it sometimes takes quite a bit of dedication to finding those small bands. When MySpace was a thing, I used to comb through thousands of bands checking out their music. With Facebook, all you really need to do is “like” a couple of unsigned artists to start. They tend to pull for each other a lot, and share each other’s music. Just keep tabs on that, and I can guarantee you will find at least a few more bands to love. YouTube and Bandcamp are two other places I like to check out for artists.

H: Are there any recent articles on UTG that you’re particularly proud of? Go on, show us your best efforts:

K: The 2014 Oscar Results. It’s the first major article that I have ever written and updated for a live event, and for a couple of hours it was the number one search result on Google. The “content” might have been easy enough, but I spent every second of the Oscars on my laptop updating the winners as soon as they were announced. I have also had a handful of popular exclusives, which made me proud. Collaborating with PRs and labels is one of my favorite things, so whenever an exclusive does well it encourages me to keep fostering those relationships.

H: What are your personal goals for 2014?

K: I would like to conduct more interviews this year. I have a few tentatively planned already, and I want to try to get into the double digits by the end of the year. That’s the one thing I haven’t really done all that much, and if I ever want to do this as a full on career I should probably get some experience huh!

H: Stepping back a bit more, what are your career goals in general?

K: I’m honestly still trying to figure that out. I know for sure that I love music, art and photography. I’ve always been torn between doing what I am passionate about and doing what’s “responsible” aka working at corporate jobs, getting a 401k, going to school, etc. I just want to do something that makes me happy, pays my bills and allows me to travel. I’m slowly working on making that happen with my writing and photography.

H: When it comes to receiving music for feature/review consideration, which digital distribution platforms do you prefer and why?

K: Facebook. I get hundreds of emails every day and I am not always that great at responding to them. I do try sometimes and there are a few people that I communicate with through email but through Facebook it’s just so much easier to get my attention. I’m always happy to check out a new artist. I won’t make a promise that I’ll post something but I can promise that if you hear back from me, I will at the very least check it out with an open mind.

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

K: Where do I start? There are a few things that get under my skin, but I think the number one is the fact that when someone is popular, a celebrity or what have you, they could literally get away with murder. We value someone’s status more than we value the kind of person they actually are in private. If these people are supposed to be role models, they should be held to a higher standard.

H: I think we have covered everything. Before I let you go, are there any final comments or observations that you would like to share?

K: I don’t think so! I’m looking forward to making 2014 amazing.

Categories
Job Board News

Blogger Spotlight: Dan Howell (Yet Another Music Blog)

Surprise! We usually post only one time per day, but due to a recent burst of content creation opportunities we have found ourselves inundated with more interviews and columns than we know how to handle. We thought about stretching this material out and sticking to our normal posting schedule, but then decided getting it to you as soon as we were able was better for everyone involved. If you like this increase in content production, let us know! Email james@haulix.com or, if you prefer social media, tweet to @Haulix and let us know which columns you enjoy the most.

We have all heard the saying “everyone’s a critic,” but what if someone who chooses to write about music they enjoy does not see themselves that way? I must admit it’s a question that never crossed my mind before beginning the interview you’re about to read, but it certainly does make one think. Most of the people we have featured in this series have made it a point to distinguish themselves as a journalist or critic, but that is not the case with the Dan Howell, the man with whom we speaking this afternoon. He sees himself as simply a man who likes to share the music he loves with those willing to listen.

Yet Another Music Blog is the brilliant result of Dan Howell sharing his opinions on music with the world. Through interviews and editorials YAMB brings together the latest and greatest music from around the globe and presents it to curious music fans on a gorgeous designed site through fun, easy-to-read content that’s not afraid to dig for a good story. The best part of all may be Dan, as well as his partner Dan English, continue to write simply because they love discussing music. Their love for the art form they cover drives their efforts, and it shows in the final product.

We asked Dan about his work in music, and what we found was a man who puts his passion for the creative arts before any thoughts of business. He may not write about music full time, but he’s certainly doing his part to better the industry for everyone involved. If you would like to learn more about his efforts, please take the time to bookmark and frequent YAMB. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: Hey there! Before we dive in, please take a moment and tell everyone your full name, job title, and the site we’re here to discuss:

D: Dan Howell, Search Director at Tell Jack and the site we’re here to discuss is www.yetanothermusicblog.com.

H: It’s great to have you with us. To begin, I would like to learn a little about your history with music. Has it always played a major role in your existence?

D: I’ve been a big fan of music since I can remember. My earliest memory was probably listening to a Madness LP on repeat for hours on my Mum’s record player. Music has always been really important to me, and that is probably largely down to my sister. Every so often, between New Kids on the Block and Mariah Carey, I would hear some amazing music playing from her bedroom.

H: Who is the first artist you can remember obsessing over, and how did you initially discover them?

D: I guess the first album that majorly struck a chord with me was Dummy by Portishead. I ‘borrowed’ this from my sister when I was about 11 or 12 years old and it opened up a whole world of music for me. When I hit 17/18 years old, I started socialising with an older group of friends and they introduced me to the likes of Leftfield, Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin etc. Since then, I’ve had short-lived obsessions with so many artists.

H: When you reflect on your life as teen and young adult, are you able to pinpoint any formative moments or experiences that may have lead you to a life in music criticism?

D: I don’t really see myself as a critic, it’s more that I let people know if I like something. Generally speaking, if I don’t like a certain track, album or artist, they won’t make it on the blog. Who am I to critique? I can’t even play an instrument! I give credit where credit’s due. Everyone thinks they can be critics these days, because they hide behind their computers and voice their pompous opinions to the world. It angers me. Small-time food critics are the worst!

H: What is the first concert experience you can remember? Go on, paint a word picture for us…

D: The first real live music experience was probably when I went to Leeds Festival at the age of 15. It took weeks of bargaining with my Mum before she finally agreed to let me go for the weekend. It was definitely an eye-opener! The crowds were huge, we were with amazing people, we drank until we passed out and I saw Rage Against the Machine play one of their last gigs. Oh, and there was a riot on the last night. That will stay with me for a long time…

H: As far as writing is concerned, when did you begin to look at your gift with wordplay as something others may enjoy as well?

D: I didn’t really think about other people reading my articles until I saw my first print article. It was for a free local lifestyle magazine and it was distributed in all the shops and bars in Manchester city centre. When I saw people reading it in one of my local bars, it completely weirded me out. Anyway, my work seemed to get a good response and the magazine kept giving me more work, so I must have been doing something right!

H: What inspires you as a writer?

D: I definitely have a lot of respect for some of the bigger sites such as Resident Advisor and Pitchfork. They have some really talented writers and they’re always on the ball. It’s always good to remember that these sites came from humble beginnings.

H: Okay, let’s move on to your site. Every time I stumble across your blog name I am reminded of the parody film ‘Not Another Teen Movie.’ What can you tell us about the spark of creativity that lead to the creation of your site? We’re very interested in learning your ‘origin story.’

D: I started the blog as a little project for a Digital Marketing agency I worked for and I was put on the spot to think of a name. There’s nothing profound about it I’m afraid – it’s just an acknowledgement that there’s soooo many music blogs out there, but hopefully we’ll do things better than most! I do like the name and it seems to go down pretty well with our readers. I buy quite a lot of records and the original idea was that I’d write about the latest additions to my collection, but then I started to focus on interviews with the artists. Sometimes I think the interviews make the best reading.

H: How would you summarize the content found on your site?

D: A round-up of my favourite music/musicians. I’m pretty paricular about the type of music that goes up, but I can’t even begin to pinpoint exactly what passes and what doesn’t.

H: From what I can find, it appears you are the sole contributor to your blog. Have you given any thought to expanding the writing team?

D: I’ve actually just got another guy on board, Dan English. He DJs in Manchester and has a sharp ear for music. I’m open to other people contributing – if anyone’s interested, get in touch.

H: At this point there seems to be absolutely zero advertising associated with your efforts. Have you given any thought to monetization?

D: I’ve actually just redesigned the site and added some banner ads. Some people are dead against putting ads on their beloved blogs, but I think, “what the hell?”

[ Editor’s note: This interview was over a span of days. When we began the launch of the YAMB new website had yet to take place. Due to scheduling delays with this article, it has since gone live.]

H: The posting routine on your site varies. Sometimes you update frequently, other times days go by without posts. Do you have any plans to raise the frequency of new content being added to the site?

D: Since the redesign and getting Dan onboard, we’re definitely looking at ramping up the number of posts. I feel the blog has a new lease of life since the redesign and I’m definitely making it a higher priority.

H: What goals do you have for your writing efforts? How about goals for the site in general?

D: I want to grow the site as much as possible and I’ve got a few things lined up, in terms of expansion, for later on this year. Watch this space…

H: I assume you have a job outside of the site. What do you do day-to-day?

D: I’m a Digital Marketer; I specialise in Search Engine Optimisation. I basically live in the internet. I’ve worked in the industry for a little over 4 years now and I love it. I’ve learned so much in a relatively short space of time and it definitely keeps me on my toes. Working in this industry certainly gives me the upper hand over some of the other music sites, in some respects.

H: Would you like to reach a point where you write full time, for yourself or someone else?

D: Of course. To grow the site to such an extent that I could work on it full-time is pretty much the dream. For now it’s a bit of fun, but who knows where it could go.

H: When it comes to receiving music for review/feature consideration, which distribution services do you prefer and why?

D: Honestly, I prefer it when artists contact directly. This is mostly people who are just starting out, but it just makes the whole thing that bit more special.

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

D: I’d get rid of Simon Cowell. Maybe put him on that one-way trip to Mars everyone’s been talking about recently.

H: What advice would you offer aspiring music critics?

D: Get yourself out there. Contact your favourite magazines and blogs and offer your articles for free. Good content is so valuable to these guys, so you’ll probably be surprised at the responses you get. If you have a genuine passion for music, that will show in your work and you shouldn’t have any problems getting it published somewhere.

H: That’s all I have for you. Before I let you go however, are there any final thoughts or observations you would like to share with our readers?

D: Erm, go check out KZA’s latest album, Dig and Edit 2. We just interviewed him and the album is awesome 🙂

Categories
News

Blogger Spotlight: Mark Garza (Funeral Sounds)

Hello and welcome to the start of another exciting week on the official blog of Haulix. We have been preparing for March since the early days of 2014, and think you will be pretty impressed by the content we have in store. Our goals to inform and inspire the next generation of music industry professionals remains, but in the weeks ahead you will see content offering continue to expand. There is a lot more to understanding the music business than can be taught through advice and interview feature. Stick around and you’ll see what we mean. If you have an idea for this blog, or if you would like to learn more about the digital distribution services we offer at Haulix, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. If you prefer social media, feel free to reach out to us on Facebook and Twitter.

People create music blogs for many different reasons. Some want to be journalists, some want to get attention for their friends, some want a space to share the thoughts they think no one else wants to hear, and still others – usually terrible, moronic humans – start blogs to pirate music. They each have their unique reasons, but no matter how misguided their intentions may be they all share a desire to express their love of certain artists with anyone willing to listen.

Mark Garza started Funeral Sounds for a number a of reasons. First and foremost, he loved music and wanted to share that love with the world. Second, he was interested in discovering new music, which is extremely easy to do when running your own site. Third, and perhaps the most interesting reason of all, he wanted a launching pad for his own industry endeavors.

You see, Funeral Sounds is not your typical music blog. It’s also a record label.

We should clarify that statement and explain that Funeral Sounds is currently a blog and cassette label, but one day records may be involved as well. Cassettes are more affordable to press and create low risk investment situations for young entrepreneurs. Mark is only 15 himself, but his insight on what people want to hear is on par with many of his industry peers.

When I learned of Mark’s efforts I knew he needed to be featured on our blog. He may not have the years of experience or college level education possessed by many of our guests, but he has the drive and focus needed to succeed in this industry. He’s the perfect example of what the next industry of music industry professionals will look like and I, for one, could not be more excited to see what he does in the future.

If you would like to learn more about Mark’s efforts in music, make sure you take the time to follow Funeral Sounds on Twitter after reading the interview below. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: To begin, please tell everyone your full name, job title, and the site/company you’re here to discuss:

M: Mark Anthony Garza, Co-founder/Owner/CEO of Funeral Sounds, an online publication out of Houston, Texas.

H: Thank you for joining us, Mark. It’s a pleasure to feature you on our site. Tell me, what are the earliest memories you have of music?

M: I think one time in 4th or 5th grade I was going to be in the talent show with my friend Gary after my two other friends bailed and we were gonna sing Linkin Park. I had to make a CD with the instrumental of In The End and I had no idea how and I asked my sister’s friend and she gave me the wrong version so we couldn’t do it. I think Gary went on to sing Hotel California. Also, I couldn’t sing. 

H: Who are the first artists you can remember obsessing over, and how did you originally discover them? 

M: I always say Linkin Park got me into music and they really did. I think I heard In The End on the radio or MTV once or something. After that was either The Mars Volta or Circa Survive, they came kind of back to back. I found a burned TMV CD in my sister’s room and my neighbor would always be playing Circa Survive in his room and I always thought, “Wow, this is perfect, this is what I want in a band,” but I was too nervous to ask who it was. I ended up overhearing them say the band name and I googled “circus survive” and it worked.

H: Can you pinpoint any formative moments or experiences from your youth that steered you toward the pursuit of a career in the music industry?

M: After I got into post-hardcore/emo music, I met a lot of people with smaller, independent, DIY labels and being around that made me think that it didn’t take a ton of money to help musicians on that scale and that really inspired me to do something industry-wise. Also being around my brother and his band all the time always made me want to be involved in some way, though back in the formative years I always wanted to be a vocalist. I still can’t sing. 

H: What was your first concert experience like? Go on, paint us a mental picture. 

M: I don’t think there’s too much to say that I can remember. I say my first concert was Circa Survive although it was probably one of my brother’s shows way back before I can ever remember. There was a lot of people at this relatively small venue, we got there kind of late so we missed all the opening bands. This was I think in 2009 or 2010, they were touring with Dredg and Animals as Leaders, I was like 12. There was a lot of sweat and a lot of singing. Not much that I can really remember besides screaming all the lyrics as loud as I could and really feeling like everyone in that room was connected, as cheesy as that is. I bought a yellow shirt afterwards and I regret it. 

H: Let’s change our focus to your efforts in writing. When did you first consider exploring the world of music criticism, and how long was it from that point to the day you launched your site?

M: Maybe a month or so before. I mean, Funeral Sounds came from me and my friend/partner at the time Chase Jennewine. We’d always talk about startnig a music blog and it didn’t happen for a while until at some point one of us reminded each other on Facebook and we started a Blogspot under the name “Troo Scrums” which was a really dumb joke. We moved to tumblr the next day and changed the name to what it is now.

H: The name of your site, Funeral Sounds, is one that sticks in the mind. What is the story behind the name?

M: At the same time of starting FS, all Chase and I listened to was like 90s emo and really emotional/sad post-hardcore/screamo bands so we wanted something kind of dark and depressing. The name itself came out of spit balling, haha. I distinctly remember messaging someone “give me a name for my music blog. funeral music. funeral homes. dead homes. funeral sounds. wait, nvm”. It wasn’t really serious serious back then but I think the name really fits the music we tend to gravitate towards nowadays and I’ve grown quite fond of it, even if I have a lot of trouble pronouncing it for some reason.

H: Before we get to the other part of what you do, I want to discuss the site a bit more. Tell me, what type of music do you cover on Funeral Sounds?

M: That whole “emo revival” thing you keep reading about. I don’t think anyone at Funeral Sounds really agrees with the term though. We mostly cover post-hardcore/emo/punk as the name suggests but we try to cover everything we get. We have a couple writers that are really into indie (and two that are really into rap but one of them hadn’t even heard Madvillain until we told him about it so I have my doubts, haha.)

H: There are a number of great sites covering similar areas of music as yours right now. What do you think sets your site apart from the competition?

M: This is something the staff and I have discussed occasionally and I like to think there’s a degree of personality in our reviews that I haven’t really seen too much anywhere else. We try to be as professional as possible about our reviews without compromising our individual personalities and some of us let our humor and personalities into the review if the music calls for it. But, you know, maybe not. I just feel like we’re a lot friendlier and open to shitty phone demo recordings that the artist was too excited to try to mix or master at all. There’s an honesty to it that we appreciate and a lot of us aer musicians so that excitement when you finish a group of material, whether it be an EP or an album is something we relate to. That’s probably a better answer.

H: Your site is still relatively young, so I am not surprised to see the lack of advertising. Have you considered monetizing in the future? If so, how?

M: I have. I’ve considered advertising mostly to pay for label expenses since I’m not yet of age to get a job but by the time we ever get close enough to start advertising for independents/friends/artists we support I’ll have a job by then, hopefully, but it still won’t be out of the picture completely. It depends on the demand at that point really. 

H: Okay, now let’s get to the truly exciting stuff. Funeral Sounds is not just a blog – it’s a RECORD LABEL as well. Did you always plan to launch both projects, or did one come before the other?

M: The music blog came first and at some point I think a month after starting, Chase tagged me in a Facebook post and said “Let’s make FS a record label” and that was all it took. He had all the equipment and money so I just tried to help out as much as possible and I ended up taking the blog responsibilities and built our audience that way. I wish I could’ve helped more and I really, truly appreciate all that Chase has done for us and for me more than words can ever describe. My mom didn’t know about Funeral Sounds until we were a year and a half old which is always a funny story but if I told her earlier I probably would’ve been able to help Chase with the day to day expenses of starting a label, even if it is more-so a tape label. So yeah, thanks Chase. I love you man.

H: Were there any labels or groups that inspired you to start your own label? When did you first come up with this idea?

M: Tons. Like I said, we had a lot of label friends beforehand. I think most notably there was Dandy from Driftwood Records, Ashley from It’s a Trap! Records and Billy Brown from the now defunct Turn of the Century.

H: How many releases do you have out so far, and how many do you have confirmed for the future? You can feel free to include store links if you like. We want to help you promote. 

M: It’s all kind of gone. The past releases, I mean. We had about 9 and they all got lost in the mail when Chase was shipping me the rest of the product we had leftover as we were changing management and Chase left Funeral Sounds. It was really hard for us as a label in the beginning because of mailorder issues and time management and all that so we did a lot of stuff wrong and made a lot of mistakes so we went on hiatus for a while but I always hated the idea of a hiatus and eventually I got the money together to go at it by myself so we’re back again. Most of the past few months of starting up again has been making sure that we repair any relationships we may have damaged because of the problems we had during our first run. 

With all that out of the way, we have about 5 releases planned for the future and I’m more determined than anything to do everything right this time. They are mostly unannounced but we have two that are announced, Alomar (acoustic/folk punk), Heccra (a post-hardcore based experimental producer), and weak.(screamo from Halifax, Nova Scotia) that should be available for ordering sometime this week but all of them are available for streaming on our Bandcamp. Planning to announce the next two releases definitely before March ends. 

H: Running a blog and label seems pretty time consuming. How do you balance your responsibilities while still leading a normal life?

M: I don’t. I spend all my time with Funeral Sounds if I can do that without failing any classes, haha. Most of my time is spent recording tapes or answering emails and I think any of the free time I have goes to talking with all of our writers as they’ve become some of my closest friends. 

H: You have done a lot of cassette releases so far. Any plans for vinyl in the future?

M: We were actually looking up prices for vinyl yesterday. I have a plan in mind for a vinyl release but I don’t think it can be done anytime soon but it’s definitely a plan for the future, definitely a dream of mine. I like to think we can do it in summer but who knows. The more I research, the more realistic it seems. I can promise that we’ll have something on vinyl by the end of 2015, for what it counts.

H: What advice would you offer young people who may be reading this and considering pursuing their own career in entertainment?

M: From a business/industry standpoint, it’s all about who you know. Luckily, a lot of people are really nice and willing to help however they can, you just gotta take the chance and introduce yourself, whether by email or Facebook message (which I think is a little more personal). Be careful what bridges you burn and whose toes you step on. There’s a lot of ways to get in the industry, just find whatever suits you best and go for it. I think the independent side of music is a little more forgiving. 

H: What are your current career goals?

M: Release vinyl by the end of 2015. I hope to start writing for Under the Gun Review soon and hopefully that will give my PR company a little kick in the right direction. Hopefully buy a printer and stop using my apartment complex’s. Become self-sustaining, in a nutshell. I’ve also been working on our new website with a friend of mine who’s actually in weak. Does that count? 

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

M: How exclusive it all seems. How much profit plays a factor in everything. I mean, I get it but I don’t think enough people are alright with losing money for art you truly believe in and that’s kind of what the whole DIY/punk/emo scene that we associate with is all about. It may not be the most practical way to go about things or a good way to run a business but it’s honest and it’s pure and it’s damn well worth it.

H: What can you tell us about Funeral Sounds’ plans for the rest of 2014?

M: New website, better organization, more tapes, more emotional letters from yours truly. More music, as always.  

H: That’s everything I have for now. Before I let you go, are there any final thoughts or observations you would like to share with our readers? The floor is yours:

M: I truly believe that you can do anything you want to if you try hard enough and never give up. I used to really think that was just a dumb saying that parents told their kids so they’d suck it up but from first-hand experience, if you want something strong enough and you really put in the effort, it’ll come to you. Also, Funeral Sounds also has a quarterly webzine that we put out every three months that accepts submissions from all types of creatives: poems, short stories, reviews, interviews, photography, art, articles, anything artistic, really. The next one should be out at the end of March. See our website for more information on that. You can read the first one here. Thank you for your time and thank you for reading. Oh, and go check out my friend Billy at Too Far Gone Records.

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Blogger Spotlight: Byron Flitsch (MTV Buzzworthy)

Hello and welcome to the final Blogger Spotlight of the week. We started working on this particular features less than two weeks ago and are excited to see if go from idea to live on the site in such a short time. If you have any questions regarding the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more about our efforts here at Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook. 

Not long ago I was scrolling through the latest pop music headlines when I noticed a story on MTV’s Buzzworthy blog about Lorde joining Katy Perry and Ellie Goulding at a party. It was the kind of headline many music news snobs might throw shade on, but I could not help clicking to see what New Zealand’s seemingly apathetic songstress could possibly be up to in a club with pop’s dance club queens. The answer, as you can probably guess, was having a good time, like all sixteen-year-old millionaire vocalists do.

What I took away from that post about Lorde and her public attempts at coming out of her shell had nothing to do with the article itself. No, what I learned that afternoon was that someone at MTV could kick my ass as a writer. Someone on their contributing team is so gifted with wordplay that they can take something as dull and self-explanatory as a few late night photos of celebrities and create a blog post worth reading.

I knew immediately that we need to feature the author of that post on this blog, but before I reached out to Byron Flitsch I spent time getting to know more about him and his work. He writes about pop culture, yes, but he and his abilities extend much further than whatever is hot at radio right now. Byron is a mountain mover. He faces whatever challenges life throws his ways and conquers them, then figures out ways to do more for everyone around him. He’s as funny as he is smart, and as kind as he is talented. We’re thrilled to have him on the blog, and will waste no more time to getting to our interview.

If you would like to know more about Byron and his efforts in writing, please be sure to stop by his personal website and follow him on Twitter. You also need to read MTV Buzzworthy. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: To get us started, please tell everyone your name, job title, and a few of the places your work can be found:

B: Byron Flitsch, Freelance Contributor at MTV Buzzworthy/Freelance Writer/ Teacher/Traveler/Story-teller/ 

You can find me at http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/author/byronflitsch/   and my official clips/blog/fun stuff at www.byronflitsch.com. 

H: Thank you again for taking the time to speak with us, Byron. We are big fans of your work. Tell me, has music always played a very influential role in your life?

B: Thanks for being a fan. Does that mean I can start an official fan nickname? You know, Rihanna has her “Army” and Beyoncé has her Bey Hive. I’m going to work on this… I’m thinking “Byron’s Boos” What do ya think?

It’s funny, I was just having a conversation with a friend the other day about what my true passion is and aside from pop culture, dogs, and “Felicty” reruns.  I’ve really always loved music – especially pop music . 

Truth time: I used to write poetry back in the day (no really, I have like, seventeen-bazillion journals) and thought I’d write lyrics for a living. Music has always played a role in my life. It’s good for stirring emotions when you’re working on a story; it’s great to sing a long to when you’re trekking on road trips. Good music is essential to happiness and creativity. 

H: When you look back at your younger years, are you able to pinpoint in formative moments or experiences that steered you toward the career you have today? 

B: I wrote a story on my dad’s archaic work lap top about two dinosaurs falling in love when I was about eight. I remember reading it to my family and both my parents being like, “That’s funny! You’re good at writing. You should do more!” I remember thinking it was fun making things up and telling my own versions. I could lie and be applauded for it—GAME ON!

I also was the editor of my school newspaper and yearbook. I remember loving having stories to tell—whether it was about how bad the school lunches were for you or the senior section in the yearbook—I liked sharing words on the page. 

H: Who is the first artist you can remember obsessing over? How did you discover them? Go on, tell us a little about your earliest ‘fanboy moments.’

B: My first cassette tape I ever bought was Debbie Gibson and I remember memorizing every word, choreographing dances to it and pretty much being obsessed with it all. Speaking of creating choreographed dances, I also nailed routines to Janet Jackson, Madonna, and Whitney Houston. 

I  became obsessed with Alanis Morissette as I got older. I know every single word from “Jagged Little Pill” – Go ahead, test me! 

Fine. I’ll admit it! Things are about to get real here: Jewel. I WAS ALSO OBSESSED WITH JEWEL. 

H: You’re from Wisconsin initially, but like many in this area of the business have since transplanted to larger cities (first Chicago, now LA). Do you ever see yourself returning to small town life, or do you think you’ve become a lifelong city dweller?

B: Nope! No small town for me ever again. It’s not that I don’t miss some aspects of my Wisconsin upbringing (Shout out to my 4-H loves!), but I’m a big city guy now.  I love the variety, restaurants, culture, and the energy that the random nooks and neighborhoods that cities offer. Maybe it has to do with my love for travel and exploration, but the bigger the city, the more I feel connected to the place. 

H: You attended Columbia College and had a double major. One of those was Fiction Writing. Did young Byron picture himself penning the next great American novel?

B: I don’t think I ever pictured creating the next “Big American Novel”. OK, that’s a total lie. Well, maybe not such much an epic Hemmingway style, but like, a best seller so I could be a guest on “The Tonight Show” and talk about being a cool writer while wearing stellar fashions while I get interviewed.

I also did have a love for R.L. Stine and the Boxcar Children collection while growing up and always thought it would be awesome to inspire younger people to read.  

H: Let’s dive into your experience. What was your first ‘gig’ in the world of writing? Unpaid work counts. 

B: My first gig was as editor for a literary magazine, NOTA, at the first college I attended (I transferred three times!) in Eau Claire , WI. Some of my fondest memories are reading piles of submissions and then to the wee hours of the morning with my fellow editors. Oh, and we used to sponsor monthly open mics and I used to perform in them. 

I repeat: I used to run poetry readings in college. On Fridays. I used to spend Friday nights doing reading poetry I had written. I was that guy. 

My first journalistic/freelance gig was with a Chicago (now defunct) magazine, UR Chicago. I wrote a “single-guy-dating-in-the-city” style column that was first-person narrative of my life. It brought story telling and a journalistic-like approach to a gay person’s dating life. I got paid absolutely nothing to do it but still loved every single moment of writing it. 

H: How did your first writing internship/job outside school come together? 

B: I never had an official full-time writing job that wasn’t freelance, however, I did have A LOT OF FREAKING JOBS before I got the gigs I have now. Once I counted that I’ve had like, forty jobs since I was sixteen. That ranges from working in a movie store, shooting pictures of babies and families in a mall photography studio, waiter at a martini bar, wedding photographer, clothes folder, commercial actor, nanny, bartender, gym front-desk attendant, magazine salesman, office manager, museum docent and SO MANY (TOO MANY!) more.

I honestly believe all those jobs brought me to my writing and art. I did those jobs to stay financially afloat so I could concentrate on finding what I really wanted to do in life. So, in essence, all those jobs were like an internship. Each job taught me about myself, my work, my goals, and helped me pay rent.  They also kept me focused on mastering my love for making stuff so I NEVER HAVE TO GO BACK TO PICKING UP SWEATY TOWELS AT A GYM FRONT DESK. 

H: Your majors do not necessarily lend themselves to the world of entertainment journalism. Who or what initially inspired you to pursue a career in writing? Specifically, the entertainment journalism side of things.

B: My parents have always been supportive of my writing. Actually, many teachers through out middle and high school were as equally supportive. 

On the journalism side, one of my mentors/good friends/ Editor of Splash magazine at the Chicago Tribune, Molly Each (check her out at mollyeach.com, she’s brilliant), was the first to really introduce me to fun freelance writing. She helped me score a gig at a magazine in Chicago where I got to cover everything from local fashion parties to style and it allowed me to explore my writing interests while focusing on my writing voice. She’s really been the main supporter of my writing career and I couldn’t thank her enough for that!

I also have to shout out my partner who is the motivator of my writing. Having a guy that listens to me read him my original drafts to offer his opinion is love. Trust me, original draft listening isn’t often pretty. 

H: We discovered you through your efforts at MTV, but you have been published in a number of internationally recognized publications and blogs. Did you have any full time roles in the world of writing before becoming a freelancer? What lead you to step away from the ‘norm’ and dive into freelance?

B: I mentioned before that I never had an official full-time job in writing, but I did have a staffed position at a travel magazine called Where while living in Chicago. It’s one of those glossy mags you pick up in a hotel in major cities. I covered the shopping section each month. It was still freelance, but it had specific deadlines, meetings, and expectations much like a full-time job. 

I’ve been lucky to have so many opportunities to not have to get a full-time gig. Would I take a full-time job—absolutely, Especially if it was good one! But my dogs are resting on my feet as I gather my morning pitches as we speak and I couldn’t ask for a better office environment than that! 

H: How would you describe your writing style to people who may have never stumbled across your work before today?

B: I think it’s authentic to who I am in real life. It’s conversational, witty, punny, approachable, but it also takes many thoughtful introspective angles. It all really depends on what I’m writing for. My MTV voice is fun and sometimes sassy, my stories and essays can take a different, equally fun, tone. 

I always want my writing to speak to a reader with a confidence that makes them want to trust the reasons they chose to take the time to read and engage in my work. However, I also want to offer an authentic vulnerability that makes them feel that I’m just like them and trying to figure out how what the heck this life is about while we all live together on a giant rock called “Earth” that’s just chilling in space. 

Translation: I like to write like how I converse when I am on my second glass of wine at a dinner party—Buzzy  without the sloppy slurring. 

H: Without going too in-depth, please walk us through a normal work day:

B: I wake up and stalk pop stars on Instagram (I pitch a lot of photo interest stories to MTV), hit up a coffee shop for breakfast, feed the pups, hit the MTV Buzzworthy blog to get my stories in as soon as possible (Most of the time, our pieces ask for quick turn around). I take my dogs on a long walk to the dog park so I can clear my head, think about what’s next in the day or get inspired. (Seriously, go to a dog park if you’re every frustrated with work –creative or not. Seeing dogs live up life, chilling with each other and barking because it feels good is the best way to realize that no matter what you do today, it’s pretty awesome to have the chance to do it. )

Later, I work on my book(s) I’m writing, search the Internet for funny stuff to post on my friend’s Facebook walls, search for GIFs that properly express my feelings. Then I spend time searching for places to send my literary work, work on more personal work, search for more GIFs that express my feelings.  

H: Beyond paychecks and steady work, how do you measure your success in writing?

B: There is nothing more gratifying than when a random reader sends me a twitter message or email saying “I loved your work!”  Even more special is when someone contacts me to say how an essay or story I wrote changed their life, made them decide to do something they were on the fence about, or made them feel confident knowing they weren’t alone in an experience I also once had myself. 

I had a teenager read a story of mine that talked about being in the closet in a small town and said that it saved him from doing something drastic to his life. To me, stories that connect us to people we have never met and probably will never meet, is the power of the writer. I feel fortunate enough to have that gift and chance to connect to others. Sometimes that connection with others is about Rihanna; sometimes that connection is about changing someone’s perception on life. 

H: You do a lot of work outside the world of journalism as well. From storytelling events, to teaching, and even running The Everyday Gay. As someone who seems to have done or created everything he’s wanted, what goals do you have for the future? What areas of writing and entertainment would you like to pursue further, or perhaps look into for the first time?

B: I’ve been the luckiest dude ON THIS PLANET when it comes to the chances I’ve gotten with my work. Partaking and winning The Moth, being a part of 2nd Story in Chicago (check them out: www.2ndstory.com), being published in anthologies and working with so many talented editors in the media business have all been amazing gifts that I will never take for granted. 

BUT I WANT MORE! 

I’m currently working on my book, collecting short stories for another idea, concentrating on my essay collection and have a dream of writing a children’s book (or collection of those). I’ve always had a dream of being a travel show television host—not giving up on that.  I used to do on camera acting/commercial work and loved the scene and I think there’s a great way to tell stories. 

H: A lot of the people reading this are young writers currently starting out in, or at least considering beginning a career in the world of journalism/criticism. What advice would you offer these people to help further their efforts?

B: There’s the classic advice like, “Stick to it!” or “Don’t get frustrated when you don’t get published!”  Those are always legit. 

However, I’m going to serve up some professional advice realness: Meet your deadlines. I don’t care who or what you’re writing for, don’t be that person that is always late with copy or doesn’t turn around a re-write for a literary magazine on time. It’s rude, it frustrates editors, and that bad reputation will get around to other editors. It may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many professional writers don’t stay on deadline. I’ve actually gossiped with editors about writers that are like this and how they are chucked to the bottom of lists during assignment time. 

Also, be nice to your editors. THEY WORK THEIR BUTTS OFF and are under a lot of stress. Trust me. Just like any other job, being a freelance writer is about maintaining graces and understanding that it’s not all about you. I am so grateful for all the editors I’ve ever worked with during my career. It’s a collaboration that has taught me to be a better writer.

H: What is your favorite article you’ve written recently? If you have two, go ahead and share both.

B: My favorite article would have to be about Lady Gaga meeting the infamous “YAAAS Gaga” fan! http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2014/02/18/lady-gaga-yas-gaga-fan/

I also want to give a shout out to two stories collections I’m in: 

Finally, I’m in two books: http://www.amazon.com/Briefly-Knocked-Unconscious-Low-Flying-Duck/dp/0984670068

http://www.amazon.com/Windy-City-Queer-LGBTQ-Dispatches/dp/0299284042/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393435876&sr=1-1&keywords=dispatches+from+the+windy+city

H: I noticed on your personal website there is a pie chart about the things you quote the most, with Sex & The City taking up 50% of the image. Do you think there should be a third film, or did the sequel spoil all the fun? I still tell people I’m a Miranda.

B: I am not joking when I say that I will write, direct, and do whatever it takes to get that third SATC film out in to the world. It needs to be finished. I wasn’t a fan of the second film, but we need the completion. GIVE IT TO US NOW, PARKER. 

H: Looking ahead to the rest of 2014, do you have any projects or special events planned you can share with us? 

B: As I mentioned before I’m just working on my book. I’m also hoping to get back in to live storytelling. You can follow my twitter (@byronjflitsch) to get those details or check out my site.

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

B: We need to tone down the epic “It’s coming”  build up of albums. So many pop stars build up their forthcoming music via their social media accounts or with such gigantic buzz and then the music comes and we’re like, “meh.” 

When Beyoncé dropped her latest masterpiece out of nowhere the world STOPPED. They weren’t expecting it so we dropped everything to listen to it to build our own expectations. I think that’s a part of music we have lost—building our own expectations and not using all the hoopla to get us to create our own opinion.  I think surprising fans is more of a statement than wooing them.

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Industry Spotlight: Kim Kelly

Hello, everyone. Welcome to the first and only Blogger-Meets-Publicist spotlight you will see on this blog all week. It’s a rare treat that we have the opportunity to sit down with someone as engrained in the industry as the person at the center of today’s feature, and the insight she has to share is something you do not want to miss. If you have any questions regarding the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more about our efforts here at Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

One of the beautiful things about building this blog has been the way our coverage of various people and sites has allowed us to network with an even larger community of writers critics, artists, and music fans than we ever imagined. By watching readers share and discuss our stories we have been able to work towards creating content more suited to your interests, and one thing you have made abundantly clear is this: You want to know more about people who balance multiple roles in this industry. We have spent the past several weeks seeking out the brightest minds who currently juggle roles with two or more companies, and in the weeks ahead we plan to profile many of them in our ‘Industry Spotlight’ series, starting this afternoon with the one and only Kim Kelly.

Over the last decade Kim Kelly has engrained herself so far into the world of hard rock and metal that she’s appeared in or on essentially every major music publication with influence in the world of rock. Pitchfork, Noisey, Terrorizer, The Atlantic, The Quietus – you name it and there is a good chance Kim has written for them. She is also the founder of Catharsis PR, which has aided some of the best and brightest young minds in music to gain additional exposure in recent years. In the interview below she tells us how it all came to be, and it’s a journey unlike any we have ever shared before.

I must admit before we dive in that this interview is a bit unique in that my initial research on Kim proved to have some errors. There is time and effort put in to learning the story of every one of our guests before our interviews commence, but sometimes information slips through the cracks. Fortunately for us, Kim was a good sport and didn’t rag on us too hard for our errors.

If you would like to learn more about Kim Kelly, we highly suggest you follow her everyday thoughts and observations via Twitter. You should also check out Catharsis PR. Any additional questions or comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: Before we begin, would you please tell everyone your full name, job title, and a few publications where your work can be found:

K: My name is Kim Kelly. I’m the assistant editor of Iron Fist Magazine and a frequent contributor to Pitchfork as well as to numerous other publications (Noisey, Spin, NPR, Decibel, Kerrang, the Atlantic, the Quietus, the Wire, Fader, Metalsucks, Myspace, et cetera). In addition, I write the ‘Ravishing Grimness’ column in Terrorizer Magazine.

H: Thank you for joining us, Kim. When you look back at your life and consider the formative moments that steered you toward the career you have today, what memories comes to mind?

K: Listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd in my Dad’s pickup truck, spending most of high school sneaking out to metal & punk gigs in Philly with my best friend Kelly, the first time I heard Bathory, working as a DJ and loud rock director at my college radio station, interning at Metal Maniacs, starting my publicity company Catharsis PR, holding the first issue of Iron Fist, being asked to write for Pitchfork, moderating a panel on extreme metal & feminism at SXSW, speaking in front of the Tilburg city council at last year’s Incubate festival…they’ve all been important steps along the way. The first time I saw my name in print and then the first time I was paid for my writing, now those were big ones. I still get excited about those.

H: Who was the first artist you remember obsessing over, and how did you originally discover them?

K: I got really into Nirvana when I was an angsty fourteen-year-old weirdo, then really, really into Cannibal Corpse when I was a slightly older, marginally less angsty weirdo. My mom used to play her Nirvana CDs in the car, and one day, it finally clicked. I found Cannibal Corpse on my own, and immediately became enthralled by death metal, goregrind, and assorted gleefully brutal shit for the next few years.

H: Does that fascination continue to this day?

K: I still like them both, but my interest has faded and musical preferences have shifted. Thou’s Nirvana covers give me shivers, though.

H: Let’s turn the focus to writing for a moment. When did you first look at the world of journalism and criticism as a possibility for your future?

K: Reading Metal Maniacs was huge for me as a kid, because every time I’d open it up to see Liz Ciavarella listed as the Editor, I’d daydream about someday seeing my name in the same place. It became my goal in life to get published in that magazine (I pulled it off when I was 19, but that’s another story). Seeing that month after month eventually made me realize that, hell, why couldn’t I write for them? If Liz, whomever she was, could rise to the very top, why couldn’t I at least paddle around a bit in the shallows? This was years before I became real-life friends with Liz; I’m still a little embarrassed about how starstruck I was when we first met, but she’s continued to be a huge inspiration.

I went into it hoping that I could combine the two things I loved most – music and writing – and with a ton of hard work and lots of good luck, perhaps find some measure of success. I’m not good at much else, so I thought it was worth a go. My original plan was to become a Senator, but then I fell in love with Bathory and ruined everything!

H: [I believe] Your writing career began, like many today, online. Where did you discover Pivotal Rage Webzine, and how long were you a reader before joining the team? What can you tell us about the application process?

K: My career did not begin online. My career began in print, in 2003. I started out writing about politics for my school paper as well as for my local newspaper, the Burlington County Times, and continued in that vein until the day my editor slid me a nondescript metalcore CD and said, “You’re into this kind of thing, right? Want to write a review?” Turns out the CD was rubbish but the music writing thing came fairly naturally. When I was sixteen I hooked up with Pivotal Rage (at the urging of my friend Alexi Front) by sending in some writing samples and crossing my fingers. They asked me to join, and I spent a few years writing reviews and such for them as well as a few other small webzines. I am very grateful to them, but am sort of glad you can’t find any of those websites anymore ‘cause I was nowhere near as clever as I thought.

H: My research shows that your magazine gig in writing came from BAST in 2006. How did that opportunity come together, and what can you tell us about the role Martha Hughes played in making it all possible?

K: That’s not quite correct. I wrote one or two articles for BAST, which was a Bay Area metal fanzine edited by “Black Metal Martha” Hughes. We got in touch via Myspace (lol 2006) and I convinced her to give me a shot. My first proper print magazine gig was Hails & Horns Magazine, which has since been resurrected as New Noise Magazine by my wonderful and supremely capable editor Lisa Root. She let me run wild through those pages, and through that gig, I got to know a lot of the publicists, labels, and writers I still work with to this day. Thanks, Lisa.

H: How would you describe your writing style?

K: Passionate and conversational, I guess? Unless I’m in serious music journalist/critic mode, I just write how I talk. I am pretty excitable and have a big vocabulary ‘cause I read too much, so, there we go. I tend to inadvertently use a weird hodgepodge of slang terms ‘cause I’ve traveled a ton and my boyfriend is English. It’s really all a big mess. I probably curse too much, too.

H: We should mention you also worked in other areas of music around this time. Specifically, you had a role in publicity with MAD Dragon, as well as a promotions title with Candlelight Records. Did you pursue writing before going after these areas of the industry, or did they all develop around the same time?

K: I’ve always been a writer. I was involved with MAD Dragon because it was part of my coursework at college. My school, Drexel, had its own record label, and my music business concentration landed me right in the thick of it. I also had a wonderful experience working with Paula and Steve at Candlelight Records, but eventually had to leave my position there in order to concentrate on my schoolwork. I wouldn’t be opposed to another label job in the future if the right opportunity came along, but, I’m happy where I am now.

H: In recent years you have continued to write while also pursuing a career in publicity (Catharsis PR). When did you decide to step out on your own in the PR world, and how do you balance the demands of both roles?

K: I started Catharsis PR during the summer of 2008. It’s been a tough climb, and I’ve learned a lot of hard lessons, but it’s been worth it to see my work create a positive impact in the lives and careers of the incredible musicians I’m lucky enough to represent. Five years later, it’s going better than I could’ve ever imagined. The gamble paid off. Sure, it can get difficult to keep up with both writing and PR. I’m usually super stressed and working on a hundred things at once, but once you’ve accepted chaos as a way of life, it gets easier. No rest for the wicked, right?

H: Has there ever been a time when you faced a conflict of interest as a result of your roles in both PR and journalism?

K: A lot of writers also do PR. It’s tricky, but it’s doable. It’s important to find a balance, and to realize that sometimes hard decisions will need be made and that ethics must take precedence over anything else.

H: Without going too in-depth, please walk us through a normal day at work:

K: Wake up, answer emails, tea, more emails, tea, write some things, work on PR stuff, bother my boss on Gchat, update social media sites for my clients, remember to eat something, send pitches to editors, delete press releases about lame bands, reply to press releases about rad bands, write more, more PR stuff, realize it’s gone dark outside, make dinner with my dude, then either stay in to work all night or go out. Repeat. I try to keep a am/pm10-7ish schedule, but, it never works. The concept of “free time” makes me anxious, so I suppose it’s for the best.

H: Beyond paychecks and bylines, how do you measure your personal success?

K: There are a few publications I’ve always wanted to write for, and slowly but surely, I’m checking them off the list one by one. It’s also immensely satisfying to slave over a piece of writing for hours on end and then, once it’s published, see it receive a positive response from people you respect or, even better, from the band itself.

Besides that, I’ve got interviews with Loretta Lynn and Attila Csihar lined up for next month so I’m pretty much set for life.

H: What advice would you offer up and coming writers considering a career in music?

K: Don’t.

But, if you’re truly determined, start a blog and write every day for a few years until you’re confident in your work, then start pitching other outlets. Don’t be afraid to follow up. Keep your day job ‘cause you ain’t gonna make much money doing this, but don’t let anyone shortchange you, either. Remember that your work has value.

Oh, and don’t be a dick.

H: There have been a number of people who have suggested there is no longer a need for professional music critics in an age where everyone is given a voice through social networks. Do you feel they still have a place in the world?

K: At this point I think it’s just as valuable to bring attention to new, undiscovered, or obscure bands as it is to bathe a big album by Metallica or whatever in oceans of music criticism. There is so much music out there that it’s impossible to listen to everything. Writers should act as guides, by seeking out and then steering folk towards those hidden gems. I don’t care about what the big bands are doing; plenty of people are willing to write about them, and that’s fine. I’m interested in the other stuff, the ugly, loud, violent stuff. The more people I can expose to that, the better. If I can turn one person on to Crom Dubh, Sortilegia, or Nightfall, my job is done.

H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which distribution platforms do you prefer and why?

K: Don’t be coy, you and I both know that yours is the best. I especially like the streaming feature, ‘cause I don’t like downloading things and my apartment is already a nightmarish morass of books, records, and mountains of CDs leftover from the early days when labels would mail out promos by the sackful. I’m so glad that that practice has died out; cheers for ushering that along, Haulix!

H: Speaking of listening to music for coverage consideration, do you have any advice for the independent artists reading this in hopes of learning how better navigate the industry?

K: Do your research before contacting a writer or publication – find out what they cover and try to gauge how well you’d fit into their tastes or aesthetic before trying to cop a review. Be professional (i.e. don’t bug editors/writers on Facebook!). Work hard. Tour harder. Pay for a good recording. Learn how to swallow your pride, and also how to stand up for yourself. Understand that you will almost definitely never be rich, but that the memories you make doing this will probably be worth more. Remember to use BCC. Do not try to sell me on your fucking indie pop record.

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

K: Bury the concept of “The Hottest Chicks…” in anything forfuckingever. Sexism is not metal.

I also wish bands were compensated more fairly for their hard work, and that the music industry was less concerned with jerking itself off and more interested supporting quality music.

H: You have accomplished quite a bit over the last decade. Looking ahead, what career goals are you currently focused on?

K: I’m working on a book proposal and a few other projects, but honestly, at this point my biggest goal is to get published in a something my grandparents have heard of. NPR? Nope. Spin? “What is that?”
I thought I’d struck gold with the Guardian, but no such luck. Does American Rifleman have a music section? Maybe I can try them next…

H: I believe that covers everything. Do you have any final thoughts or observations you would like to share with our readers?

K: Thanks for the interview, James. Everyone else is invited to check out my new blog, Necrolust (www.necrolustzine.com), and fight me on Twitter @grimkim. Send me a link to your band if you sound like Hellhammer, Appalachian Terror Unit, or Skepticism (otherwise, please don’t).

Life is too short for second best…and if you are a false, don’t entry.

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News

Blogger Spotlight: Daniel Gallegos (Dread Music Review)

Hello and welcome to a brand new week of music industry advice and insight on the official blog of Haulix. We have been preparing all month for the days ahead, and could not be more excited to finally share the content we have in store with all of you. From interview to advice, everything you love about this blog will be making an appearance in the very near future. If you have any questions regarding the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more information about the services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

There are many types of music critics in this world. Some people love to hear themselves talk, others feel they have a mission to prove one genre is better than all the rest, and still others critique for the sake of finding the best music anywhere in the world. Genre does not matter. Age does not matter. If they have an audience, these critics want to know why. They dedicate themselves to the pursuit of the most memorable, catchy, infectious, and downright unforgettable audio offerings ever created. They are a rare breed of writer, and we are fortunate enough to have one of their brightest minds with us today.

For the better part of the last three years Daniel Gallegos has served as founder, editor, and sometimes photographer of The Dread Music Review. The goal of these efforts has not been to preach about one genre of music, or to say one group is better than the other, but to show the world all music is awesome and worth hearing. Through music reviews, live coverage, editorials, and little bit of everything in between, Daniel explores the wide reaching world of music so casual listeners can enjoy the latest greatest offerings from around the globe. His mission is one we applaud, and we are honored to have him take part in this series.

If you would like to learn more about Daniel Gallegos and the efforts of The Dread Music Review, please take time today to follow the site on Facebook. additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: Please tell everyone your full name, job title, and the site you’re going to discuss with us today:

D:Hey James! My name is Daniel Gallegos, owner, writer, and sometimes photographer for the DreadMusicReview.com.

H: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Daniel. I’m excited to learn about your journey in this business. Tell me, has music always played a major role in your life?

D: My father always told us ‘Music is the voice of the universe’, He was very musically talented and ensured music was always a part of our lives growing up.

H: Who was the first artist you can remember obsessing over, and how did you initially discover them?

D: I believe it was 1985 or maybe 1986, RunDMC broke the music barrier by covering Aerosmith’s ‘Walk This Way’ which came up randomly on MTV. I ended up not only learning every single song by RunDMC, but also Aerosmith, and began to understand how diverse the world of music really was.

H: Do you remember the first concert you attended? Go on, tell us a little about that experience:

D: The first memorable concert i went to was the Rolling Stones Steel Wheels Tour, in Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. We had flown from Albuquerque to LA just to see the Stones play. It was a fast unplanned weekend trip my dad put together in just a few days, because he wanted me to see one of his favorite bands while they were still touring. The Stones played 3 shows in 3 nights, we were there for two of them, i believe this was back in 1989. I actually spent that Halloween on the beach with my ears still ringing from the concerts.

H: We’re mainly here to discuss your working in writing, so it’s only fair we dive into your history there as well. Can you pinpoint any formative moments or experiences you had growing up that may have steered you towards a life of music criticism?

D: I have always had a love for music, I have found that while most my friends growing up stuck with listening to one genre, or style of music, i always wanted to hear, and experience more. I was the kid always flipping through the stations, looking for the songs that felt right, and sounded perfect.

H: Where did you get your first taste of writing professionally?

D: in 2008, I was photographing events for the now defunct ArizonaReview, taking photos for Nubia Calvillo’s articles. We actually sat down after one event, looking over my images and discussing how we wanted to place them in a way that told their own story along with hers. I sat down and wrote out what i saw, and how it made me feel. from that point on, writing about shows just became an obsession.

H: Onto the site. Would you please tell us the origin story behind Dread Music Review? You are, after all, known by many as ‘Mr. Dread.’

D: I spent a very long time wrestling with the decision to make my own site. Running a website is hard work, and takes a degree of dedication that is incredibly amazing to maintain. I had spent months looking for companies i would like to write for, but i couldn’t seem to find anything that seemed to resonate with the non-biased form i had grown to love in the ArizonaReview. I discussed making my own site with some writers, photographers, PR agencies and labels and decided to push forward with the idea of launching a site, with the goal of not just sticking with one genre of music, and to be open to all forms of musical expression. While brainstorming ideas, one of my phone ringtones went off, it was a sound-clip from “The Princess Bride”, so i looked at that movie for inspiration, and went forward with the Dread Music Review name.

H: We should address the nickname. When did you first begin using the pseudonym Mr. Dread?

D: That credit goes to my daughter, Bonnie, after discussing the name I had chosen for the site, she began calling me “Mr. Dread” and it just stuck, so i integrated it into the DMR.

H: What were your initial goals when DMR launched, and how have they changed or evolved in the years since?

D: The goal of the DMR has always been the same: we want to share with the the world all music. The goal isn’t to preach about one genre of music, or to say one group is better than the other, its to show the world all music is awesome and worth hearing.

H: How would you describe the content offered by DMR to people who have never visited the site?

D: I would have to tell them that we are lovers of all forms of music, and share all that we can, and if they check out our site, they will more than likely find something that will be interesting to them.

H: The competition in the field of digital music journalism has ballooned in recent years. What do you feel sets DMR apart from the rest of the sites vying for clicks?

D: I do my best to find local writers and photographers for events. I have found that if you invest in local people to go to shows and events and to take photos and write reviews, they bring their own cities/colleges and areas with them to the site.

H: Looking at the site now, I notice that you have pretty much no advertising whatsoever. Have you attempted to monetize that site at all? If not, do you have plans to do so in the future?

D: I have wrangled with the idea of selling advertisements, and even using resources like Google ads, or other pay per click ad banner companies. But, so many sites already have all the same advertisements and banners and “click here"s and pop-ups. I have found that ads distract from the content. I want DMR readers to read about music, and events and check out artists, not wrestle with ads. As much as i would love to see the DMR make money via ads, i would rather have a clutter and ad free environment for our readers. In the future, i would like to be able to offer concert and event tickets, and even work in advertisements for our DreadMerchStore, but at the moment it just seems like a bad idea.

H: Besides traffic and continued access to press materials, how do you measure the success of your efforts with DMR?

D: I went to a show in Phoenix, Az, a local band was on stage, and they actually told the crowd about the awesome interview their drummer had given to the DreadMusicReview. The pride in the knowing that band recognized the DMR onstage and was excited about being featured in it has been the standard of how i measure the DMR’s success. we dont do it to be "successful”, we do it to help the artists get out there and become just a little bit more well known.

H: What advice would you offer to up and coming writers who are currently considering a career in music joualism/criticism?

D: Keep at it. Set some goals and don’t stop until you reach them, then make some more and keep that train rolling. Always follow up, even if it is days or weeks later, keep communication going; Your career and that of the artists you feature are dependent on how well you communicate with those in your industry.

H: When it comes to receiving music for review/feature consideration, which distribution platforms do you prefer and why?

D: I have found Haulix to be an absolute godsend! I get an email from a band or PR agency with a Haulix link to content from the band and everything i need is right there at my disposal. I sometimes get links to soundcloud, or other music sharing sites or even just youtube, but being able to have everything bundled up and readily available saves so much time.

H: Beyond continuing to develop DMR, what career goals have you set for yourself?

D: I plan on expanding the Dread family, i have recently started a new project, the DreadMovieReview, still in its infancy and beta stage, along with a band merch site to offer products to artists to sell to their fans at wholesale prices.

H: Is there any area of the music industry you have yet to dabble in that interests you? On the flip side, are you active in any areas we may not have discussed in this interview?

D: Eventually, i would like to move into the PR aspect of the music industry, there are so many awesome PR agents out there that have taught me so much, and some that go above and beyond, like Tom George from Fixit, or Mike from Earshot, they are always there for whatever us writers need. I would love to learn as much as i can from their side of the industry.

H: If you could change one thing about the music business, what would it be?

D: I would like to see less festivals and more intimate events. But there is such a demand for festivals, it would be along time coming to see that kind of change.

H: There are a number of young artists reading this who hope to one day be featured on sites such as yours. What advice would you offer them on advancing their careers in the modern music landscape?

D: Get yourself out there, submit your music and bios to every site you find, and network as much as you can, the friend you meet today could be the person hyping your record to all his friends tomorrow! Also, invest in a good PR agency. They will help you reach as many potential fans as you can.

H: Looking ahead to the rest of 2014, are there any major changes or evolutions coming to DMR? Tell us what lies on the horizon.

D: I am planning on bringing live concert streams to the DMR in June, hopefully streaming EDM festivals as well. My goal is to have the DMR be the place to go to for up to date information on new and current artists.

H: Okay, I think that covers everything. Before I let you go, do you have any final thoughts or observations you would like to share with our readers? The floor is yours:

D: The best thing i can say is always move forward. Plan ahead and you will come out ahead.

Categories
News

Blogger Spotlight: Cassie Whitt (Alternative Press)

Hello and welcome to the final Blogger Spotlight of the week. We realize it’s only Wednesday, but we have so much content ready to release that it’s time to put this column on the shelf for a bit. Before we do however, we are delivering one of the most requested interviews we have ever received. 

If you have any questions regarding the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more information about the services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Those who find lasting success in the music industry often do so because they have fully committed to their craft. They find the power to shake off whatever self-imposed barriers to success stand in their way and do everything in their power to forge a path entirely their own towards the goals they have set for themselves. They may turn to others for advice and reassurance, but no one can do the work for them.

The burden of purpose is one only you can carry, and in order to succeed you have to be prepared to commit all the time you have available to the pursuit of professional happiness. You can accept no substitute. There is a place for you in this world and you are working towards it.

Cassie Whitt accepted the challenges that come with a career in music when she decided to launch her own blog in 2008, but her pursuit of a life in music actually began several years earlier in 2004. That was the year Cassie, then 14, first discovered My Chemical Romance. Their music helped Cassie turn her life around, and in doing so exposed her to the true power music can possess. She knew then she needed to do something to help others find music that would eventually change their lives, and the rest – as they say – is history.

These days Cassie can be found around the offices of Alternative Press Magazine where she serves the publication’s web content manager. She loves her job and continues to help connect people with talented artists on a daily basis. We’ve been receiving requests to feature her story since late November and could not be more excited to finally be able to share her adventure.

If you would like to learn more about Cassie and her undying love for all things My Chemical Romance, please make it a point to follow both her and Alternative Press on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: Hello! Before we dive in, would you please tell everyone your name, job title, and the publication(s) you currently work for:

C: My name is Cassie Whitt. I’m the Web Content Manager for Alternative Press.

H: Thanks again for taking part in this series. We like to begin by getting a little background information about everyone. When you think of your earliest memories with music, what comes to mind?

C: I always think of running errands with my grandmother and listening to Patsy Cline cassettes in the car when I was a three or four years old. On the cover art of one of the tapes, Cline actually looked like my grandma, so I grew up singing “I Fall To Pieces,” “Crazy” and “Walkin’ After Midnight” with her—a part of me thinking the whole time my Meme actually was Patsy Cline. Later, in high school, when I joined choir, Patsy Cline was the reason I was thrilled to be an alto. I have a soft spot for classic country, especially Johnny Cash, because of my grandparents.

H: What was the first album you purchased with your own money? Do you still own it today?

C: I believe the first “album” I purchased was actually the Backstreet Boys’ Millennium on cassette. Haha! That was back when new releases would first go onsale in stores in cassette format, and nine-year-old me couldn’t wait to have it. I don’t think I have any of my cassettes anymore (I believe Spice Girls were also in the collection, if that gives you any idea of my awesome taste in third grade.) I do, however, still have Eiffel 65’s Europop on CD and still know all the words to every song. Yikes!

H: Can you pinpoint any specific time or moment in life when you made the conscious decision to pursue a life in music?If so, can you tell us about it?

C: In 2004, I discovered My Chemical Romance at dire time in my life. I was 14, miserable and desperately needed some sort of positive intervention. MCR provided a guiding light for me, showed me hope and–in a pretty drastic way–helped me turn my life around. They showed me the real power of music and how it could effect significant change in individuals and in the world. 

Because they helped me and because I knew music had the power to help people, I then knew that I wanted to help others. I knew I had strength in my ability to write, so I wanted to use my writing to bring musicians and fans together or to help people discover the music that could change their lives the way it changed mine.

H: Let’s touch on your history with writing for a moment. What were your earliest efforts in writing outside of school?

C: Before I even knew how to spell, I used to dictate stories to my grandmother who would type them for me on my grandfather’s typewriter. Growing up, I spent a lot of time at his desk typing away, giving life to the worlds in my head. I actually didn’t have Internet or a computer until I was in middle school. I first started blogging when I was 12 or 13. Back then, it was very diary-style and bleak. I’m glad the first blogging site I was a member of has since died. Haha!

H: Who or what inspires you as a writer?

C: Living, my environment and just really observing and interpreting the world around me. My brain is always full–sometimes too full–and that’s where writing comes in. It’s a way to get some of it out.

H: Okay, onto your life today. When did you first join the AltPress team, and what can you tell us about the application process?

C: I joined the AP team as an intern in the summer of 2012. It was my final requirement for graduation, and I was very persistent, because it was my dream internship, and I had resolved myself not to settle for anything less. I joined the team as an official staff member the fall following my internship. Because I had shown them I was proficient at handling the site when I was an intern, they called me back on a temporary basis, then they must have liked my direction for the site, because they kept me on!

H: What was your experience in music blogging prior to AP?

C: I started my music blog, CassieTheVenomous.com in 2008 when I had just started J-School. My Chemical Romance were between album cycles at the time and a lot of the mainstream music media were doing a really shitty job covering them. It’s super-important to me to keep my favorite band’s history well-preserved and accurate, so I started my blog as a niche news site to give MCR fans better information than what was available to us at the time. 

I was also the Blogs Editor for the then newly formed editorial department of our student-run rock radio station, ACRN.com. There, I oversaw a staff and a pool of niche blogs and began contributing content that was closer to the AP scene than to CMJ to their site. I did one of my first large interviews for ACRN, actually, with Andy Biersack of Black Veil Brides circa 2009 because I could sense their impending explosion.

H: Speaking of the term blogger, that brings up a question we tackle a lot: Do you consider yourself a blogger or journalist? Both? People seem to put a lot of weight in these titles.

C: When I’m blogging, I’m a blogger. Terms are relative, and I think they’re dependent on the platform and on what you prefer to call yourself. When writing for AP, I definitely don’t consider what I’m doing blogging unless I’m literally writing a blog-style Op-Ed.

H: Without going too into detail, could you run us through a typical day at work for you?

C: My job is very much about conceptualizing and realizing, and I wear many hats as one of only two people in my larger department dedicated solely to web. I curate, create or direct much of the content you see on AltPress, so my days vary based on which project needs the most attention, and keeping the wheels of the site constantly turning. 

H: The world of music blogs has exploded in recent years, with competition for traffic and content growing fiercer by the day. AltPress has remained on top throughout however, and it shows no signs of changing any time soon. What do you think it is about the content offered by AP that keeps it ahead of the competition?

C: I grew up reading AP and I’m still amazed every day I come into the office and get to walk the wall of framed magazines and just be surrounded by the amazing history that has been built here. To me, it’s an honor to work here, and I want to maintain our website in a way that makes everyone proud and that continues the legacy we’ve built on a new platform. 

There are members of our staff who have worked in music media longer than I’ve been alive. That experience and wisdom is invaluable, and because I’m young enough to be a peer to our audience, I can take that wisdom and shape it in a way I know the people who come to AltPress.com will relate to. I think it’s less about traffic and more being human and listening to the people who take the time to visit your site and making sure you’re not cheating them with sub-par content.

H: As someone who writes news in addition to features, you generate a wealth of original content every day of the week. How do you measure success and/or progression in your career?

C: There’s not a mathematical bone in my body, so numerical measurements mean zilch to me. I see a story as a success when people make an effort to reach out to me about it personally or when someone wants to further a discussion based on an article I wrote. For me, success is about connecting, entertaining, inspiring and informing. If I can make someone laugh or think differently about a subject with a piece I write, that’s a success. 
 
H: The role AltPress has played in breaking new alternative bands goes without saying, but I am a bit curious about your discovery efforts. When you want to find new bands for the site, where do you turn?

C: I actually “scout” many of the bands we put in the AP&R section of the magazine these days. I don’t think you can be active on the web in the music world and not discover new bands. It happens everywhere you go. I usually just stumble across bands through the people I interact with. I’ve actually found a fair few of our AP&R bands from perusing YouTube. If I see a band name I don’t recognize, I Google it automatically. I’m super-curious and love learning, so I kind of can’t help myself!

H: Keeping with the theme of new artists, what advice would you offering musicians out there currently hoping to earn a bit of digital space on your site?

C: Just reach out! My inbox is always open, and it may take a couple nudges to get my attention, but if your music is good, it will receive fair consideration for feature from the other editors and me. We usually have a bit of a hierarchy for features (AP&R first, secondary coverage afterward), but if you blow us away, you stand a chance. Don’t be intimidated.

H: In addition to the albums that appear in the physical magazine, you run a wealth of reviews online. When it comes to receiving music for review and preview purposes, which services do you prefer and why?

C: Am I not supposed to put Haulix here? Because I honestly really like Haulix. Haha!

H: What is the biggest misconception people have about life in the music industry?

C: I think the biggest misconception about AP specifically within the music community is that we’re this big, scary monster that lives in a sky scraper in either New York or Los Angeles. We literally have five people total in our editorial department and exist in a warehouse in Cleveland. Haha! It’s not glamorous, and it’s nowhere close to being easy, but there’s nothing in the world I’d rather do. 

H: Even though you work with one of the largest music publications around, you’re still quite young. What is your ultimate career goal?

C: I feel like I’ve been lucky enough to achieve my ultimate career goal. Working for AP was always the top of the top for me. Now, I guess my career goal is bettering our brand and helping it grow into the future. I’ve gotten my dream job; now I can work on my personal/life goals. Maybe I’ll write a fiction book or something. I don’t know! Oh, and if MCR ever come back and decide they need a career archivist, I’m 300 percent down for that. Haha!

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

C: The pretense, cynicism and jadedness that some people harbor.Anyone in this world who loses track of their inner music-obsessed fourteen-year-old should find a different career path. Music is supposed to be this amazing force that connects people. Outta here with your negativity!

H: We cover a lot of ground here. Before I let you go, do you have anything you would like to add?

C: TL;DR – I really like My Chemical Romance.

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