Hello and welcome to the seventh installment in our ongoing Journalism Tips series. This specific column is a continuation of a post we debuted last Saturday (which can be found here), but reading that entry is not a pre-requisite to enjoying the words shared below. We are glad you stopped by and hope the following advice will help further your efforts towards building a lasting career in the music business. If you have an idea for this blog, or if you would like to learn more about the digital distribution services we offer, 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.
The initial response to last week’s post was so overwhelming that contributing writer Joe Ballard actually spent the last few days refining the words and advice shared below to craft a suitable follow-up. His insight will not only make you a better writer, but it will also make you far less of a pain in your future editor’s side, which might get you further in life than your talents as a journalist when all is said and done.
An Introduction:
You know that classic phrase “it’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it”? I feel like that’s how a lot of people think of us editors. After all, part of our job is to clean up writers’ articles and make them shiny and spotless before they get published. However, even the professionals can’t catch all the mistakes 100% of the time, and this is why I’m here today – to show writers and aspiring journalists five of the most common errors I see in music-related articles and how you can successfully avoid them in the future.
1) Apostrophes in Years
This one is similar to the “that vs. who” mistake in that the incorrect versions are commonly accepted as accurate. Many authors and journalists will typically write a sentence just like this:
Oasis was one of the most popular British rock bands in the 1990’s. (Incorrect)
When it should read as such:
Oasis was one of the most popular British rock bands in the 1990s. (Correct)
It’s a natural inclination to think there should be an apostrophe in a year, mainly because having a number and a letter right next to each just looks odd to many people. When dealing with apostrophes – and this applies to all words, not just years – ask yourself: what does the apostrophe stand for? That’s how you know there should be no apostrophe in the sentence above – because it can’t stand for anything. But where should it go when you’re abbreviating years?
Some of my favorite songs were recorded back in the 60’s. (Incorrect)
Some of my favorite songs were recorded back in the ‘60s. (Correct)
Many journalists make the mistake of writing the former sentence simply because it looks nicer and, well, you see it more often wherever you look on the Internet, whether it’s social media, forums, or even news outlets. The “apostrophe + s” again does not work because it cannot stand for anything there. By putting it before the 6, you’re showing that it’s standing for, in this case, the missing 19.
In the end, the trick to dealing with apostrophes in years is similar to the “it’s/its” conundrum; if you’re writing an article and you get tripped up, stop for a moment and ask, “Can the apostrophe stand for something here?” If it can’t, you can safely live without it.
2) Compliment vs. Complement
This mistake seems to appear in music journalism more often than most other places, but fortunately it’s an easy one to rectify.
Example 1: Few vocalist duos complement each other as well as Emery’s Toby Morrell and Devin Shelton.
Example 2: Oasis paid a lot of compliments to The Beatles throughout their discography.
If you’re a music journalist, 80% of the time you probably mean to use “complement”, which means “to complete” or to “make perfect”. You should only use “compliment” if it’s to express admiration or respect for a band or album.
3) Who vs. Whom
Whom: the one word every writer desperately wants erased from the English language. Luckily, that’s why we have editors and the solution to the infamous who/whom debacle can be explained in a pretty straightforward way.
Use “who” when referring to the subject of a sentence. Use “whom” when referring to the object.
Example 1: Mindy White, who once sang vocals in Lydia but now leads the band States…
The “who” in this sentence refers to the subject, which is Real Estate.
Example 2: I wonder whom the Tonight Alive song “The Other Side” was written for.
The “whom” in example 2 refers to the object of the song – in this case, a person.
In music journalism you probably won’t come across many cases where “whom” should be used. However, if you’re still confused about the subject/object issue, here’s a helpful trick:
If the “who/whom” reference can be answered with “him/her” then you should use whom. If it can be replaced with “he/she” then it will always be who.
Take another look at example 1. You could also put it as “She once sang vocals in Lydia but now leads the band States.”
Likewise, in example 2 you could answer the question by saying “The Other Side was written for him.”
There are examples of rarer usages in all of these cases, but to explore them all would likely leave you with a migraine. As a professional editor, this two-part series is meant to showcase a few of the most common mistakes I see from both journalists and authors. It is of course my job to find them all and correct them, but if you are or will be pursuing journalism as a career, you will impress all current and future employers by constantly practicing and perfecting your linguistic skills.
Joe Ballard is an editor for MindEqualsBlown. We have not interviewed Joe for our blog just yet, but you can rest assured we will share his story soon.
Hello, everyone. Welcome to the very first industry spotlight of the week. We have received a number of requests to feature more stories about the people working behind-the-scenes in the journalism world, and we think the feature below will appease many hoping to learn about those unique individuals. 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.
I am going to be completely honest with you right now and confess that I do not actually read many print publications these days. Music journalism is very important to me, as are the careers of my friends who are employed by magazines nationwide, but for whatever reason I have almost entirely transitioned my reading of music writing to the digital realm. I do make two exceptions however, and in the last month we have been able to speak to people from both of those outlets. The first was Cassie Whitt of Alternative Press and the second, which you will read below, is Andrew Bonazelli, managing editor of Decibel Magazine.
We could go back and forth about what makes any one piece of music journalism great, but in my opinion you know something is special when you find yourself unable to turn past, click off, or otherwise put down whatever it is you’re reading. I have never been the biggest fan of extreme music, but whenever I see a copy of Decibel I know I am in for an entertaining and informative experience. The entire publication, from the editors, to writers and photographers, truly love music, and that passion for the subject at the center of their work shows in the content they deliver each and every month.
You may not have known this prior to logging on today, but Decibel Magazine is the only monthly extreme music publication in America. In an age where print publications are going under left and right, Decibel has remained. I asked Editor Andrew Bonazelli to shed some light on life at the magazine, as well as his personal journey in music, and fortunately for us he was willing to share.
If you would like to learn more about Andrew’s work, we highly suggest taking the time to follow Decibel on Twitter and bookmark their official site. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: Hey there, thank you for joining us. To begin, please tell everyone your full name, job title, and current place of employment:
A: Andrew Bonazelli, managing editor for Decibel magazine, which is published by Red Flag Media in Philadelphia.
H: It’s great to have you with us. I’d like to begin this conversation by getting a sense for your history with music. Can you pinpoint any key moments or experiences that steered you toward the career in music journalism that you have today?
A: Like many other impressionable pubescent dingbats circa 1992, I fell in love with Nevermind, and before I knew it, I was writing horrifically bad, completely unqualified rock reviews for my high school newspaper (The Spaghetti Incident?: total masterpiece). Probably the exact second I realized this line of work could get me albums in advance and concert tickets for free, I decided to ride it out as long as humanly possible. I like to think the fact that it’s lasted nearly 20 years—and I can still barely execute an arpeggio on my $150 Epiphone—is more an indictment of the system than me.
H: What was the first album you purchased with your own money (and the format)?
A: Even though in reality it was probably Color Me Badd on triple gatefold colored vinyl, I’ll go with Mr. Bungle’s self-titled on cassette. I was 13 or 14. A friend of mine slept over that night, we listened to “The Girls of Porn,” then I walked downstairs and proceeded to ask my mother to define “she-males, lezbos and shaved beav / and D-cup mamas with so much cleave.” That was as close as we ever came to the birds and bees, but I recall her answering everything succinctly and accurately without laughing.
H: How about the first artist you can remember obsessing over? How did you originally discover them? Go on, tell us a bit about your earliest fanboy memories.
A: Faith No More and Helmet played my hometown of Buffalo before I was allowed to go to shows. I vividly remember reading the next day that Mike Patton was either arrested or booted out of the venue for simulating sex acts onstage. I’m sure my family and I had really good wings that night at my grandma’s house, but I was ready to make the leap to “observing simulated sex acts surrounded by drunk assholes” right then and there. I guess that’s more obsessing about an experience rather than an artist, per se. To answer the original question, I always found the Cathy Dennis video for “Touch Me (All Night Long)” worth obsessing over. My wife has thus far refused to wear the red wig, but I’m working on it.
H: As far as writing is concerned, when did you begin to consider your gift with wordplay as something you could make a living with?
A: HAHAHAHA, “GIFT.” No, but seriously, I’m more an editor than writer at this point in my “professional” “career.” Pretty sure my incredible acumen for rearranging commas and semicolons has only paid off because nobody else likes doing it.
H: Did you go to school for writing? If so, would you suggest those who are considering a career in writing today do the same? Any insight you can give us on your education as far as writing is concerned would be appreciated.
A: Yeah, I was a Magazine Journalism major and English minor at Kent State University. I have very fond memories of very encouraging professors (Carl and Ann Schierhorn; not sure if they’re still there). Also, KSU’s journalism building is Taylor Hall, which overlooks the site of the May 4 massacre, which probably subconsciously contributed to my generally morbid everyday nature. That said, sorry: I have no idea how much formal college education determines one’s value in the field right now. I mean, writing has been universally devalued to the point that we’ve collectively allowed 50 Shades of Grey to not only exist, but thrive. I kinda think it’s everyone for themselves, and if you can somehow carve out a small audience of likeminded people, you win at life.
H: Currently, you’re the editor for Decibel Magazine, which is a personal favorite of the Haulix staff. When did you originally join the team?
A: Thanks, that’s awesome. I’m pretty bad with years, but I think some time around early 2005? Fun fact: If I’m not mistaken, Red Flag’s publisher, Alex Mulcahy, hired me without consulting dB’s editor-in-chief, Albert Mudrian. Albert just came to work one day and there I was: his new dipshit underling that he’d never met. I’m sure that was a thrilling moment.
H: What were you doing with your career in music before Decibel came along? Did they approach you, or did you apply? Tell us your origin story as far as being an editor for Decibel is concerned.
A: I was living in Seattle writing an indefensibly terrible and glib column for one of the city’s two alt-weeklies, Seattle Weekly. It was time for a cultural change in pretty much every facet of my life. SW’s music editor, Michaelangelo Matos, was the one who turned me onto freelancing for dB. If I remember correctly, the very day I decided I was getting out of Seattle, I emailed Albert asking if Decibel needed help. I think like two weeks later I flew out to Philly and got this job. That’s probably why I’m so terrified of either getting laid off or applying for another position: It’ll never be that easy again.
H: Without going too in-depth, please walk us through a typical day at work for you:
A: I’m not getting into this unless it’s a formal employee review and I have two weeks to prepare to make it look like I do something here. I’m sure Ron Livingston’s answer from Office Space will suffice until then.
H: Beyond paychecks and steady employment, how do you measure success at what you do?
A: Good question. I struggle with that. I struggle with that a lot drinking with friends after work. Actually, the reality is the smallest measure of positive reinforcement does the trick. I’m trying to get better at reciprocating that.
H: What advice would you offer to writers and aspiring music critics who may be reading this and longing to one day have a position like yours?
A: Do not aspire to have children, own a house or take vacations with regularity. Also, I smoke and drink a lot and will die soon, so keep those résumés updated.
H: Are there any common mistakes you see young writers make that you would advise others to avoid if at all possible?
A: Not doing a comprehensive final edit before hitting “send” just blows my fucking mind. You don’t hand an editor the equivalent of a first draft, especially not one peppered with easily remedied factual and grammatical errors. Sadly, this extends to “veteran” staffers and freelancers. Either they’re just lazy bastards or they’ve never been called out because nobody gives a shit about presentation anymore. Or I care too much about this type of thing. That’s possible, too.
H: Is Decibel hiring? How about internships?
A: We’re pretty choosy about staff writers. It’s a big priority to keep the people we already have well-fed with assignments. Then again, here’s some advice for aspiring writers: By the time anybody decent publicizes a job posting on social media/Craigslist/whereever, you’re probably shit out of luck. It’s not the worst thing in the world to sporadically check in with an editor about writing opportunities. (Note: Never ever check in with me about writing opportunities.)
H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which digital distribution platforms do you prefer and why?
A: I have to be honest here: I’m somewhat of a Luddite (only 90 percent by choice; the rest is just ignorance due to not having enough time on my hands to explore my future on Tinder). But I can’t recall ever having any problems with Haulix. It seems to be the industry standard for extreme music, and I see no reason not to concur.
H: We should have mentioned that you are much more than an editor for a popular music magazine. You have also written a number of novels as well. When did you first begin working in the world of fiction, and what can you tell us about your most recent release? Do you have any books or other projects on the horizon you can tell us about?
A: I recently launched an art collective (that term sucks, but whatever) called Towering Achievements (toweringachievements.blogspot.com). The idea is to blend the wit, hopelessness and misanthropy of Ruthless Reviews with the kinds of unique physical art projects that Vitriol Records puts out. I don’t wanna be too boring/self-indulgent about it, but my favorite thing I’m doing now is working on a stalker postcard fiction series where the individual cards are packed in police evidence bags. TA exists because I was sick of trying to impress “cool” small presses in Brooklyn or whatever with my project pitches, and realized I could do most of what I wanted myself. The reception is irrelevant. If you want to do anything creative, just remember all the uninspired, tepid, twee bullshit surrounding you and it should be obvious that you’re doing the right thing.
H: How do you balance writing books and editing the magazine? Your free time must be extremely limited.
A: Once you start to deprioritize plucking Doritos crumbs out of your pubes and watching Real Housewives marathons, you’d be surprised at what you can accomplish.
H: What are two albums you think everyone should hear at least once before they die?
A: I hate when people are inspired, so whatever the last two Good Charlotte albums were.
H: What is your current career goal, and how has that changed since you first got into the world of writing?
A: To justify my parents’ decision to devote probably hundreds of thousands of dollars to my upbringing and education. Will never be accomplished, but I’m trying. Hasn’t changed.
H: I think that’s everything I have to ask. Before you go, are there any final thoughts or observations that you would like to share with our readers? The floor is yours:
A: If you’re curious about “D-cup mamas with so much cleave,” consult the internet, not your parents.
Hello again, everyone. We know the weekend is always too short, so we appreciate you taking a few moments from your schedule to spend with us. If you’re reading this on a day that isn’t part of the weekend, just go ahead and disregard the previous sentence. We’re happy you’re here as well.
This week marks the one-month anniversary of our recently launched Journalism Tips series. It also marks the debut appearance from contributing writer Andy Maroon, who was kind enough to create the article you’re about to enjoy. We are always looking for new ways to expand and further refine our efforts here at Haulix. If you have an idea for this blog, or if you would like to learn more about the digital distribution services we offer, 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.
You want to break into the music journalism scene? Great! Haulix has a few simple tips to help you get started. I’ll pass over the ones everyone already knows: Read a lot, write a lot, and so forth. Great. But what else? Hopefully these few bits of advice help you focus your efforts.
Maintain a Blog – If you’re an aspiring journalist, be it in the music industry or wherever, you should have a blog. If you don’t have one, stop reading and go make one immediately. I’m not kidding. This will arguably be your most efficient tool, save for the keyboard you use to type. Maintaining a blog will not only give you an outlet to publish your own pieces, it also provides a channel for others to reach out to you. Practice, practice, practice.
Network – I’m not going into much detail as Adrian Garza did a great job in a previous Haulix blog post – so make sure to read that. (http://blog.haulix.com/post/77494403070/journalism-tips-3-networking) Simply put, having a great network is an essential key to success in the industry. Form positive relationships with bands, record labels, PR firms and, most importantly, your colleagues. Something special about this industry, at least on the small scale, is the sense of community amongst ‘competitors’. Build up your network and make friends with everyone – surrounding yourself with positive influences will help you immensely.
Start Small – I’ll say it again. Start small. Odds are there are a million other journalists, both professional and aspiring, who are covering the latest album from your favorite band. You know who isn’t getting covered? That awesome local band playing the opening slots around town. Take advantage of the market and cover smaller unknown acts. Be an outlet for fans to find information on obscure bands. Your coverage will benefit both you, and local acts who are looking for promotion. Who knows, you might just uncover the next big thing.
Power Through – Finish then polish. This may be my favorite bit of advice for aspiring writers. Start writing and don’t stop until you are done. Regardless, of how sloppy, disorganized and just flat out terrible the first draft is – power through. Once you have the whole article down on paper, you will be amazed at how much easier it will be to polish and re-organize.
Be You – Write about what you enjoy and write your own way. There is nothing worse than reading something that someone obviously had no desire to write. Let your stories reflect you and what you are passionate about. Cover what you’re interested in and write with your own personal flair. Look for inspiration, but find a voice that is unique to you. This will not only make your writing come naturally, but will help you stand out amongst the sea of aspiring music journalists.
Hello again. We know it’s Saturday, so before diving in we just wanted to thank you for taking a little time out from your weekend to read up on the latest industry advice and insight. We are thrilled to be sharing the fourth chapter of our ongoing ‘Journalism Tips’ series this afternoon, and at the same time a bit sad as it is the final contribution (for now) from writer Adrian Garza. We have enjoyed have his work on the site in recent weeks and encourage all of you to follow his industry efforts moving forward.
We are always looking for new ways to expand and further refine our efforts here at Haulix. If you have an idea for this blog, or if you would like to learn more about the digital distribution services we offer, 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.
I hate admitting this, but the truth is, as one who dedicates so much time towards an involvement with music, I mistakenly became pretty arrogant and jaded about my taste. But thankfully, I eventually caught and corrected myself before I stepped on one too many toes.
It’s scary how fast these sorts of things could happen to you if you don’t keep yourself in check. Even worse, it’s really easy to grow to get tired of some specific aspects of music, which can become a shame, because we all know that’s one of the reasons why we came into working with music: We love it.
This isn’t what I would claim as the answer to the problem. This is just my answer to the problem. Go and make your own choices.
Realize Your Opinion Isn’t the Only One That Matters
Fresh faces to music journalism are the ones who are most likely to come to fault here. Just because you’re in a position where complete strangers look to you for your opinions and insight on something doesn’t mean that you’re correct with what you say all of the time. More than anything, you’re just somebody who’s developed an ear for what sounds good, a talent for writing appealing articles, and a passion that drives you to put the two together. So consider yourself just another voice that can easily be ignored.
Create Something
As one who puts my own personal musical endeavors on the backburner, I occasionally pick up my guitar from time to time. Every time that I do so, I usually walk away from it feeling more inspired than ever before. It’s tricky to attempt to label down specific reasons for why this just works for me in the way that it does, but I will say that by playing along to my favorite records, it’s easy to gain a whole new level of understanding why some musicians just love to smother records with catchy and simple parts: They’re usually really, really fun to play.
Even if you have no artistic skill whatsoever, you could still get a lot out of simply sitting in on a friend’s band’s writing session or practice. Call it weird, but I find it fulfilling to see the look in a musician’s eyes when they discover a way to hike up the quality of a song just by changing up a couple parts.
Surround Yourself with People Who Are New to Music
In a very similar vein, take a look at people who are new to going to shows. It might be a little hard to believe, but that was you not too long ago. They’re having a freaking blast just by standing in the third row, and it makes their freaking day when they get the chance to meet the artist that they’ve waited “x” amount of hours to see perform for 30 minutes.
I’m not suggesting that people should return back to that state of mind, because I don’t ever see myself going back to waiting in lines just to get in early to shows, or riding city busses for 2+ hours just to pick up a physical copy of an album on its release date. That’s just way too inconvenient for me nowadays. Instead, realize that you can still re-live that and enjoy the gratification by sharing your favorite groups with friends. If they fan-boy/girl a bit, it’s only natural.
Move on
Have you ever tried to step out past your conventional listening boundaries? There’s no way you’re literally that full of yourself that you couldn’t possibly check out a foreign genre, or even newer artists. There’s likely some redeeming quality that attracts fans to this. Branch out and try something new, because it will give you that much more of an understanding for why people enjoy their music. Don’t even think about doing this for the sake of looking “versatile” to others, do it so you’re not so close-minded and judgmental. You never know when you’ll come across your new favorite artist that inspires you to do great things, and for all you know, that could very well be a jazz fusion band.
When he’s not getting the feels from listening to some ‘Through Being Cool,’ Adrian Garza writes at Under the Gun Review and works as the Editor-In-Chief at The Southeastern Times, Southeastern University’s student newspaper. Follow him on Twitter.
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.
Hello and welcome to another month of great music industry insight and advice here on the official blog of Haulix. November 1 was the day of our company update, so today marks the official start of our new content offerings and we’re kicking things off with a Spotlight piece about a person whose passion for supporting new talent is second-to-none. If you have a site or journalist you would like to recommend for an upcoming spotlight, or if you have any questions regarding our blog content, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. You can reach also reach on Twitter.
The people I’ve found to be happiest in the music business are those who choose this career path for reasons other than financial gain. We’re all aware of the problems many labels and artists have faced as a result of piracy, and problems with properly monetizing digital efforts has lead to a turbulent startup marketplace for those working on the promotional side of things, but in the face of all that hundreds of aspiring professionals continue to dedicate countless hours each year to chasing income and stability in the entertainment industry. Most end up earning little more than memories and ticket stubs, but for some that’s what matters most, and if I had to guess about the person at the center of today’s spotlight I would bet she’d be perfectly happy to walk away just knowing she made a difference.
Sandra Chen is a pure music enthusiast through and through. She loves experiencing music, supporting it, and most importantly sharing it with anyone willing to give her a moment of their time. Her relationship with the business side of things started as an innocent interest in photography, but over time turned into a career that shows no signs of slowing anytime soon. She’s one of the founding members of Breakdown Music Press, and this afternoon we’re excited to share her journey up to this point with all of you.
If you would like to stay on top of everything Sandra is working on, please be sure to bookmark and frequent Breakdown Music Press. Additional questions or comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: For those unaware, please state your name, the company you work for, and your role at said business:
SC: I’m Sandra Chen, and I’m the Editor-In-Chief and one of the co-founders of Breakdown Music Press.
H: When you think about your earliest memories with music, what comes to mind?
SC: When I was in high school, I would go to the Bamboozle Festival (I grew up in New Jersey) every year- besides that, I didn’t go to very many shows at all in high school! So I would say that those festivals are some of my earliest memories with music.
H: What was the first album you purchased with your own money? Do you still own it today?
SC: Ah, I feel like I should remember this but I don’t! I think it might have been the second Mayday Parade full-length, though. That or Santi by The Academy Is…. I still own every album I’ve ever bought!
H: Music and photography both play a major role in you life. Since we talked about one, we should at least touch on the other. Do you recall what initially attracted you to the world of photography?
SC: I first got into photography because of my dad, actually- he used to be really into it, and had a couple cameras lying around, so I just picked up his D50 (so old!) from time to time to take some photos. When I left for college, he gave me a D80 to bring with me, and I started to get into actually shooting shows!
H: At some point you decided to combine these two interests. What inspired you to dive into the world of entertainment journalism?
SC: In high school I would always bring my point & shoot out to shows because I wanted to capture memories, but one band in particular inspired me to want to pursue music photography–I was super impressed by Cobra Starship’s stage presence the first time I saw them live, I just wanted to be able to show others the energy that I saw them with on stage, and I felt like the best way for me to express that would be through photos.
H: Who or what is your inspiration as a photographer? Writer?
SC: Honestly? My biggest inspirations, not just in photography but overall, are my friends and family. The support I get from people motivates me every day, and when people appreciate my work I know it’s all worth it! But I suppose to name a few people who inspire me: my co-founder Natalie Campbell inspires me to push forward with Breakdown (along with every other hard-working member of our staff). My good friend Derek Buell has been one of my biggest supporters from the very beginning–I owe him a lot of the best opportunities as a photographer, and he is a constant reminder that not everyone is judgmental in the music industry (that can be tough to remember sometimes!) and that hard work really pays off. And of course, some photographers that I look up to include Adam Elmakias, Anthony Gattine, Tom Falcone, Nick DiNatale, and a bunch more–these are the people whose work inspire me to improve my own photography constantly.
H: What was your first gig in the music business? Unpaid work counts.
SC: Most of my early work was just going out and shooting shows for bands. In the beginning, it was small, mostly local bands- they would give me a ticket and a pass if needed for their shows, and I’d send them photos afterwards. After a while, I started getting paid for shooting, or I started shooting for some bigger bands!
H: Breakdown Music Press started just over a year ago. Did you write elsewhere before stepping out on your own?
SC: I wrote briefly for my university’s music magazine, but not much- I covered maybe 2 or 3 concerts for them. It was tougher because I didn’t really always get to cover the music I wanted to cover, but it was a great experience nonetheless!
H: Follow-up: There are countless music blogs in existence today. Why did you decide to launch your own instead of joining an outlet with an already developed brand?
SC: Like I said above, I wanted to be able to cover the bands and shows that I was interested in or that I thought deserved press, instead of taking assignments that had been decided by someone else with zero imput from me. It’s also just incredibly rewarding to be able to look at something and think, “wow, *I* made this,” not just a part of it.
H: Breakdown is one of a few publications attempting to push digital journalism forward by offering a recurring ‘magazine.’ You still do the daily news, but there is much more to Breakdown than the day-to-day. Was the magazine component always something you had in mind for the site?
SC: Yes! For a while before I started Breakdown, I had wanted to be part of a physical magazine- I was always really impressed and awed by Alternative Press, so that was a big inspiration!
H: Who was the first artist to be featured on Breakdown, and why did you choose them?
SC: Breakdown’s first cover artist was a band called Twenty One Pilots. I chose those guys because, well, the timing was just right- I had just met the guys a few months beforehand and stayed in touch, so it was super easy to get ahold of them and be like, “hey, what do you think about doing this?” They were perfect, too, because I (and everyone else) saw so much potential in them- they had just been signed by Fueled By Ramen and we all knew they were going to blow up soon. To me, Breakdown is all about distinguishing the people in the music industry that we really believe in, and that we think are going to rise in success. The Twenty One Pilots guys are the perfect example of that.
H: What makes a feature better for the magazine than the site? How do you decide where content eventually resides?
SC: A lot of things go into decisions like that! We do kind of set a higher bar for things that go in the issues- we want to make sure that they’ll catch people’s eye, and that they mix well with everything else in the issue. It’s also a matter of timing- since people don’t see the articles instantly if we put them in an issue that’s going to be released later, if something is time sensitive it makes a lot more sense to throw it on the website.
H: Currently, both the site and digital publication you offer are complete free to whoever has an interest in them. I’ve also noticed there seem to be few, if any ads on Breakdown. Do you have plans to monetize moving forward? If so, how?
SC: We don’t really focus on things like advertising because we don’t prioritize making a profit- that’s not really what Breakdown was ever about. We’ve definitely talked about possibilities in making money with Breakdown, since there are expenses that we do have to pay to sustain the magazine, but we don’t really have any plans to monetize Breakdown soon.
H: Building off that last question, it appears you make little-to-no income with your efforts. What motivates you to continue creating content and covering bands?
SC: I think I said this earlier too but there’s just something satisfying about being able to show something to someone and say you created it! Breakdown is a pretty simple magazine, but looking back at issues and thinking about the amount of work and effort I’ve put into them makes me feel pretty good. I also think it’s really important to recognize potential in the music industry and distinguish the people who I believe deserve success- there are so many people trying to get anywhere in the industry, and not everybody is genuine and it’s easy for those who are to get lost in a huge sea of people all trying to do the same thing.
H: What would you say is the most difficult part of this ‘job’ you’ve created for yourself?
SC: Definitely the amount of time it requires, and juggling that with going to school full time and another job! It’s pretty much impossible for me to fit everything in plus have time to eat/sleep/have fun sometimes. I have to make a lot of sacrifices and tradeoffs and that’s really difficult as well.
H: I should mention Breakdown Music Press has grown to be more than just you. How many contributors do you have on staff?
SC: About ten, but our team is always changing and always growing, and we are always looking for new contributors who are passionate about music!
H: What do you look for when seeking new team members?
SC: Well there’s the obvious- we definitely want people who are good at writing, or photographing, or good at whatever job they are going to do for us. But there’s a lot more that goes with that, as well! It’s important for people on our team to be able to work well with others, to be enthusiastic and passionate about music and journalism and the publication itself.
H: How do you market Breakdown Music Press? What tactics have you found work best? Worst?
SC: Most of our marketing is done through social media, between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Everything from interacting with the musicians we feature, interacting with fans, to doing online giveaways really helps us as well. I think we definitely try to stay away from tactics that we think won’t work well- I guess one example though might be the time when we first started out, I tried to build our Twitter presence by following a bunch of people, and accidentally got us banned from Twitter. Oops. Lesson learned.
H: You feature a number of smaller bands on your site. Where do you look when hoping to discover great new talent?
SC: We look for the things we think are important for anyone to have when they’re trying to make it in the music industry. Like, we look for potential and talent, obviously, but we also look for drive and motivation, hard work, kindness, and just people who are all-around genuine and who are there because of their passion for music.
H: I’m sure there are a good amount of artists seeking you out as well. What advice would you offer young talent to help them stand out from the others vying for your attention through email or social networks?
SC: I’d say that it’s really important to give off a good impression! It sounds bad but first impressions really do matter in this industry. Market yourself well- quality over quantity is very important. It’s better to put out nothing than to put out something that might affect your image negatively, and this applies to everything, not just the music you write and record.
H: Some people believe there is no need for critics in the digital age. Do you agree? (Support your response)
SC: Um, I think feedback is important, and valuable, constructive feedback is even more important, so critics will always have a place in music, digital or not.
H: When it comes to receiving music for feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?
SC: Dropbox is by far the easiest! It makes it super easy to access files from anywhere, even on my phone. I also love getting music via Haulix, because it’s easy to navigate and it just works! I think it’s super nifty, too, that Haulix watermarks the music. Definitely a plus for the artist.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
SC: This is a tough one. I think maybe part of me wishes it were a little more transparent- there are a lot of hard working individuals in the industry whose hard work (and good work) is overlooked or kind of unnoticed. That’s not to say that the hard work doesn’t pay off, but just that sometimes people don’t realize how much work actually goes into the stuff that happens behind the scenes! I think maybe if people noticed that more, the industry would be a more positive place and people would be motivated to work even harder and do greater things.
H: What is your ultimate career goal?
SC: For me, personally, the ideal would be to pursue a full-fledged career in music photography! It’s something I’ve been working very hard on, and I’ve recently been going on a couple short tour runs with some bands (I’m actually finishing up this interview while on the road at the moment) but the next goal is a full US tour or maybe Warped! I just want to work with as many people in the industry as I possibly can.
H: Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what you have planned in the months ahead?
SC: In terms of the magazine, we’re definitely hoping to move forward with Breakdown, expand our team and bring in lots of awesome new contributors, and just help the publication grow overall. And, of course, we want to continue featuring amazing musicians.
Hello and welcome to another exciting week of music industry insight and know-how here on the official blog of Haulix. It’s Columbus Day here in the states, and we have admittedly done nothing to acknowledge its occurrence. If you got the day off – consider yourself lucky. The rest of us will have to settle for a bit of escapism by way of our latest Blogger Spotlight column, which yet again focuses on the world of heavy metal. If you have a site or writer you feel deserves time in our spotlight, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your recommendation.
Many of you may have been reading the site featured today for years without even knowing it. For a long time the site we now call Last Rites was known throughout the world as MetalReview, but hoping to carve their own niche the owners thought it best to step out with a more unique name. We’re fans of the new identity, and after today’s feature I believe you will be too.
Zach Duvall, like many of you reading this right now, started out life in the industry as a fan with a desire to tell others about the music that interested him. He had read MetalReview for years, even going as far as to become a regular on their long-running forums, but it wasn’t until a chance meeting with a number of contributors in 2009 that he decided to become a writer himself. Now four years in, Zach has become an integral part of Last Rites, and is one of many team members helping make the site one of the leading outlets for metal news today.
If you would like to keep tabs on everything Zach is working on, make sure you bookmark Last Rites at your earliest convenience. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: For those unaware, please state your name, the company you work for, and your role at said business:
Zach Duvall: My name is Zach Duvall, and I write for a heavy metal blog called Last Rites, which was formerly MetalReview.com. I primarily write album reviews, but provide the occasional editorial or interview, and have started doing more behind-the-scenes work at the site as well.
H: Your site is known for its coverage of metal. Have you been a metalhead since birth? If not, when did you discover the heavier side of music?
ZD: I wouldn’t say I have been a metalhead since birth. My parents barely listened to anything of the “harder” style, so I discovered it through the “bad kids” in elementary school. But really, when I was about 10 a good friend of mine (still a great friend) let me hear Metallica’s …And Justice For All and that changed everything for me. The track “Blackened” completed changed my life.
H: What was the first album you purchased with your own money? Do you still own it today?
ZD: Boy this is tough. Honestly it was probably some 80s pop music. I think I had a Fat Boys hip-hop tape, or maybe Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA. Can’t remember if that was a present or purchase. As for metal, it was surely a Metallica album, possibly the black album, since “Enter Sandman” was the biggest thing on the planet when I was in middle school. And of course I still own it, even if my view of it has changed over the years.
H: Entertainment journalism is not exactly a path many follow in life. What first attracted you to the world of music coverage?
ZD: I have always loved sharing great music with others, and, from what certain friends would tell you, have a slightly strong opinion on things. So it turned out to be a pretty natural hobby for me to take up, and the added bonus has been connecting with bands and labels, and knowing that I’m helping out good people and quality artists.
H: Did you write for any sites before Last Rites (formerly Metal Review)?
ZD: Nope, that was the first, and I was quite honestly pretty intimidated at first.
H: The logical follow-up: Where did you first come across Last Rites, and what lead you to join the team?
ZD: Well, I read the old MetalReview for years before eventually becoming a very active member on the forums. I became “internet friends” with a bunch of the crew and other forum regulars, and the Facebook connections began. I eventually met up with several of them at Scion Rock Fest 2009 in Atlanta, and was told I should think of writing. A few months later half of the team ambushed me on Facebook and told me to join up.
H: Who was the first artist you worked with as a writer? Can you tell us a bit about that experience?
ZD: My first review was of a great German band named Valborg. I had actually won the album in a MetalReview contest just a month or so previously, and knew it would be cool to write about. I look back on it now and laugh at my tentative writing, trying to hard to make some profound point. But little did I know that writing about Valborg would introduce me to an entire great family of bands on the Zeitgeister label in Germany (Owl, Woburn House, and Klabautamann are other great bands on the label), while allowing me to get “internet acquainted” with one of the most active members of those bands. From the very beginning, this hobby was revealing its true worth to me, and those connections have only grown over the last four years.
H: Last Rites is a relatively new name for the site. What were the reasons for the change, and how has your audience changed (if at all) following the move?
ZD: Well, if you search on Google for the words “metal” and “review,” you don’t exactly get great results. There are several sites with some combination of the words in their name, so we didn’t stand out despite having what we felt was a superior product. We needed to develop a brand, something that was distinctive. Other than some forum regulars complaining that their internet world was being destroyed by the brand change, I’m not sure it has affected our audience much at all. If anything it looks way cooler when we see ourselves quoted in a press release.
H: LR is one of the few music sites still using forums, and that is in no way a complaint. Do you feel having a built-in community has helped your site thrive over time?
ZD: I certainly have met some amazing people through the forums, both people on staff and others. Activity on the forums is certainly not what it used to be, and the rise of Facebook, Twitter, and everything else is probably a huge reason for that. At this point, I’m not sure the forums add or take away from the overall site experience, but I do not think the MetalReview/Last Rites readership would have grown as it did over the years without that extra community feel. I probably never would have become involved.
H: I’ve noticed a drop in the number of forums being implemented on younger sites in recent years. Do you feel these web communities are missing something?
ZD: Well, it’s tough to say. Managing a forum is a complete asspain, that’s for sure. There are idiots to moderate, and you have to decide exactly how much you want to police things. Then there is the programming side of it I’m sure, even though I don’t get into it. So in that sense, I feel like newer sites may have decided that their time is better spent on creating content. In the wake of the rise of the Twitterverse, forums may be slowly dying anyway. It’s a bit sad, because it’s far less personal, but I feel as if that is just the reality of the situation.
H: I’ve noticed there is far more original news and written feature coverage than new media content. Do you any plans to expand further into video/photo moving forward?
ZD: Well, we just resurrected our podcast, and one of our guys really wants to keep that going. I wasn’t sure initially if people would actually pay attention to it, but it was extremely well received and I think it’ll be a great feature moving forward. Plus it’s just fun getting on Skype and shooting the shit with the guys. It would also be fun to find a staff member solely dedicated to covering metal shows, and adding photos and video. Because I don’t go to the number of shows I used to, it won’t be me, but if someone else added it, game on.
H: Writing styles change site-by-site these days, and from what I can tell LR strives do produce more long form content than ‘bulletin board’ style. What do you think makes a great news story?
ZD: I think great music makes a great story, if not necessarily news. Sometimes I will push out a shorter review or news blurb (coverage of the new Ihsahn single, for example), just to help out with content, but those long form reviews are what I enjoy the most. The best music makes the gig both fun and easy, and when music really seeps into me, finding words is no problem.
H: There are a number of people who contribute to LR on a regular basis. How big is the team?
ZD: The team is officially about 15-18 people, but some of those are more in a contributor type role. I’d say the regular team is about 10 folks.
H: You, like many in music journalism, make little-to-no money for your efforts. Why do you keep writing?
ZD: All of those reasons stated above. I just love music, and after years of struggling with wanting to actually play it again (after playing in high school), I realized that the writing gig was a great way for me to become involved, and to help out. Plus, it’s a great thing to keep me sane when my 9-5 job becomes mundane or stressful.
H: Some people believe there is no need for critics in the digital age. Do you agree? (Support your response)
ZD: In the age when everything is readily available for free consumption, you don’t necessarily need to read a review to know how to spend your cash, but the act of discussion is still valid in and of itself. Plus, the folks who believe that we don’t need critics are likely spending their time critiquing the critics in some expression of scene politics, which to me just means that they love internet dickishness more than they actually love the music. And that, quite frankly, is sad. Besides, if there wasn’t still a need for critics and promotion, labels wouldn’t constantly be sending me so much free music and begging me to listen to it. For small labels and upstart bands, blogs like Last Rites are still the best way to spread their name.
H: When it comes to receiving music for feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?
ZD: Without tooting your guys’ horn too much, Haulix and similar services have been the best way. It’s great just having a link in an email. I think it says something that only a few labels are still using ipool or something else you have to log into.
H: There are a growing number of sites competing for attention in the metal realm. What is it about the content offered on LR that separates you from the competition?
ZD: I think we have as good a collection of writing talent as anyone out there. There are times that I feel almost inadequate to be amongst dudes who are not only such great writers, but so informed and insightful about metal and all music. I also feel as if we’d be pretty good evidence against notions that metalheads are dumb, droolin’ troglodytes.
H: What would you say is the most difficult part of this ‘job’ you’ve created for yourself?
ZD: Having to tell an honest, hardworking band that quite frankly they just don’t have it. I always attempt to frame such arguments without sounding like a dick, critiquing in a constructive manner as much as possible, but sometimes it is still difficult. Sure, occasionally I’ll cover an album by guys who are clearly writing trash just to write trash, and I will treat it as such, but if it is a group of hardworking kids that have the fire but not the fuel? That’s tough.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
ZD: I’m not sure there is anything I would change that would make much of a difference. Economic mechanisms are going to behave as they will, and the music industry certainly fits that model. What I would change, however, if human behavior. The biggest problem for music and art in general is that people just don’t try to find something better. Most people don’t even try a little, and that’s all it takes, trying just a little. If everyone who claims to have an appreciation of great music, film, and human expression would occasionally go out of their comfort zone even the slightest, the appreciation of art worldwide would increase substantially, and deserving artists would thrive.
H: What is your ultimate career goal?
ZD: Honestly, doing it right now. Keep writing about great music. I’m not sure I really have a desire to make money on this, or at least not to make it a career. Besides, I don’t think Last Rites could exactly match the 401K I get at my actual job.
H: Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what you have planned in the months ahead?
ZD: I will just keep doing what I do, finding something interesting to write about, and cover it. I try to keep variety going not just for our readership, but for my own enjoyment as well. On the slate over the next couple weeks I have a couple high profile black metal acts and something a little more on the oddball side. As a full site, Last Rites has some big things planned, but I’m not going to spoil that here, sorry. Other than that, year-end-list time is coming up before long, and that’s always a blast. Gives me an excuse to make up fake awards and toss them at deserving recipients.
Hello and welcome to a new week of industry-focused content here on the official blog of Haulix. We took Monday off in honor of Labor Day and are now ready to dive back into coverage with another spotlight feature on a talented writer who is making waves in the alternative scene. If you have a suggestion for a site or writer you would like to see us featuring in the coming weeks, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your story.
We have learned time and time again that no two people working in the music industry today have the same origin story. Like the caped crusaders filling comic books worldwide, the people who make a career out of music do so by carving their own niche into an already thriving world. They offer something unique to those willing to listen (or read) that could very well change the way things work, and today’s spotlighted talent is no exception.
Dave Luttrull founded Hellhound Music in 2004 after becoming a staple of his local music scene. He worked his way up from fan to someone bands turned to for advice, and that year (nearly a decade ago) marked his first professional turn in the music as a manger for a variety of regional acts. Hellhound launched shortly thereafter as an avenue to help give his musician friends a backing in the music industry, and just a few short years later it evolved into one of the most reputable online destinations for alternative music news, emerging acts, and features. None of this happened overnight, of course, and in today’s feature we’ll learn how it all came together.
If you would like to learn more about Dave and his work, be sure to visit (and bookmark) Hellhound Music. Any additional questions regarding the site can be added in the comments section at the end of this post.
H: For those unaware, please state your name, the site you work for, and your role at said site:
DL: My name is Dave Luttrull and I run Hellhound Music. I handle most of the day to day posting/writing on the site, scheduling interviews and corresponding with industry folk.
H: We have over half a decade of Hellhound to review, but let’s start with your origin story first. To whom or what do you attribute your interest in music?
DL: Music has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I have a fairly strong background in Punk and Hardcore stemming from my younger years as a skate rat. Most of my adolescent years were spent skating and exploring music that was off the beaten path.
H: What was the first album you purchased with your own money? Do you still own that record today?
DL: If memory serves me correctly, the first album I ever purchased on my own was a Broken Bones Never Say Die 12” EP, which I do still have that to this day.
H: As we will soon learn, Hellhound is more than just a news site. What attracted you to entertainment writing in the first place, and how did you first get your start in the music industry?
DL: I never really intended to take this route in the music industry even though I had always been interested in this side of it as a fan. My initial steps toward the music industry was speared on by friends in local bands in here in Virginia because I attended a lot of shows and helped out bands from time to time. Several bands were like “Hey Dave, you should be our manager”.
H: Okay, now to Hellhound. When did you decide to start the company, and how did it evolve from a management focus to one that also included news coverage?
DL: HHM was started as an avenue to promote and book shows from the handful of bands that I was managing and or promoting at the time. (2004). I spent the majority of that part of my life booking shows, setting up recording, photo/video shoots and reaching out to the industry to gain exposure for my artists. During that time, I reached out to the now defunct Rane Clothing as a sponsorship relationship. As time went on, my relationship grew leaps and bounds with RC, who also was putting out a monthly zine called Rane Zine. RZ was doing interviews and also publishing submitted music news in an interactive format. I was invited to join the team and soon after was in charge of the overall content for each month. During those years, RZ was converted into a daily blog and instead of us chasing down content, it was being sent directly to us. It became way too much content to put out monthly so we began posting daily. After a few years, Aeron (RC President), decided to move on into different things and turned over Rane Zine to me, at which point it, was absorbed into Hellhound Music. This was the birth of what HHM is today.
H: Where does the name Hellhound come from? Were there any other names being tossed around before you settled on that one?
DL: I have always been a big Misfits fan. It’s a Misfits song. I have been using the hellhound as a screen name since the 90’s on AOL chat, (old)Myspace and all the other relic social networks. There was never any other name even thought about, just the suffix. I settled on Music because it seemed to be much more broad to use. It would work for a site, record label, management company and any other industry field we decided to pursue.
H: In addition to the typical coverage of news and opinion pieces, Hellhound has a recurring video series that features widespread coverage of the rock world. When did you begin integrating original video content? Would you say the demand for such content has risen, dropped, or remained the same in recent years?
DL: Our video coverage is still in its infantile stage. I have always wanted to implement a lot more of it just never really had the equipment to do it to the quality I would like. It is a resource that is pretty untapped by us up to this point. Video coverage is huge now, social networking has made it so easy to access and share that sort of content. It has probably become one of the most important aspects of the music industry. We definitely want to push ourselves to provide much more of that to our readers. We currently have a few video projects in the works.
H: You have a team of contributors that help keep Hellhound working around the clock. What makes a great contributor?
DL: I myself am consumed by HHM. It is one of my children for sure. It is always on my mind and I am constantly working on the site. We have a small team these days as contributors tend to come and go for the most part. Our mainstay is Myself, Jason Buonviri (my right hand since the inception of HHM), Matt Crane and Harley Hughes. We have a few others that submit interviews and photography (For those that do, thank you. I sincerely appreciate it. We also have a handful of Suicide Girls who do interviews and album reviews from time to time. To me, a great contributor is someone that realizes that this is work. It isn’t really an avenue to meet bands, fan girl/boy and expect a ton of personal gain from it. Realize that and you’re golden. Have I made tons of friends in the industry of the years because of this, yeah sure, but it was because I was willing to spend the overwhelming majority my time to promote something I believed in.
H: As someone who has been in blogging for the better part of a decade, what are some of the more common mistakes you see young sites/writers make? Do you have any advice to those just starting out in writing?
DL: Our site is ever evolving. We still make mistakes, try things that just don’t turn out the way we’d hoped. You just have to keep pushing. We are never fully satisfied with our content. We strive to be better all the time. For writers starting out, I guess that depends on what their overall goals are. If they are looking to build a website, be ready for tough road. Fame and fortune doesn’t come over night, if it ever does. You will never be the only site out there. Those emails you are getting are also going out to 3000 other people. The industry is fickle and you have to prove yourself 10 fold to most of the industry to be considered a viable avenue to promote its artists. This is no picnic, it is a lot of work and yes money….a lot more than you may think. In the end it’s worth it 100%. There isn’t a day that goes by that I am not proud of what we have built.
H: Some have said the rise of social media in recent years has lessened the need for critics. Do you agree?
DL: Tough question. I think there will always be a need for unbiased opinions. With bands being so f-ing accessible it has spawned a legion of fangirls/boys who really have little regard for the actual quality of content. That just creates overly bloated egos and a complacency when it comes to writing. There is definitely a need for those to say “Yeah, you look cute on stage but your music is subpar, tighten up”.
H: You feature a number of up and coming acts on your site, not to mention working with others to help further develop their career. Where do you go when you want to discover new talent?
DL: I have been lucky enough to have gained the interest of a vast amount of labels, management companies, publicists and bands. I discover new talent daily directly through our site or our email for the most part. I will stumble upon the odd band from time to time while soundcloud is on random or if we are covering a show that another band approaches us about working with us.
H: What advice would you offer someone who wanted to increase their chances of sticking out from the plethora of bands vying for your attention via email or other form of submission?
DL: We get a lot of email submissions through the site and social networks. I prefer to be approached through the site. One, that means they were checking out the site =) and Two, email is much more convenient for me. If an artist or band presents us with a well written submission with all the information in one place, 9 times out of 10 I will post them. With the mass amount of posting we do a day, there just isn’t time to track down photos, bios, links etc. Not saying I don’t ever, I just prefer to have it all right in front of me.
H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?
DL: I myself enjoying putting together artists features, especially if it is a band I have never heard before that I find rad. I also enjoy interviews, but the artist features are where my heart is at. I feel like they get appreciated more by the artist as well. Reviews definitely get more hits, yeah….I LOVE hits but I would be lying if I said that matters most to me. I just want to be loved *haha
H: How do you feel about album leaks? Are they preventable?
DL: Album leaks have just become part of the deal. In an effort to reach more and more people, new music is sent out all over the world. To be honest, it can’t be prevented. Human nature is human nature. Ya know. Not everyone abides by the rules and that will always be the case. I am pretty sure my friends gave up on getting free music from me a long time ago.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
DL: If you’re an artist, treat it as such. Stop the trend of being a musician to be a musician and not to express your artistry. Most of my favorites bands are artists, they write music as an expression not because it sounds good to that guitar riff or bass line. Write music that you want everyone to hear not music that everyone wants to hear.
H: Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what you have planned in the months ahead?
DL: We actually have a ton planned for the coming months. There will be a complete overhaul and recoding of the site. The content will not change, just the format and ease of navigation. We recently purchased new HD video equipment and gear to begin filming a lot more interviews and one off music sessions with artists. We already have several lined up and looking forward to getting those out to our readers. There are also a few bands that will be taking part of our tour life video series. We will be sending handheld cams out with bands on tour to get a look at the day to day like of being on tour. I am working towards getting back to sponsoring more events and potentially sponsoring our first tour.
