In This Direction

"I think I've really learned that what fulfills me is painting -- just painting. In a lot of ways, it's a continuation of things I learned that made me happy in the music universe in terms of community. " Joan Lemay started and spent much of her career in the music industry working for music industry staples like Sub Pop and Riot Act Media, but she was always an artist at heart and now paints full-time. Growing up in the small town of Katy, TX, she sought escape and inspiration through music. It's a journey that began when she was just a toddler with just enough reach to drop a needle on Steely Dan's debut "Can't Buy A Thrill." It's only fitting that things have come full-circle as she is currently working on a Steely Dan book with writer Alex Pappademas entitled "Quantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, Babylon Sisters and other Soul Survivors from the Songs of Steely Dan." "It's such a dream for a trillion and a half reasons."On this episode, Joan and I chat everything from playing in bands and starting her own fanzine, the Blue Meanies, the transition from full-time music publicist to full-time artist, being a Muppet, her love of Steely Dan, and much more.

Teacher, maker, artist. Audrey is the kind of person who seeks challenges and always finds a way through, not around, them. She is a person who truly understands the value of experience in perfecting craft and learning the most important lessons. Whether it's teaching classes in the male-dominated makerspace world or creating her own art through metalworking, the impact of hands-on, in-person experiences have always been transformative for her and those who engage with her work. On today's episode, Audrey and I chat everything from the influence of the local Baltimore music scene, welding, medieval hand tools (and torture devices), and the diversity of thought in makerspaces.

ALEK FIN is Los Angeles-based artist Adam Finkel. I remember writing years ago something to the effect that his music sounded like Jeff Buckley fronting Radiohead. And maybe it wasn't so much that his voice was a dead ringer for Buckley's voice as much as it was his ability to exude this haunting vulnerability with his voice. And yet, despite the level of intimacy he presented in his music, it was equally mysterious.Adam doesn't just write songs...he crafts environments, worlds to lose yourself in. His songs are paintings, notes and tones are colors and lines. The air is a canvas and he has this mastery of bending that air into captivating songs. That's because Adam is an incredibly present person. A second for him carries just as much weight as a year. That focus and intense awareness of his surroundings are ever present in his work. A new full-length ALEK FIN album is due later this year.

"Nurturing talent and artist development is really, really what I enjoy doing." As the founder of his own music PR firm, Spencer Scanlon tends to wear many hats not just out of ambition but out of a deep respect and care for the artists he chooses to work with. And as someone who witnessed so many labels and artist getting lost in the shuffle during the industry shift in the mid-2010's during the rise of streaming, he's intent on making sure things don't get lost to time again.Here we chat everything from the impact of hearing Rage Against the Machine for the first time to helping relaunch the legendary Casablanca imprint to the value of time in art.Spencer has worked in the music publicity industry for nearly 20 years with artists such as Morrissey, The Cure, Santigold, The Rapture, Mogwai, The Weeknd, The Lonely Island, and many more. Before starting Transmission, he spent time at Rykodisc, Girlie Action PR, Crash Avenue PR, and Universal Music Group.

Married. Kids. Pets. Co-Founder of a renowned music PR firm. Needless to say, Chris Vinyard is a busy, busy person. After a decade plus at the venerable music publicity and marketing firm Big Hassle Media, Chris decided to start his own firm with colleague Tito Belis, but, as Chris says, not with any intention for world domination. In fact, as he's progressed further into his career and his family has grown, he's found that living in the moment and moving forward matters more than anything that's in his rearview. "Try to find other things that you can invest yourself in, so you're not just reliant upon this one aspect of culture, or scene, to fulfill you. Because you'll get tired of it, and it'll become rote for you. You'll get burnt out on it."Over the years, Chris has worked with and represented artists, events, and organizations such as The Governors Ball Music Festival, Robert Plant, Kings of Leon, American Football, Major League Baseball, Third Man Records, The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Outside Lands Music Festival,  and many others. 

“In learning how to do design, I feel like I learned how to relate to music in a way that was a little more sustainable.” When you focus so much of your time, energy, and passion into one specific creative endeavor, it's hard to believe that creativity might flourish in any other area. But with time, you learn that what inspires your work is more a matter of the process than the product. For Todd Goldstein, he thought his direction as an artist was through his music projects Arms and Harlem Shakes, but he soon realized his path wasn't as defined as he first thought. Luckily, he found that creativity energy he nurtured through music could find new life in the world of graphic design. His experience as a musician greatly influenced his development and approach as a designer, and, as time has passed, his work as a designer has changed his relationship with music. As a designer, Todd has created work for clients such as “Saturday Night Live,” DC Comics, and They Might Be Giants.

Carolina Borolla: Publicist Extraordinaire. There was no roadmap for Carolina's journey to where she is today -- she made her own way. When she didn't have answers (or really any information), she trusted herself to figure it out and find answers where there were only questions. For her, being a publicist is largely about being a storyteller which explains her drive to search for and identify the details that matter in all facets of her work. And while hardwork was certainly a large part of the equation in her success over the years, so, too, was this great passion for storytelling and music. As she says, “You're really helping someone do what they love by doing something that you love.” And while there are plenty of tough days, the experiences she's had over the years are ones she not only speaks of fondly but clearly will cherish forever.

For Andy, his direction has taken him on an amazing, full circle journey with music. From playing in bands in the DIY Bay Area music scene and being a member of the Polyvinyl Records mailing list to now serving as Marketing Director of that very same label, his story is one that's all about “Creating Through Community.” He and I talked about everything from his first memory connecting with music to helping reunite American Football and much more. This is his direction.