Music Rookie

This week we're talking with David Macias, President and Founder of Nashville-based https://www.thirtytigers.com/ (Thirty Tigers). We'll discuss the origins of the label, how their business model has changed over the years, how they approach A&R as well as artist development, and discuss independent release plans (label or not) ... and David will spill the tea on the current uproar over the streaming economy. Skip to ~22 minutes if you're only here for the Spotify/streaming talk. To read more of David's thoughts on Spotify and the streaming economy in general, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/spotify-streams-payouts-joe-rogan-1298101/ (check out this piece in Rolling Stone), as well as https://lefsetz.com/wordpress/2022/02/11/re-david-macias-spotify/ (David's full written notes here).

This week on Music Rookie is an interview  with Daniel Kohn who is the editor at Spin Magazine.  In this conversation from 2021, you'll hear us talk about Daniel's journey as a music journalist, what he looks for in a story, and his vision for Spin, now that it is under new ownership. 

A conversation with Justin Black, a Richmond, VA-based independent musician who runs his own label, https://crystalpistol.bandcamp.com/ (Crystal Pistol Records), and also works regularly with another Virginia-based label, https://warhenrecords.bandcamp.com/ (WarHen Records).  Justin's primary vessel for musical output is under the moniker https://sawblack.bandcamp.com/ (Saw Black), which I recommend you check out wherever you consume music.  Our conversation is based around the premise of independent labels — and answering common questions like...should you start your own label? Should you cut a deal with a small indie? What might that deal look like versus a traditional deal or a "bigger" label deal? We'll also demystify a lot of the day-to-day of being an independent musician and the music industry at-large.

A conversation with J. Edward Keyes who is the Editorial Director for Bandcamp. We discuss the benefits of using Bandcamp as a direct to consumer platform for musicians. With their editorial arm, BandCamp, Daily, and their plethora of artists tools, the independent platform gives their users unique ways to connect with fans and allows them to actually make money form their art. We highlight allof the special features that users sometimes overlook.

A conversation with http://www.thejoeswank.com/ (Joe Swank), a freelance radio promoter who previously worked in the radio space at https://www.bloodshotrecords.com/ (Yep Roc Records) and https://www.bloodshotrecords.com/ (Bloodshot Records). Joe was also a touring musician in the '90s, hosts his own radio show, and co-founded the https://altcountrychart.com/ (Alt-country Specialty Radio Chart) — so he's got a LOT of wisdom to share not only on the radio side, but on building a music industry career in general. As we've heard on other episodes; be ready to stay in it for the long haul, don't bank on overnight success, and constantly (C O N S T A N T L Y) work on developing your network. Also, be nice to people.

A conversation with Joseph Lynch to get the inside scoop from him about Billboard's pivot during the pandemic to covering more industry news, music technology, and the types of stories he's looking for when covering smaller artists.  We also talk about misconceptions about the industry, the myth of the overnight success, and why musicians should just suck it up and get on TikTok.

This week we're talking with https://www.emmaswift.com/ (Emma Swift), a Nashville-by-way-of-Australia singer-songwriter who garnered some serious attention last year with her release of https://emmaswift.bandcamp.com/album/blonde-on-the-tracks (Blonde On The Tracks). We were excited to talk to Emma as a follow-up to our recent newsletter piece highlighting an atypical release strategy -- one that does NOT involve releasing songs to streaming platforms on the official release date. Emma breaks down her impetus for doing a "physical or download-only" release, how the plan was formed, and touches on all of the moving parts of her release cycle. She'll also provide some advice to developing artists on how to approach your next release. As promised in the outro of the podcast, here's info on Emma's team that worked this release: UK publicist: Rachel Silver - https://silverpr.co.uk/about/ (https://silverpr.co.uk/about/) US publicist: Ken Weinstein - https://www.bighassle.com/ (https://www.bighassle.com) US radio promo: Brad Paul - http://www.bradpaulmedia.com/ (http://www.bradpaulmedia.com) Distribution: http://www.thinkindie.com/ (ThinkIndie) in the US; https://www.thegroovemerchants.com/ (MGM Planet) in Australia.  Emilee Warner helped manage my campaign for four months. She was particularly good at Nashville related hookups: advertising on Lightning100, a mural at Grimey's, booking Blackbird for a live stream.

A conversation with the music editor for LA Weekly. Brett Callwood has worked for a slew of alt-weeklies, including Denver's Westword, Detroit's The Metro Times, SF Weekly and you'll soon see his byline in the relaunch of the Village Voice. Brett walks us through his process for determining coverage each week at LA Weekly,  plus he gives us his insights on the Los Angeles music scene, if genres even matter anymore, and his thoughts on the future of music journalism in general.

A conversation with Alyssa DeHayes, who is a publicist and media relations specialist for record labels, festivals and independent artists at http://riotactmedia.com/ (Riot Act Media). She loves demystifying PR and marketing strategies in one-on-one consulting sessions for artists and labels who aren't quite ready for a full publicity campaign. She spends her lunch hour twice a week teaching music publicity and promotion at http://www.terry.uga.edu/academics/certificates/music-business (The University of Georgia's Music Business Program), and volunteers for http://www.girlsrockathensga.org/ (Girls Rock Athens). We'll discuss the value of PR for artists in 2021, managing growth over the course of your career, managing expectations, and setting realistic goals. We'll also talk about records release plans in general from the perspective of Alyssa's label. Pertinent links to Alyssa's happenings:  Publicist at http://riotactmedia.com/ (Riot Act Media) Founder of http://arrowhawkrecords.com/ (Arrowhawk Records) Project Manager at https://asthmatickitty.com/ (Asthmatic Kitty) (Sufjan Stevens) http://bit.ly/SweetheartRef (ALBUM RELIEF) Album Relief is a four week course to teach artists how to approach handling their own publicity for albums, singles, and tours. A full-on campaign isn't always the right move for every artist, at every stage, and this DIY course provides an alternative.

A conversation with Lauren Casper who is the director of label management at The Orchard in Nashville. If you aren't familiar with The Orchard, it is the leading music distribution company for independent labels operating in over 40 markets worldwide. On today's show we'll talk how to authentically connect with your fans, how important metadata is, and why having a plan for how you are going to release your music can help you get those coveted playlists and other marketing opportunities.

A conversation with Justin Osborne, who is the lead singer and principal songwriter of Charleston, SC band SUSTO. Justin is going to discuss what worked -- and what DIDN'T work -- as the band progressed from “total DIY” regional success all the way to present day touring Europe regularly and a legitimate record deal with https://rounder.com/ (Rounder Records).  https://www.sustoisreal.com/ (SUSTO Official Website)

A conversation with Jimi Palacios from Gimme Country, a digital radio channel that's grown extensively over the last few years. And as it turns out, they don't only play country music. Jimi is a multi-year Ameripolitan Award nominee for DJ of the Year. We spoke to Jimmy about Gimme Country, his process in selecting music for his daily radio show and we also chatted about what makes a good on air interview. Plus a lot more.

This week on the podcast I'm talking with David Barbe, Director of the https://www.terry.uga.edu/directory/mbus/david-barbe.html (Music Business program at the University of Georgia).  David's career in the music business spans over 40 years, ranging from time as a touring bassist in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_Blue (Bob Mould's band Sugar), running http://www.chaseparktransduction.com/ (a studio in Athens, GA) (where he's worked with Drive-by Truckers, Deerhunter, and more), and ultimately landing in his current role as a professor. He knows the ins and outs of the music business as well as anyone, and, well, it's literally his job to educate people on it. While our conversation touches a lot on studio work / audio production, he gives us advice that is applicable in almost any facet of the music business.

A conversation with Brandon Kinder, a musician who's been putting out records for over a decade with his band The Rocketboys and his solo project The Wealthy West. His music has been compared to the likes of Bon Iver and Band of Horses, and written about in Rolling Stone, Paste, and American Songwriter, and many more. He's landed placements in dozens of commercials, films, and television shows. Since we've spoken to a sync agent and a music supervisor, we thought we would round out the trilogy with a musician's side of getting music placements.

This week I'm talking with Reed Watson, a founding partner at https://www.singlelock.com/ (Single Lock Records). Launched in 2013 in Muscle Shoals, AL (and recently expanding with an office in New Orleans, LA) Single Lock has released a litany of successful projects from the likes of Lera Lynn, Nicole Atkins, Erin Rae, Penny & Sparrow, Cedric Burnside, and many more.  Reed walks us through what a label release plan looks like, answers that ever-pressing question of “how do I get signed?”, and offers his advice to artists looking to take the next steps in their career. 

A conversation with Dan Koplowitz who owns music sync firm Friendly Fire Licensing. He is a former label owner that now does sync licensing exclusively. Whether it is for commercials, blockbuster movies, arthouse films, or an array of online content — music supervisors reach out to him to find the perfect music for their projects. In our talk, we discuss why this is a fantastic time to be looking for syncs as there are more opportunities than ever before with all of the content being made. He also gives advice on how you can get pitched and the format your music needs to be in for you to be taken seriously.

a conversation with Phil Egenthal, a booking agent at https://www.minttalentgroup.com/ (MINT Talent Group), which is a brand new boutique agency formed in 2020. Mint currently represents a broad swath of artists across all genres, and their roster features multiple grammy winners and rock and roll hall of fame inductees. You can https://www.minttalentgroup.com/roster (check out their full roster here). Phil has also previously worked as an agent at both https://www.paradigmagency.com/ (Paradigm) and https://madisonhouseinc.com/ (Madison House). During our talk, Phil breaks down how the role of booking agent has evolved over the years, shares advice for artists who are looking to add an agent to their team, and he details what agents are looking for when considering bringing on a new client. He'll also touch on how you can be your own booking agent (although we didn't frame the question exactly that way; the advice is still worth heeding).

A conversation with Music Supervisor Joe Rudge who is known for his edgy projects such as Room, Blue Valentine, The Big Sick, Eighth Grade, and Midsommar. But he works on bigger projects too, most recently working with Netflix and Ron Howard on Hillbiily Elegy. We talk about where he finds music, the best way to connect with a music supervisor, and why this is such a great time to get sync licenses.

A conversation with Entertainment Lawyer John Seay, who recently became a founding partner at the new Atlanta-based legal firm Carter + Woodard (so new, they don't have a website!). John previously owned and operated his own practice, https://theseayfirm.com/ (the Seay Firm), where he's represented acts across a wide span of genres and with labels the likes of Atlantic Records, Interscope Records, Secretly Canadian, Merge, and many more.  As we'll touch on in our conversation - there are a TON of different questions one might have for an entertainment lawyer, but John is going to help us demystify what exactly an entertainment lawyer does, and when a musician like YOU should approach someone like him for his services.

A conversation with Dallas Jackson who is the Editor-in-Chief of quintessential music magazine https://americansongwriter.com/ (American Songwriter). The magazine was purchased in 2019 and has gone through quite a few editorial changes over the last year. In our conversation, we discuss some of those changes, the magazine's new podcast network, how analytics have moved front and center, and Dallas gives us the lowdown on what he is looking for in a pitch, which we were surprised by...!

A conversation with Annie Black, Social Media Manager at https://consequenceofsound.net/ (Consequence of Sound) (she previously held the same title at https://www.pastemagazine.com/ (Paste) for several years). During our talk, Annie breaks down what her day-to-day responsibilities look like, how you can apply this knowledge to your own social media planning, and the importance of understanding your audience to get the best return from your social engagement. 

A conversation with Shil Patel, who owns radio promo company https://tigerbombpromo.com/ (Tiger Bomb Promo). He's done promo campaigns for Sufjan Stevens, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Hiss Golden Messenger, Julia Holter, The Magnetic Fields, Daniel Romano, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers - and many many many more. If you want to know more about how a radio campaign works - Shil is going to break it down for us. He shares the components of a campaign, how he gauges if the campaign is successful, the hidden benefits of doing a radio campaign, and some of his best advice to up and coming musicians.

Welcome to Music Rookie, hosted by Rachel Hurley & Frank Keith IV. We're co-owners of the music publicity and consulting firm Sweetheart Pub, with over 30 years of combined experience in the music industry.  Don't let the name Music Rookie fool you. Regardless of your role, career length, or level of expertise — we promise you'll find value in these conversations. We just break down the info so that anyone can understand it.  We'll educate you on ALL facets of the industry: licensing, publicity, digital distribution, playlisting, radio promotion, label deals, social media management, advertising, marketing, touring, booking, live streaming, live sessions, legal advice, and more. We'll introduce you to experts in these fields, and we'll will give you the facts — straight and to the point — NO filler. Be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter where we take a deeper dive into these topics. You can subscribe at http://sweetheartpub.com/ (SweetheartPub.com)