Interview(s): Unsung Heroes of 2010, No.4 - Our Valuable PR Pals

Ok, so maybe labels and promoters don’t get to experience the level of adoration that bands frequently enjoy. But what about lowly press officers? Let’s face it, they’re probably the biggest ‘unsung heroes’ around. Ragged Words simply wouldn’t exist were it not for the many, many helpful and enthusiastic press people we’ve encountered on both sides of The Irish Sea. We thought we’d take the time to acknowledge the thankless work these PR guys and gals put in week in, week out in helping to get quality music off the pages of press releases and into your ears.

At the risk of keeping you here all night, we decided to limit our spotlight to five press officers who, between them, have been responsible for introducing us to some our favourite acts of 2010. Below you’ll find (in no particular order) reflections and anecdotes on a busy year in the world of music PR from: The Art Of’s Stacey Walton; Brilliantly Different’s James Penycate; Bernie Divilly from [PIAS] Ireland; Create Spark’s Debbie Ball; and, last but certainly not least, Matthew Maxey from In House Press. Take a bow, guys!


 
Stacey Walton set up the press division of The Art Of management and press company a little under 18 months ago, and has since set about putting together a who’s-who of Ragged Words’ favourite bands. Without Stacey, we would have been way late to the party with acts like Wild Nothing, Beach Fossils, Perfume Genius and Yuck, so it’s fair to say we owe her a pretty big thank you!

Hi, Stacey. Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. I know it's probably a bit like being asked to pick a favourite child, but what's been your favourite campaign to work on this year?

It is like trying to choose my favourite child! All of my campaigns have been wonderful to work on, honestly. If I’m pushed to choose the ultimate highlight of 2010, though, I would say working with Wild Nothing has been a dream. From first receiving Gemini back in February (it has to be one of my favourite records ever) to seeing it snowball and watching so many people fall in love with it as much as I have, it’s all been pretty thrilling. Sold-out London shows, having the guys record at Maida Vale (a dream of theirs)… and to top off the year by being in Rough Trade's Top Ten Albums of The Year is just perfect. Couldn't really have happened to better people either.

At the other end of the scale, have you had to deal with any particularly difficult artists or (perish the thought!) journalists over the past twelve months? You don't have to name names, but go on – dish us some dirt!!

Thankfully I haven't really come across anything too persnickety, especially not from any of the artists I work with. They'd be whipped into shape pretty quickly if they tried any diva antics on me! Sorry, no real dirt from me, but will email you if and when it happens (I'm sure it's just waiting around the corner!...)

Have any particular new(ish) tools for promoting music helped you out this year? I'm thinking maybe in terms of the growing popularity of streaming full albums prior to release, or the increasing strength of sites like SoundCloud and Bandcamp?

Dropbox…. I just love it! It’s made my life so much easier with regards to servicing people with music. SoundCloud has been great aswell – and very simple to use – so I’m looking forward to using that a lot more in the future.

Any acts you’ve heard this year that you really wish you'd been able to work alongside?

Only the one: Edwyn Collins. I'm the biggest fan girl of his, though, so maybe it’s a good thing that I didn't work with him!

What's coming up for you next year? Anything particularly exciting pencilled in?  

Everything is exciting! I'm working with some of my all-time favourite acts on their new albums in the first part of 2011 (Mogwai, Jonny, Gruff Rhys). Everyone is going to love the new records from The Go! Team and Yuck. I'll also be continuing to work alongside Captured Tracks, Mannequin, Turnstile and Slumberland on their incredible rosters… their release schedules for next year are insanely good. And working on my favourite band, Times New Viking, is going to be a career highlight for sure!
 

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James Penycate runs Brilliantly Different, a boutique digital music consultancy that really came into its own this year with a superb online campaign for Gold Panda. James also worked his magic on campaigns for the likes of Sky Larkin, Florrie and Best Coast (to name just three), so is very much an unsung hero in our eyes. James is such a hero, in fact, that he even found time to bring us some brand new vinyl down the pub one night. Crafty fellow...

Hiya, James. Congrats on a stellar year for Brilliantly Different! I know it's probably a bit like being asked to pick a favourite child, but what's been your favourite campaign to work on this year?

I really have to say Gold Panda here, don't I? The man has delivered some amazing music this year – both in remix form and with his own original material; his LP is probably one of the most wonderful records I have ever heard. Added to this, it's been a joy to see the internet and the world at large really warm to Derwin, both as a musician and a person. Annnnnnnd on top of that his recent live show in London (headlining at Corsica) was magical: he absolutely blew the roof off the place with his refined and near-perfect mixture of melodies and chopped-up glitchy beats.

At the other end of the scale, have you had to deal with any particularly difficult artists or (perish the thought!) journalists over the past twelve months? You don't have to name names, but go on – dish us some dirt!!

I genuinely love all of my roster – that’s really important to me. Journalists can definitely be difficult sometimes, but there are so many who just mirror that love and enthusiasm for artists.

Have any particular new(ish) tools for promoting music helped you out this year?

I have to say, Dropbox is just incredible – it enables me to micromanage all of my assets and zap links off to sites on the hop via a BlackBerry app. in seconds. Worth every penny. Besides that, my love for Twitter and Tumblr knows no bounds, for a plethora of reasons. Obviously I’d also have to give massive kudos to Bandcamp for devising a stylish, customisable streaming option AND the opportunity to sell product without having to dip so much as a toe in icy water. It really has done something brilliant, and I do so love that 80% of the per-track income goes directly to the artist. Amazing! I'd also be unable to do my job without Google, Topspin and probably a few others.

Any acts you’ve heard this year that you really wish you'd been able to work alongside?

So many… HEALTH and DOM for starters, love both of those bands; HEALTH make me want to run to the hills and scream from the summit to the bottom. Ha, Stacey (see above) will hate me saying this, but Wild Nothing is absolutely amazing. I’m so excited for Jack and his music. 

What's coming up for you next year? Anything particularly exciting on the cards?

I'm so absolutely thrilled for Niki and The Dove, who I have no doubt will deliver a wonderful album at some point next year; a band called Fixers, who just create the most exceptional pop music; the release of the Monarchy LP at long last; and if I’m really lucky, I should get to work with an amazing guy from Manchester called Star Slinger. I have to say I’m thrilled at the prospect of the evolution of the whole new beat music scene: stuff like Girl Unit and so forth – it really has the potential to cross over in the same way that dubstep has. Gotta say I’m super-excited for Florrie too: I love the entire ethos of that campaign and the guys I work with there. Not forgetting Still Corners, Warmest Chord and of course Gold Panda and Best Coast… Oh, I think I've just about mentioned everyone there!
 

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Bernie Divilly is the press officer for [PIAS] Ireland, a role that comes with a dizzyingly long list of fantastic acts to work with. From managing big-timers like The National, Sufjan Stevens and, earlier this year, a certain Mr. Tim Robbins to bringing music from the likes of Perfume Genius and Twin Sister across the Irish Sea, we don’t actually know how Bernie ever gets time to leave the office.

Hey, Bernie! We’ll start off by asking you the same thing we’ve been asking the others: What's been your favourite campaign to work on this year?

There are so many different reasons for enjoying a particular campaign, but like anyone who loves music it's extra-special when you feel you 'discovered' someone yourself. When I first heard the Perfume Genius album I knew nothing about him; we'd received one promo copy very early on from the small indie label it's on in The UK/Europe, and just stuck it on the office stereo out of curiousity. It had that immediate punch-in-the-stomach effect on me that usually means I won't give in until everyone pays attention! We contacted the label and asked them to send us more promos, and we worked our asses off on it here. That's the kind of campaign that makes you feel you can make a little difference at least. So I guess he's been my favourite artist to work on/with in 2010. All of the lovely dudes in The National come in a very close second, though.

At the other end of the scale, have you had to deal with any particularly difficult artists or (perish the thought!) journalists over the past twelve months? You don't have to name names, but go on – dish us some dirt!!

Well, I had a certain Hollywood actor in town for five days earlier this year to promote his debut album. Let's just say that was what you might call high maintenance! I usually have major fun with bands, though – it’s all about making them feel they are welcome to Dublin, and that you genuinely know and appreciate their work. Tired bands doing promo days can be difficult sometimes, but you have to understand their exhaustion and just do what you can as easily as you can. Difficult journalists?!? Never! Inconceivable! No, I do get on with everyone really… Ireland is too small a place to go falling out with people. Sometimes journalists get a little antsy if you can't get them a certain interview, but that comes with the job description. I've been doing this long enough that folks here know I always do my best. And if not, I find "water off a duck's back" is a great expression!

Have any particular new(ish) tools for promoting music helped you out this year?

Definitely, yeah. Nobody wants to read a page of plain text anymore; you've got to give them music links, videos, EPKs etc. – visual footage as well as audio. Sites like SoundCloud and Bandcamp make this task very simple. The digital marketing team in our UK office uses the services of Topspin a lot – they seem to be ahead of the game in terms of designing platforms for artist/fan interaction. I find Twitter very useful too, in terms of short bursts of info that don't necessarily need to be sent to all traditional media. We're also in the process of building a new website for Irish [PIAS] releases, which we believe will help us interact more directly with fans of the labels we work here, be they media or consumers.

Any acts you’ve heard this year that you really wish you'd been able to work alongside?

Beach House; Janelle Monae; Laura Marling; Sleigh Bells; Caribou; Foals; The Middle East; Surfer Blood; Sam Amidon; Jonsi; Best Coast; Lots and lots of others as well. I suffer from a constant case of 'Iwantallthegoodbandsintheworld-itis'! If someone’s making beautiful, exciting music, then I want to be involved. If that feeling ever stops, then I’ll have to quit – you’re only good in this job as long as your enthusiasm is still intact.

One last question before we let you go: What's coming up for you next year? Anything particularly exciting pencilled in?

I'm VERY excited about the new Adele album – it’s a stunner. I wasn't a particularly big fan last time around, but she really seems to have caught my attention on this one! I'm intrigued to see what Jamie xx has done on the Gil Scott-Heron remix record that’s due out in February; that kid is a genius. Having just seen Anna Calvi at Other Voices recently, I can safely say she's going to be one of the most talked-about acts in 2011, she's incredible. I'm also looking forward to albums from Esben & The Witch, Low, Micachu, Jai Paul, Hauschka, Breton, Dum Dum Girls and the completely, wonderfully mad Gruff Rhys.
 

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Debbie Ball founded online promotion service Create Spark in 2007, and has been a great friend to both Ragged Words and our sister site Bandstand Busking for almost as long. In recent years, Create Spark have run successful campaigns for the likes of Bibio, of Montreal and Phosphorescent, and this year they landed the mother of all gigs when they were tasked with overseeing Sufjan Stevens’ UK online activities.
 
Thanks for taking time out to talk to us, Debbie. I know it's probably a bit like being asked to pick a favourite child, but what's been your favourite campaign to work on this year?
 
Ha! Well, as you might have guessed by now, I try to love all my musical children equally… But at the moment the brightest one with the best grades has to be Sufjan Stevens and his latest album The Age of Adz.
 
And at the other end of the scale: Have you had to deal with any particularly difficult artists or (perish the thought!) journalists over the past twelve months? You don't have to name names, but go on – dish us some dirt!!
 
Yes, plenty. But being a PR is a bit like being a troubleshooter, so it doesn't really bother you when things go wrong! I had an incident that was largely out of my hands earlier in the year, when one of my acts expressed some controversial views in an interview and landed himself in political hot water. I had to do some damage-limitation work on it, but here's hoping thiat incident won't stay with them throughout their career. That's the worst part really, as they're just hurting themselves, but it's generally down to the protagonist to learn from their mistakes!
 
Have any particular new(ish) tools for promoting music helped you out this year?
 
I'm a big advocate of SoundCloud, I think that's a good secure platform for spreading music. And www.madmimi.com has been invaluable in presenting my press releases to writers in a more accessible format than before. I love the detailed access to data that both of them provide too.
 
Any acts you’ve heard this year that you really wish you'd been able to work alongside?

Without a doubt, I'd kill to work with Ariel Pink. He’s such a talented, surreal maverick… great songs and an incredible live show.

What's coming up for you next year? Anything particularly exciting that you’re looking forward to?

Good question! Well, the debut Suuns record is ruling my stereo at the moment… They’re a bit like a psychobilly Foals. Zeroes QC is out on Secretly Canadian on January 10th, followed by a European tour in February. Fujiya & Miyagi have made their most sonically diverse album yet in Ventriloquizzing, due out a week later on Full Time Hobby. It’s a fitting follow-up to the band’s second LP, Transparent Things. This new record explores the band’s love of northern soul, glam rock and French Ye Ye pop, as well as krautrock and electronic pop – two genres F&M are rightly synonymous with. Asobi Seksu are also set to make a grand return in February with their latest burst of shoegaze pop for Polyvinyl – new album Fluorescence. And finally, February also sees the long-awaited debut album from austere electronic pop band Mirrors. Lights and Offerings is packed with savvy, multilayered pop songs, and everyone should go check out the band’s dynamic live show on their next tour!
 
 
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Matthew Maxey looks after all things online for Manchester’s In House Press. Along with his below-mentioned highlights of 2010, Matthew was also responsible for turning us on to exciting new releases this year from Javelin, Avi Buffalo, WALLS, The Soundcarriers, Toro y Moi, Jim Sullivan and Aloe Blacc. He also hooked us up with all manner of interview and promo material for our features throughout the last twelve months. Top man.

Hey, Matthew. Congrats on another great year for IHP, and thanks for all your help along the way. I know it's probably a bit like being asked to pick a favourite child, but what's been your favourite campaign to work on this year?

I don't have any children, but obviously if I did I'd have to pick the one that was tallest, most handsome and best at football. He'd get the cream off the top of the milk and an extra Weetabix every day. Picking my favourite In House campaign of 2010 is a lot harder, though, because I genuinely dig virtually all of our releases. At the electronic end of the spectrum, Luke Abbott's Holkham Drones made me realise I might actually like techno music, if only I just tried. Baths's Cerulean is a gorgeous record too. The Phantom Band and Race Horses proved that boys with guitars can still be inventive, challenging and fun on The Wants and Goodbye Falkenburg respectively. But my absolute favourite campaign to work on was Field Music (Measure). The guys continue to do things on their own terms, and I admire their balls for releasing an amazing double-album – complete with a ten-minute-long found sounds closing track! – in an age of ever-diminishing attention spans. Nice to see them finally getting the praise they've always deserved too.

At the other end of the scale, then, have you had to deal with any particularly difficult artists or (perish the thought!) journalists over the past twelve months? You don't have to name names, but go on – dish us some dirt!!

Well, carrying on from your previous question, the success of the above campaigns really couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch. All are bona fide gentlemen! In fact, I genuinely can't thing of a bad apple on our roster. Boring, but true! As for you journalists… Again, I seem to get on with (nearly) all of you. Well done, Padraic, for graciously accepting all 4,769-odd emails from me asking to review x, interview y and mention z – and still managing to muster the occasional reply!

Have any particular new(ish) tools for promoting music helped you out this year?

The majority of journalists can download our releases from our own website. It's a dead simple, no-frills affair, but you can download virtually all our releases really easily with just a few clicks. Both us and the labels save on postage costs, a writer can get the music in just a few minutes (as opposed to waiting days for the postie to arrive) and, of course, it's better for the environment.

Any acts you’ve heard this year that you really wish you'd been able to work alongside?

I've been quite the Matthew-come-lately with Beach House I’m afraid, shamefully having only properly listened to them this year. Teen Dream is probably my favourite album of 2010, though, with ‘Zebra’ occupying the much-coveted spot at the beginning of my jogging playlist (I don’t kid myself that I'm a big stripey horse or anything as I'm galloping along – it just has a good rhythm for running!). They’ve got that rare ability to convey sadness through chord changes, something that not many artists have. Rufus Wainwright has it, Johnny Marr had it in spades, and so do Beach House.

Finally, then: What's coming up for you next year? Anything particularly exciting on the cards?

Yup! New albums from Low, Deerhoof and Erland & The Carnival. Plus, I’m really excited that we're going to be doing the press for ‘The Celestial Café’ – the memoirs of Stuart Murdoch, yer man from Belle and Sebastian.