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10 Questions with ... Tyson Haller
June 20, 2006
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NAME:Tyson HallerTITLE:Director, PromotionRECORD COMPANY: EastWestLOCATION:New York, NYBORN:3/27/75RAISED:St. Louis, MO
LAST NON-INDUSTRY JOB:
Six Flags Over Mid-America
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I started as a college rep for Elektra Records in St. Louis. While doing that I started working parttime at a local retailer, Streetside Records, and as a runner for a local club Mississippi Nights. When I graduated from college, I got a job at Elektra Records in New York as an assistant in the Tour Marketing Department. A year later I was doing College Radio at Elektra and then College Radio at Virgin Records for two years after that. My last job before EastWest was doing New York local promotion at Virgin.
FIRST RECORD EVER PURCHASED:
Michael Jackson "Thriller"
FIRST CONCERT:
With the parents, Air Supply. On my own, Echo & The Bunnymen
FAVORITE BAND OF ALL-TIME:
I'd have to say my favorite artist is David Bowie
1. What got you interested in the record business?
My parents always told me to do what I enjoy, so since buying records was my hobby, I figured I'd take a shot at the music business.
2. Who are your mentors?
I would say there are a good group of people that each gave me a shot, eventually helping me get to where I am today. Bill Rusch for getting me the Elektra college rep job. Chris Elles and Mike DePippa for helping me get hired at Elektra in NY. Hilary Shaev at Virgin for taking a chance on me for NY radio. And Fred Feldman for making me a key part of EastWest.
3. What would surprise people most about the label?
A few things. We kind of balance between being a label and being a distribution company. A lot of the records I work are on super small one person operation labels, and in a few situations, we'll have a band on EastWest proper. In those two scenarios, we act more as a full on record company. With larger labels like Volcom, WPO and Fearless, we act more as a distribution outlet and service, providing them with resources they don't have like promotion, new media, publicity, tour marketing, etc. The other thing is that we exist to be profitable from a smaller amount of records sold. If we've sold 40,000 records, that's a big deal!
4. What do you like best about your job?
I love indie rock, so it is even more fun to work records you'd be listening to at home anyway. Also, we all have a say here in each record we put out, so it is great to be creative on different aspects of a release outside of promotion.
5. What is the toughest part of your job?
Trying to make all of our shows that come through NY. I feel like there are times when I have a concert every night of the week.
6. Which artist on your label do you think has the best chance to have the biggest impact at Commercial Alternative radio in 2006 and why?
Off the top of my head I would say The Living End, because we're putting out their next release through Adeline in July. They have a history at radio, so it will be great to put a record out in the way we do, with some familiarity already out there. The other bands
I would mention are Pepper, which had a great run at radio last year for us (Lava releases their next record later this year), and Nightmare of You, a band we had some good success with at radio on the first single that we plan to work with along side Sire around the second single. I'm excited about The Lordz and Riverboat Gamblers, as well!
7. What is the secret to running an indie label promotion department with a lot of releases?
Knowing your stations. Each record seems to make sense for different stations. At the start of a project, I usually target certain stations and try not to waste my time and the time of the stations by talking to them about records that don't fit their playlist.
8. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without ____________?
Cappuccino or Redbull at 5pm.
9. Biggest career highlight?
Moving to NYC from St. Louis with just a job interview lined up, no back-up plan, and then getting the job at Elektra.
10. If you decided to completely change careers today, what would you do?
Do you know if the Naked Cowboy in Times Square plans on retiring soon?
Bonus Questions
What are your hobbies?
I'm pretty sad. My hobby really is still just music.
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