10 Questions with ... Rob Wilcox

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I started my career in 2006 as an intern at WXPN/Philadelphia, while attending Rowan University. Refusing to leave once my internship was over, I stayed with the station until 2010 as a volunteer production assistant, board-op, and on-air host for Jim McGuinn's Y-Rock on XPN sister station (RIP). Through working on the Cafe, I met Jon Landman, who hired me to work at The Syndicate in 2010, gradually overseeing all aspects of Alternative, Specialty, and College promotion for all of my favorite bands and labels. After almost six years with The Syn, I briefly joined the promotion staff at Concord Music Group, before jumping to Polyvinyl Record Co in May of 2017.

1. What led you to your dream job in 2017?

Honestly, it was equal parts luck and coincidence. I was fortunate enough to spend a year and a half alongside the formidable promotion staff at Concord Music Group, which was a huge learning experience for me. That said, I've always wanted to test my strengths in other areas of the industry, which ultimately led me to Polyvinyl where I oversee all aspects of Publicity, contribute to their A&R process, and make sure Radio is running smoothly. They've always been close friends of mine, and were one of my favorite clients during my formative years with The Syndicate -- so it didn't require too much contemplation. If you told me 10 years ago that I'd be working for my favorite indie label, I wouldn't believe you.

2. Give us the 411 on Polyvinyl Records.

We started off as a punk rock fanzine called Polyvinyl Press in the mid-'90s as a way to help document the Midwest Indie Rock movement -- Matt & Darcie sold their zines (often coupled with self-released 7-inch records) at shows, record stores, and shipped them off to folks via their little mail order operation. This eventually led to them releasing compilations, and signing Braid and Rainer Maria -- and thus, Polyvinyl Record Co was born.

Over 21 years and close to 350 releases later, Polyvinyl has remained true to its DIY roots, while simultaneously launching the careers of artists like White Reaper, Alvvays, of Montreal, Japandroids, and countless others. We're a true indie label, heavily inspired by the Dischord approach, and one of the most artist friendly labels in the biz today.

3. What's it like working for Matt and Darcie Lunsford?

It's been one of the most enjoyable, fulfilling, and rewarding experiences of my career thus far. Matt, Darcie, and Seth Hubbard -- one of their first employees and now general manager -- are incredibly smart, kind, and cool. They're also great leaders.

4. What do you like best about working at Polyvinyl Records?

That has to be a three-way tie: The quality of music, the passion and individual talents of the staff, and the ability to contribute ideas openly.

5. Tell us about your Alternative Radio priorities for 2018.

White Reaper, "The World's Best American Band" (as their latest album title would suggest) from Louisville, are a HUGE priority for us. They're one of the most fun, hardworking, refreshing, and energetic live bands I've ever had the privilege of knowing. They deserve it all, and everyone should be talking about them. A handful of great stations got a head start in doing so this year.

We're just getting things warmed up on their latest single, "Little Silver Cross," which is picking up steam at WEQX. They recently blew the roof off of their WEQX House Session, went on a laser tag spree with the gang at WWCD, and have been supporting Spoon all around the country. In addition to dates with Spoon and Ron Gallo, 2017 also had them playing to wildly eager fans at SXSW, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Bumbershoot, and CalJam to name a few. Lastly, the band recently partnered up with the amazing team at C3 Management, which means I get to work alongside Joe Greenwald!

Alvvays will continue to be a big one for us in 2018, too. Their sophomore album, Antisociailites, has been one of our biggest sellers all year, earning the band critical praise, millions in streaming, early love at ALT, a massive showing of support at College Radio in 2017, considerable traction at the AAA/Non-Comm format, top charting research at SiriusXM, and a completely sold out U.S. tour. The band just put on a stellar performance at the CD102.5 Holiday Show with Spoon and The Aces, which was a blowout success. Be sure to check out their latest toe-tapper, "Plimsoll Punks"!!

We'll also have an angry mob of new releases from Of Montreal, Anna Burch, Post Animal, Quiet Slang, Tancred, and several secret signings. 2017 was a huge year for us, and our stride will only widen in 2018.

6. What sort of things are you doing to help Polyvinyl artists reach their fullest potential at radio?

At radio, a big part of it is grooming and helping the artist make their first introductions. A lot of our acts are new to the world of radio, so it's incumbent of me to help show them the ropes. The do's and don'ts. How to comfortably navigate meet & greets, sessions, festivals... that kind of thing. I'm also there to help them understand the bigger picture when it comes to developing game plans, picking singles, etc. Outside of my direct interactions with radio, a big part of my job is on the back end -- working with our marketing and press staff, feeding them all of the latest research and airplay. You got to be firing on all cylinders if you want to break out, so having that kind of "synergy" (I hate this word) is key.

7. What may surprise people the most to learn about the label?

It's not that big of a deal, but we've got a couple celebrities on our roster. My personal favorite is actor/director Mark Duplass (Togetherness, Room 104, The League), whose band Volcano, I'm Still Excited!! released their debut album on Polyvinyl back in 2004. They were poised for greatness, alas, Mark's career as a director was starting to take off around the same time. My hope is we can convince them to reunite for the label's 25th anniversary in 2021.

8. What is the toughest part of your job?

I'm challenged in every way here, but artist development is my passion -- so it's cool.

At press, cutting through "the noise" in an age where premiere culture is slowly starting to fade away has become pretty tough to work through. It puts the onus back on the artist and label to expand their reach without having to rely on certain outlets -- however, it also makes it easier to consider premieres with passionate stations or platforms like SiriusXM.

When it comes to radio specifically, there will always be bigger names at the top of the stack. That said, the stations that are playing our records know that we're delivering quality over quantity. I'm not here to waste anyone's time.

9. What was your biggest takeaway from working at Concord?

I learned a whole hell of a lot, both personally and professionally, so it's hard to say what my biggest takeaway was. That said, "Less is more" and "Always show up" were the two biggest pieces of advice that I continue to carry with me. I'm thankful for my time there.

10. What are your personal and professional goals for 2018?

Work smarter, not just harder. Cook at home more often, run a half-marathon, break some fucking awesome records, and maybe start swearing a little bit less.

What are weekends like for you?

Hiking, running, cooking, listening to vinyl, playing music, and spending time with my cat, Nimoy.

Tell us about your band By Surprise.

Jangly punk for the indie rockers. I started the band with some of my closest friends back home in 2006, and am currently finishing up our sophomore album for Topshelf Records. We've opened for bands like Piebald, Motion City Soundtrack, and Archers Of Loaf. I'll die happy if we ever get to play with Superchunk.

Best concert you saw in 2017?

Polyvinyl acts aside, I'd say it has to be Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia.

Favorite album from 2017?

It changes every day, but this week it's Life After Youth by Land Of Talk on Saddle Creek Records.

Favorite song from 2017?

"In Undertow" by Alvvays -- that said, my most listened to song of the year was Glen Campbell's "Wichita Lineman"

Is there anything else you would like to add?

To me, Alternative Radio has always thrived on being "the alternative" to everything else. The format is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, and my hope is that with all of these new stations popping up, it will help create a more stable environment that begs to embrace (and break) more new artists than ever before.