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10 Questions with ... Andy Argyrakis
August 7, 2006
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NAME:Andy ArgyrakisTITLE:Freelance Writer/PhotographerCOMPANY:Seen regularly in Chicago Tribune, Illinois Entertainer, Concert Livewire, Daily Journal, CCM Magazine, Christian Music Planet, Christianity Today.comLOCATION:ChicagoBORN:ChicagoRAISED:Chicago
Brief Career Synopsis:
My time is split between music-related writing and photographing for a series of newspapers and magazines, along with time spent working with various record labels and on tour.
1) What made you want to get into the music business?
Growing up I was always a diehard music lover, especially interested in going to concerts. I can recall my first five shows being Genesis, Michael W. Smith, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel and U2, plus I was able to catch The Who, Jimmy Page/Robert Plant and The Rolling Stones all before I graduated high school. I was always fascinated by what it took to put a show together, what made the musicians I saw on stage tick and what the experience of touring was like, so I basically started covering music with a suburban Chicago newspaper and found out firsthand. I was 16 at the time and literally found myself knocking on backstage and tour bus doors, basically living out the "Almost Famous" movie long before it was even made. I credit one of my Chicago Tribune editors Lou Carlozo as giving me the encouragement to know I could turn this into a career and several opportunities to show him what I was made of from the time I started contributing to the paper at 19. That was about seven years ago and I've since had the chance to grow beyond the Windy City, exploring several national outlets and hitting the road with bands for myself.
2) What do you think is the most important topic facing the music business and radio right now?
Downloading and the rise of Internet music distribution are what I see to be the most prevalent issues, simply because they represent the changing face of record labels, retailers and even the media so dramatically. I'm a little old-fashioned in the fact that I like a physical product, but realize the trends are leaning in a digital direction. It's imperative for the industry to stay up with the times rather than longing for the old school. In terms of radio that means wider formats with more shuffle-styled play lists, similar to a person's iPod instead of the same handful of songs repeated all day long.
3) What are the biggest changes you would like to see happen in our industry?
I'd like the barriers of genre, age, demographic, race, religion, politics and orientation to be broken down in favor of the best quality artistic expression and most innovative but accessible sounds. I'm tired of watered down, trite, clichéd formulas for specific audiences and would like to see music lovers from all associations uniting over the sake of incredible art rather than a specific agenda or need to fit within a specific format.
4) What are the greatest challenges you face in your position?
Time is one of the hardest elements to carve out of a schedule that includes three regular columns, at least three concerts to cover a week, traveling out of town several times of month yet always having a stack of CDs to listen to.
5) What are the greatest rewards in your position?
I basically get to listen to, assess and discuss music 24/7 while heading behind the scenes with the most intimate access possible. I've also been able to be a part of some amazing experiences including going on the road with the likes of Arlo Guthrie and The Guess Who within the past year to photographing various red carpet events and concert tours.
6) What makes your company unique?
Being on my own I'm able to set my own schedule, decide what projects I want to take and what to turn down, plus discover new talent often times before the general public.
7) In our highly competitive music field, where it seems more and more that every artist needs something special to get paid attention to, what is the most commendable effort you've seen made by an up-and-coming act?
I love artists who have substance in addition to style and a great sound, so I applaud all those artists who roll up their sleeves and aren't afraid to get in on the action firsthand. One band that comes to mind is Marty Casey & Lovehammers, who are perhaps most familiar for appearing on Rockstar: INXS. Being a fellow Chicagoan, I actually knew and interviewed the group before they found major fame and was really impressed by their commitment to fans. Just a few years ago the band would invite anyone with a concert ticket stub back to the members' actual house for a barbeque and party after each gig. It literally got the group as close as any could possibly be to their fan base and soon had them selling out thousand-seat clubs without the help of a record label or significant radio airplay.
8) What's your take on current music?
I feel like there's a really vital indie undercurrent sweeping in even more this summer than the past few months, where bands aren't afraid to take risks or break the rules when it comes to how they craft a song. Looking at the Chicago concert circuit this summer, three major festivals - Lollapalooza, Intonation and Pitchfork - all have promoted artistic individuality and earned loads of national media attention. In that sense, I feel like there's a healthy swing forward that will hopefully continue to develop and again break bands away from predictable formula - on record, radio and the concert circuit.
9) If you could have any job outside the music business, what would it be?
Without a doubt I would open a vintage store that would sell all sorts of retro clothes, pop culture items and maybe even some furniture. It would be loaded with references to the 70s and 80s with Atari games lining the window and old yet original concert t-shirts - not the cheap rip-offs they sell at Target - tacked to the walls.
10) What's your best advice for younger, less experienced future music industry execs?
If you really feel called to a certain area of the industry and also find your talents gravitating in that direction, go after it with all your heart and don't stop until you achieve your goals to the fullest potential. Along the way there will be plenty of setbacks and people who will discourage you, but learn from those situations and use them as fuel on your fire of success. As the old adage goes, you can do anything you put your mind to, so get out there, network like crazy with polite persistence and never take "no" for an answer.
Bonus Questions
1) What's in your CD player right now?
I know they are about a year old, but I can't stop listening to the latest from Bloc Party and Kevin Max, along with Wolfmother, Snow Patrol and The Streets. I'm also loving an advance of Skillet's forthcoming Atlantic CD Comatose, which is not only its best effort to date but one that will rule the radio well into next year.
2 ) Favorite TV program of all-time?
"Miami Vice" is hands down my favorite program. I not only own the two seasons currently available on DVD, but have a 102-disc set someone made for me off the original broadcasts with every single episode commercial free. To supplement that absurd collection, I also have a fabulous iron on T-shirt with the show's logo that I proudly wear to any 80s-related concerts or parties.
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