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10 Questions with ... Brad Moist
January 28, 2019
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Relationships and communication matter. You can't have the communication each person needs to do their job effectively without first having the relationship. It was one of the reasons why we started Camp Gotee in 2013. When we started to work our artists more concertedly to radio we knew we needed to rebuild our relationships with programmers. We wanted to earn back the trust that we could deliver them great songs for their listeners
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
It's not typical for label marketing directors and A&R personnel to invest much into relationships with PDs and MDs; but since radio's been in his blood since college-and smaller labels often don't have national promotions teams in-house-Brad Moist's ardent work has made himself a fixture in the Christian radio community. For the past 18 years, Brad's energy, passion and marketing mastery has helped maintain Gotee Records' brand of launching top-shelf, format-pushing artists and music.
1. What's the background story on your record industry journey that's led you to your current role at Gotee?
I grew up going to the Creation Music Festival in PA. After I graduated from Penn State in 2000, I looked at that summer's Creation Festival as more of a job fair. A friend introduced me to an artist manager and helped me set up a job interview with him in Nashville. During that first trip to Nashville, my father recommended that I also take my resumé to records labels in town. I received a lot of "thanks, but no thanks" and even a few rejection letters, but Gotee Records offered me an internship. I took the advice of my friend Stephen Weaver (who I knew from PA and was then working in telesales at Provident) and I accepted the unpaid internship at Gotee instead of the paying job at the management company. A few months later Gotee hired me part-time. From there, I just "worked my way up," as they say, and even created and led another record label under Gotee for many years called Mono vs. Stereo.
2. If the music industry thing had never panned out, what career do you expect you'd have tackled?
I majored in Communications at Penn State and was Station Manager and PD at one of the campus rock stations. Other than radio, I do have a background in writing and print journalism, so I imagine I would have pursued that, if not specifically radio. If you would had asked me what other passion I have for a career other than what I currently do, I would have answered sports marketing. Specifically for Penn State. We Are!
3. Did you specifically set out to pursue a career in the CCM industry?
Yes I did. I grew up on 90s music and the alternative-CCM scene. I was introduced to a lot of alt-CCM through Interlinc's mailings to my church youth group. I loved getting to know all the behind-the-scenes info I could get my hands on. I read the liner notes to albums over and over and re-watched VHS music video compilations from record labels like Tooth & Nail. I took a Music Business course my sophomore year of college and interned at a Christian music-only store called Cross Selections. I eventually worked with locals bands, went on summer tours and booked and promoted local shows. A dream of mine was to work in music and to work in the CCM industry. A goal was to maybe one day work at Gotee Records or Tooth & Nail, and to eventually sign bands to a record label.
4. Who are the artists and what are the definitive albums that have most profoundly constructed your music DNA?
I always have to list five. I blame the movie 'High Fidelity' for that. My Top 5 favorite artists are: Johnny Cash, U2, Tom Petty, Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters. For definitive albums, I'll list my five favorite albums from my senior year of high school (which would be Fall '95 through Spring '96): dc Talk "Jesus Freak," The Fugees "The Score," Jars Of Clay "Jars Of Clay," Oasis "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" and Smashing Pumpkins "Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness."
5. What are the moments with the biggest payoff, in your gig? Where you feel the most intrinsically rewarded for your effort. Conversely, what are some of the behind-the-scenes facets of your job that must be done, but more or less fly under the radar?
Summer 2016 will always be a highlight. Seeing people react to Ryan Stevenson's "Eye of the Storm" and seeing our industry support that by rewarding him with a #1 song for 14 consecutive weeks will always stand out. Another is our annual Camp Gotee event each summer. So much planning and effort goes into that and the reward of spending time with Toby and our artists as we connect with radio and digital friends both new and old is truly worthwhile. Every year, I'm just grateful to Toby & Joey that we get to do it. There's really nothing like it and those that have been there know what I mean. As far as behind-the-scenes facets, all of us at Gotee handle a lot. We're a small staff, so no job can be too small. One task that people may not know I handle is that I post almost all of the content on the Gotee and dc Talk social media accounts.
6. In the past several years, Gotee made a more concerted effort to work its artist roster to radio, which surely impacted the day-to-day responsibilities of your job specifically. What are some of the most important elements you've learned about Christian radio over the past couple of years?
Relationships and communication matter. You can't have the communication each person needs to do their job effectively without first having the relationship. It was one of the reasons why we started Camp Gotee in 2013. When we started to work our artists more concertedly to radio we knew we needed to rebuild our relationships with programmers. We wanted to earn back the trust that we could deliver them great songs for their listeners.
7. Particularly in recent history, Gotee's been known for keeping a small roster and being slow to sign new acts. How have you seen this business strategy work beneficially for the label? Are there ever times when this modus operandi comes at a disadvantage?
I love that at Gotee, we focus on artist and song development. I love our small roster. I'm always hopeful that when we talk to radio, they understand that we may only come to them with 2-4 songs per year. I hope they know that when we do come with a song, it's a serious decision for us. We're not just sending everything and anything out to them with the hopes of airplay. We're respectful of the radio platform and the audience the station has built, but we also want them to know that we feel confident we're delivering to them a song we feel will connect with their listener. It doesn't mean we're always right-we know the listener will ultimately decide; we just want the song to have a chance to be heard.
One disadvantage is that I feel we have struggled at times to bring attention to a song that has traction because we don't have a four or five-person radio team. We always want our songs to be pulled into the audience rather than pushed, but sometimes it does need a solid nudge to help give it that attention.
8. Why do artists choose to sign to Gotee over other labels?
I believe it's because we have a track record and history as being an artist-friendly label. Gotee was co-founded by an artist, TobyMac. I believe it's also because we have an atmosphere that has a family like quality to it. Our founders and owners, Toby and Joey, are family...they're cousins, actually. The qualities we have as a record label have been created and shaped because of the way it was set up from the beginning, 25 years ago. And yes, that's right, this year we're celebrating our 25th anniversary. I'm grateful to have been at Gotee for 18 of those years. It really has been a dream come true.
9. Who are some of the artists you see best shaping the future of Christian music? Do you see Christian radio being a playing a major role in their success, or not necessarily?
I do think artists that know how to speak to the listener instead of speaking at the listener are serving and shaping our industry well. Ryan Stevenson, Tauren Wells, Darren Mulligan of We Are Messengers, Michael Cochren of Cochren & Co., I believe these artists know how to write songs that relate to the core, Christian music consumer-the pain they may be feeling and to remind them of the comfort in Christ. I do think radio will play a role in their success. Radio may not be the only thing they listen to and they may not listen to in the traditional sense, but I do believe they trust the brand of their preferred station to deliver and introduce to them music that is positive and uplifting.
10. At this point in the year, what do expect the next eleven months of 2019 will look like for Gotee?
A lot of work. We're starting this year right out of the gate with two very important radio singles for us. Cochren & Co's debut single "Church (Take Me Back)" and Ryan Stevenson's latest song "With Lifted Hands." We'll also be announcing some new artists that we've been working with for the past year. They are artists I am extremely excited about and I feel reflect our independent spirit which we try to maintain through that steady focus on artist development and diversity. Plus we have 25 years of music to celebrate!
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