10 Questions with ... Laurel Kittleson

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Laurel Kittleson, Big Machine Label Group (BMLG) Dir./A&R oversees all aspects of the recording process, scouts for potential artists, screens songs and handles BMLG's master audio catalog. She played a key role in the development of BMLG Records artist Brett Young, as well as signing and overseeing A&R for his chart-topping album. Her roster includes, Taylor Swift, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Brantley Gilbert, Reba McEntire, Rascal Flatts, Carly Pearce, Justin Moore, Midland, Ronnie Dunn, Eli Young Band, and Trent Harmon. Kittleson's prior stops include Toby Keith's Show Dog- Universal Records and Elevation Music Publishing. The Seattle native is a Belmont University graduate. She is a MusiCares Ambassador, a voting member of CMA, ACM and a SOLID and Grammy Next alumni. recently, Kittleson was kind enough to sit down with All Access and answer "10 Questions."

1. Laurel, thanks for taking the time for "10 Questions." Let's start with your current role as Dir./A&R for Big Machine Label Group. Tell us about your overall job responsibilities on a day-to-day level.

In theory, my job is pretty simple: I find great songs for my artists, seek out new talent and maintain relationships. But, there’s a lot more involved with that; there’s pitch meetings, artist phone calls, producer phone calls, manager phone calls, calls with mastering houses, texts from songwriters. At the end of the day, it’s about keeping the relationships and finding the best songs and artists for our company. We hold pitch meetings a couple times a day around 10-11a and 2-3p. They’re an hour-long with publishers and sometimes artists. We also have production meetings with the part of the BMLG staff to make sure we’re aware of deadlines, etc . Then, we’re going out after work and going to various showcases, songwriter rounds and other functions. Basically, my job is not your typical 9-5.

2. Every radio programmer I know - including me when I was in radio - considers themselves some kind of A&R expert. What about A&R does radio have absolutely no clue about, that may frustrate you sometimes?

That’s a really tough question. It’s not just a great song and a good singer; you have to look at their personality, if they can interact and engage with fans, if they can engage with people – it’s a whole package process, I guess. I’ve met singers that are insanely talented, but they’re introverted and don’t want to talk to anybody. A couple [singers] that I know have gone on to do well, but it really took the right team around them to coach them to be able to have those conversations. A&R is a ongoing relationship between label and artist. We’re in constant communication with the artist and spend numerous hours getting to know their full story. Radio gets to see them on their best behavior for a small portion of time. Therefore, we are more in-tune with what the artist needs at the given moment because of the development process.

3. I am told that you have a strong gut sense of what can and cannot work. This, in a time when data drives so many decisions about music, how did you start trusting that gut sense?

Before the data, I did have to rely on my gut. In the past, if I find something I can’t stop listening to over anything else, and I wanna share it with friends, and when they like it, I know I’m on to something. After a while you learn from past misses- when an artist you love goes on to make it big, you learn to fight harder for the ones you truly believe in and trust your gut. I don’t know how to explain where the gut sense comes from; there’s just something about a person that makes me go, “This could be something great.” ; I like music that’s polarizing– a little outside the box that doesn’t sound like everything else . The Country genre, in general, it’s gone from being “Sam Hunt is crazy” to being really progressive. I was thinking the pendulum would swing back, but it’s actually gone out further – it’s spreading out in both directions. You have Stapleton, Midland, and a couple other friends of mine that are doing more progressive things – even more progressive than Sam – but still with a Country lyric and root. It’s gonna be interesting to see if people like it.

4. Taking that to a slightly more granular level - let's say you're at a showcase, scouting talent. What do you need to see from that aspiring artist - both as a performer and a songwriter - that will speak to you and tell you they can be successful?

Ideally – and, you can ask anybody – I love a good singer; that’s a God-given talent that you can’t fabricate. It’s gonna come out naturally. It’s something I definitely look for. Songwriting wise, you don’t have to be a great songwriter, but it helps. Obviously, we live in Nashville, the songwriting music capital; you can find amazing songs that are geared towards what the artist is looking for. Appearance wise, it can be adjusted with a little finesse; there’s always a way that you can make them look more appealing. Then, stage presence, that doesn’t come overnight. I see so many people come through, getting up onstage, and it’s just a train wreck. It takes them six months to a year to work at it all the time, being on the road, and when they come back, it’s like night and day. You also have to be a good person. Also, if they have a good heart and a good drive, then it’s gonna make everybody’s life easier. Some of them come in with a chip on their shoulder, and the chip keeps getting bigger and bigger – that’s a little difficult sometimes.

5. Thinking about songwriting - what I hear from radio and other places, is that there are fewer stories being written these days, and the focus is on hooks, production, and sonic priorities - you're looking at this from the inside out - have we gotten away from great storytelling?

I think the attention span of listeners has gotten a lot shorter; you have to get the point of the song quicker, which kind of shortens the whole story. However, that trend gets broken on a daily basis; look at Luke Comb’s “When It Rains It Pours.” Almost all artists have great story songs on their records, but they might not be a single.

6. Also, the co-write, and collaborations seem to be a bigger part of the process - is that perception or reality, and, can solo songwriters still achieve success these days?

It’s a little bit of both. Songwriting is a big part of the developmental process, because it helps craft the artist's sound. Most artists I work with, they are looking for outside songs because we live in Nashville and they know so many great songs are being written on a daily basis. However, the majority of my artists love co-writing with songwriters as well, in order to portray their story. In regards to the songwriters, I absolutely believe that it is very possible to have success being a solo songwriter.

7. And, since the co-write process is so huge, how do you pair up songwriters, whether they know each other or not?

A lot of times it’s about personality – knowing the artist, knowing the writers, knowing if they’re gonna mesh. And, it’s about knowing their strengths – one might be good at melody, one might be better at lyrics – pairing them up to see if it’s a good combination.

8. Do you encourage or discourage songwriters from chasing what is getting mainstream airplay at Country radio?

A great song will always win – regardless of the trends. If the bones are good, the production can always be changed. The song, at the core, has to be great. It does drive me crazy when some songwriters try to chase the trends, because they’re the ones who help us make the music evolve.

9. You're credited with finding Brett Young - and every female out there thanks you for that - but, tell me what you saw in him that said he would achieve the success he has realized?

It was the whole package, but I, honestly, loved his voice before I even saw what he looked like. Actually, in a pitch meeting with Liz and Ronna from Showbiz- Ro Music, – independent song pluggers -– I had heard his name before, but they pitched me a song of his, and I googled him, and I was like, “Wow! What’s his story again?!” So, we brought him in to meet with the team. He had all the factors: the vocals were there; appearance-wise, he didn’t need to be adjusted; and the songs were great. He had a couple demos that were so strong, and, obviously, adding in more writers as time went on, he’s gotten even better. But, the songs were always there. He also had a “thing" to him – an undeniable presence about him – that people notice. I don’t know how to explain it. On top of all of that, he’s a good person, he has a good heart, and the people he surrounds himself with are great people, as well, so it makes him somebody I wanted to fight for. It helps that he’s 6’6, so he stands out, but there’s something about him that people are drawn to. It’s always nice to see one of the good guys win.

10. Somewhat related, I think of A&R people as forecasters - those who can look into a crystal ball and know what will work months, and sometimes, even years from now - is that accurate? And, how do you do that?

With up and coming artists, they’re pulling from their influences – should that be “Bro Country,” it could be old school Country, could be Pop, could be Rock – if they stick to what they love, they’re helping make the sound of tomorrow. It’s them, combining their passions and building their own sound. If they stay true to themselves, I think that’s what helps. Artists are who they are and they make the "sound of tomorrow”. It sometimes just takes someone to take the leap with them and believe in them.