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10 Questions with ... Scott Borchetta
July 30, 2007
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NAME:Scott BorchettaTITLE:President/CEOCOMPANY:Big Machine RecordsBORN:July 3rd- Encino, CARAISED:Encino, CAASTRO SIGN: Cancer
Please outline your radio career so far:
Scott Borchetta heads the Big Machine Records label as President/CEO. After only one year in business, Big Machine scored its first Number One single (Jack Ingram's "Wherever You Are"), placed five singles in the Top 30 on the country charts and received a nomination for Record Label of the Year. The artist roster includes Jack Ingram, Danielle Peck, Taylor Swift, Jimmy Wayne and Dusty Drake. Prior to starting his own company in 2005, Borchetta was Sr. V.P. of Promotion & Artist Development for all three of UMG's country imprints: DreamWorks, MCA Nashville and Mercury Nashville. During his brief tenure, all three labels posted a Number One single. Previously Borchetta helped launch the Nashville office of DreamWorks, which propelled Toby Keith to superstardom. Borchetta has won over 15 awards as Country Radio Promotion Person of the Year and each year that he was in charge of promotion at MCA throughout most of the 90's, industry trade publications Billboard and Radio & Records awarded MCA Nashville their Country Label of the Year honors. Borchetta has been instrumental in the careers of George Strait, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Trisha Yearwood, Wynonna, Toby Keith, Darryl Worley, Jimmy Wayne, Jessica Andrews, Randy Travis and many others. Borchetta is a member of the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences and Leadership Music Board of Directors. Borchetta's record of accomplishments in country music is unprecedented, and now he is poised to make history by launching a new generation of country stars with his own record label
1) What you've done at Big Machine so far, especially in this climate is nothing short of amazing. How does it feel and do you ever think back at the beginning and just go, 'whew.'
We mostly keep our head down and focus on the music and the artists, but is has been incredibly rewarding to occasionally lift up our heads, look around, exhale, and then put our heads back down! I've had blinders on in regard to doing this label since DreamWorks merged with UMG Nashville. That was much more of a 'whew' than starting Big Machine. To know that something you built and bled for was going to be entirely dismantled and to be completely helpless in watching the dismantling exposed me to practically every pitfall that we've faced. I had to do Big Machine. I've never been afraid of failure - I'm much too stubborn!
2) You have had a long relationship with Trisha Yearwood, since you were with uncle Bruce Shindler at MTM right? And then MCA. Is it exciting to be back together again?
Just lovin' pinch me. Trisha is the same amazing person that she's always been. She's one of the best singers on the planet, she's one of the smartest and funniest people I know and I CAN'T WAIT TO SHARE THE MUSIC!!! She has made a Grammy level event, not just an album. I was in the studio with her last week and as I was leaving she hugged me and looked me right in the eyes and said, "I'm having the best time ever - I always hoped making music could be like this". So, I can basically die now.
3) How excited are you about this new Trisha project?
Did you see where I said 'Grammy level event'? This is arguably her best album, ever.
4) Was there a specific plan on breaking Taylor through new media like MySpace or did that kind of happen on its own?
I was recently looking back on what I refer to as my 'master's thesis', the original business plan for Big Machine from early '05, and it contains the blueprint for what we've done with Taylor. I had the advantage of already knowing Taylor as I was writing the biz plan, and she has far exceeded our expectations, but it was very specific. People literally laughed in my face when I had told them that I had signed a 15 year-old female, and all I could do was bite my tongue and say, "Just watch," they laughed harder! KUSS PD Mike O'Brien called me after her initial radio visit last year and said, "Why don't you take her back to Nashville and bring her back out when she's 21?" I told Mike that Taylor would probably own the world, or at least a small island, by the time she was 21, again, laughed in my face. To Mike's defense he marched backstage last month when Taylor played San Diego with Brad Paisley and Jack Ingram and raised his hand and said, "Hey Taylor, I'm the one who told Scott to put you on the shelf until you hit 21! I am officially eating my words." Everyone had a big chuckle.
5) What are you most excited about right now at the label?
Everything.
6) You have a solid artist roster already and it seems to be growing lots. Will you ever cap the number or are you always looking for people to sign?
That's a great question. There's a finite amount of music that one promotion staff can work at Country Radio. On the other hand, I refuse to be stagnant. I have to leave the door open on some level to fall in love with new artists and/or new music. JZ and Jack torture me when I want to sign someone, so I think we have a pretty good internal way of dealing with adding artists to the label.
7) How late are you in the office everyday and what do you do to shut it down when you get home, if you ever get home?
You wouldn't believe me if I told you, but Sandi and I have a pretty cool house. I recently saw it during the day.
8) Tell us who were a couple of your personal mentors.
My dad, of course. I think the 'idea' of successful people affected me more than the actual people themselves. Mo Ostin is the classiest record executive of all time in my book. Working for Mo at DreamWorks will always be amongst the favorite time of my professional life. He ALWAYS made time for me, was interested and is extraordinary in so many ways. The best stories of all time. Good on Tom Whalley for keeping Mo's mind in the game. Next would be Ahmet. I can tell you that I've learned a heckuva lot, what to do and what not to do, from Bruce Hinton, Tony Brown, James Stroud & Luke Lewis. You better be fucking ready when you deal with those guys. Each one comes at you in a different way and each can be extraordinarily charming and lethal.
9) Have you ever held a job outside of the music industry, if so what?
I think my brother and I used to sell lemonade.
10) In what special ways do you motivate your staff?
I don't know if they're 'special ways' but I try to get them to look at every challenge as an opportunity. There are so many ways to 'yes'. I also try to embed in them that we truly have a chance to lead in this industry and make history. Each one of them has a direct line to me whenever needed and each one of them has a voice in our company.
Bonus Questions
1) How do you listen to music- iPod, CD's, radio, 8-track, cassettes?
iPod more than anything. iTunes browser at the office and CD's in the car.
2) What personal possession would you never part with?
I don't have a possession that I couldn't live without. Maybe my wedding ring? I do like fast cars though.
3) What's disc can you not get enough of right now?
Too many to list- it's always going, and I'm completely turned on by all kinds of music right now.
4) Hollywood just started production on the Scott Borchetta story. Who would you want to play you?
Toby Keith! hahahaha
5) Do you wear one of those phones that grow out of your ears?
Yes and they're always burning.
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