10 Questions with ... James Marsh

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Marsh joined Warner Music Nashville in his current role on October 22, following Country promotion stints at Dot Records and sister label Big Machine, where he was Director/Southwest Promotion. Prior to moving to Country, Marsh enjoyed a lengthy Pop, Rock and AC promotion career at such labels as Roadrunner, Atlantic and Island Def Jam. Before segueing to the label side, he worked in radio at Dallas stations KDGE (The Edge), KJMZ (100.3 Jamz), and KHYI (Y95).

1. You're just a little over about a month into the gig at this point. How is it going so far?

So far so good. I'm drinking from a fire hose, but the cool thing about it is that [SVP] Kristen [Williams] and [VP] Tom [Martens] are definitely throwing me ice chips to cool me down every now and then.

2. It has to help that your boss, Tom, is also the guy you replaced in the gig, so he's uniquely qualified to understand its challenges.

Tom and I, all we need to do is start dressing alike and we'll be like Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger [in "Twins"]. We have a lot in common. He's an old pop rock guy as well, so he's kind of got the same background as I do, and we both came from radio. So, we can sit and chitchat and talk about old times while, at the same time, he's teaching me. Everybody is patient and very family-based here, so that's been very cool.

3. Have you lived in Texas your whole life? What do you miss about it already?

I'm born and raised in Dallas. Besides my wife and my two girls, I miss my football team, and friends. But I've got a lot of friends here, a lot of people that have opened their arms. This Warner family and my old BMLG family have definitely reached out and just [asked], "Hey, man, can we help you? Do you need anything?" I thought that was great. And I want to give [BMLG President/CEO] Scott Borchetta, props on an email and a phone call congratulating me and just being open arms through this whole thing. I had nothing but a great experience with the dude. When I got this gig, he was one of the first people to text me.

I have a five- and seven-year-old, so I was really late in the game to having kids. [Starting a family] at 43 years old was kind of crazy. I'm waiting till the end of the school year [to move them up,] and it gives me time here to have my head buried and to learn the job. It's kind of like I'm studying for my master's degree right now, so it gives me time to study.

4. What are the biggest differences between Pop and Rock promotion - which you did for many years - and Country promotion?

The Country family is a different thing, man. It really is. It's definitely a family, and either you're in it or you're not. It's a brotherhood, a good old boys club and you figure out your way in.

The artists are a lot different. The Country artists want to work. These guys like Tim McGraw and Blake Shelton and Garth Brooks could kind of sit back if they wanted to, but they don't. They just keep grinding.

And the programmers are open to being worked, like, "Come on it. Bring the pizza. Bring the artist. Stop by. Let me hear what you've got." I love it when you can reach out to the biggest programmers across the country and they will make time for you. You don't get that a lot in pop and rock anymore. Rock used to be the artist-driven format, and it's kind of changed over to country now.

5. What do you love about what you do?

What I love is being creative to help different artists get to a certain level, and taking someone's else's passion and [using it to] help them be successful which, in turn, helps you be successful and helps the team be successful. We take somebody's art and we help them sell, and promote, and grow that art and let people see the beauty of what they do.

Some of the younger guys look around at the plaques on my wall and say, "Wow, you worked with Gnarls Barkley?" I feel like in 15 years they'll be saying the same things about a Chris Janson or Dan + Shay, [because of] what's going on with them right now.

6. What's the hardest part of your job?

It's making people sometimes hear what you hear or see what you see. It's like "the dress." Is it white and gold or blue and black? Sometimes it takes a minute to get people to see what you see, and you just have to be patient and stay the course.

7. You're working Dan + Shay, who have really moved to a whole new career level this year. What has their current single, "Speechless," been like to work and what's the plan to make them superstars in the year ahead?

Tom, and Kristen, and the WAR team have basically set those wheels in motion. They've grinded their butts off to get those two guys to the level where they are, with multi-format [appeal,] but grounded in Country. They have set this up for me. All I have to do is not screw it up.

8. Speaking of the year ahead, what upcoming projects are you excited to work from current and/or any new artists?

I'm really excited about this Ashley McBryde project. I've heard new music from Chris Janson, and you know when you hear three or four songs from an artist like Chris and you go, "I don't know which song to pick," that's a good thing. And then the next single from Dan + Shay. I mean, again, I just don't want to f--- it up. The WAR team is on fire, and I think if we can just keep fanning the flames and we're going to be OK.

9. If you're comfortable with the topic, I'd love to talk about diversity in the Country format. We're finally in a time when Jimmie Allen is topping the charts with his first single, and Kane Brown is on fire. But it wasn't always like that. What does it mean to the format, and to you, to finally see these new artists be successful?

The world is changing and we just have to grow with it. If you look at "The Voice" this year, there's two guys on [the show] that are African-American singing country music out of Texas. There's a lot of people of color singing country music.

The thing is our kids now -- my kids -- they don't see color. We're [all] growing as people, and ... I think our kids are showing us that you can look like Jimmie Allen, you can look like Kane Brown, you can look like James Marsh and work with country artists. One of the reasons why I took this job is because I want my kids to be able to walk into any genre of music or any office and be treated fairly.

10. What's the biggest challenge facing the country format right now from your perspective as someone who specializes in radio and streaming?

We just have to be able to communicate better with whatever tools that we're working with, [like] consumption or streaming. Radio has to understand what we're trying to do. We have to understand what they are trying to do. They have to understand that we're trying to help them as much as we can without breaking our banks. We have to work together.

Have you gotten settled into Nashville now that some of your belongings have finally arrived?

[At first,] I was running to the Dollar General store and grabbing sheets and towels and throwing them over my windows so I wouldn't flash my neighbors, and I learned to open up a can of franks and beans and cook it on the stove. I got this nice little contract, and a nice house back in Dallas and I'm eating franks and beans!