10 Questions with ... Chris Allums

NAME:Chris Allums TITLE:President/CEO COMPANY:Quarterback Records BORN:Sherman, TX RAISED:Mobile, AL

Please outline your career so far:

1997-2000 Director of Operations, Imprint Entertainment
1998-2000 Treasurer, Network Ink
1999-2001 Assistant Account Manager, Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy
2001-2003 VP Finance, VFR Records
2003- President/CEO, Quarterback Records

1) For anyone not familiar with Quarterback Records, can you give us a little background on the company, your artist roster, etc.?

By the time I was with my last company, I started to notice several things. First, it was the beginning of the shift from almost completely major labels to an environment where independent labels could be successful. VFR and Broken Bow were harbingers of the current crop of indie labels. Second, technology was getting to the point of allowing more and more people to work from anywhere. I knew many co-workers and other colleagues who started their own companies to do the same jobs they had done at their previous labels. And third, working on the financial side, I was fully aware of how the overhead of a traditional label is tough to maintain.

So we took those things and kind of turned the traditional label on its head. The idea was to partner with people and companies that provide the services of a label, without the overhead. We created the central "shell" through which we can offer label services and create opportunities to partner with individual artists, or companies, that need pieces of the team. We can help put the team together, and we can then be, well, the quarterback and make sure everybody is working well together.

Over the past five years we have worked with labels like Word, Curb and Dualtone, and artists including Ty Herndon, David Ball, and Lorrie Morgan. With many clients, we work with them on major market country radio as an alternative to them hiring independent reps. They are able to avoid the costs of hiring their own staffs, and we can help them complete the teams they need at a fraction of the cost.

2) You graduated from Duke with an Economics degree- so how did you find your way to Music City to work in the music industry?

Funny story: I actually came here thinking I wanted to be an artist. In my first few years after college, I worked for a venture capital company in Colorado, doing investment analysis and real estate development. I wasn't enjoying it, so I quit, and decided what I really wanted to do was music. I grew up singing, playing guitar and other instruments, I had grown up with and always loved country music (standard artist bio stuff), and figured I was good enough to make a go of it in Nashville.

Except I realized REALLY quickly-within 6 months-that I wasn't nearly as talented as most of the artists here, and probably didn't want to invest the 10 years it can often take to achieve any kind of success. Where I'm talented is the business side, especially the numbers and finance side, and in Nashville I had an opportunity to do what I'm good at, in an industry that I love. So I altered my "plan" a little bit and started looking for ways to get into the business side of the music industry. Roy Wunsch gave me my first job, and the rest is history (in the making).

3) You have experience in artist management- does Quarterback provide management to artists?

Actually, it's business management-the financial side-but I like the question.

We don't officially provide management services, but many of the artists we work with are early in their careers and don't have managers. So we often take on some of the management roles.

We have explored moving more officially into management, and possibly opening a management division. If done right, it would be complementary to the other services we provide, and may happen in the not-too-distant future.

4) What kinds of things make you interested enough to maybe sign an artist today? Obviously talent, but what else?

Aside from talent, the biggest thing is drive. The days of an artist being able to go to a label and say, "I'm talented, here I am", and the label does the rest are gone. Artists have to have the mindset of "I'll do whatever it takes to win this game." I'm not saying artists has to do it all themselves-we're here to lead the business side so they can focus on being artists-but they need to have that attitude.

There's also that thing everybody talks about, but I don't think I've heard anybody be able to explain, that is "star" quality. That's beyond talent, beyond being an entertainer, and is something that some people possess that just draws people in. You hear people talking about Garth in that way, from the beginning, and that's often more important than just raw talent.

5) You worked at VFR Records with the one and only Nancy Tunick, who runs Grassroots Promotion- do you guys work together on projects?

We do. Nancy helped me from the start when Quarterback was only an idea. She was a big part of developing the model, and she actually came up with the name! Grassroots is a great company, and our two companies complement each other well working with radio. Whenever we can, we try to work with Nancy to add secondary radio coverage to the projects we're working. In fact, we work with them often enough and closely enough that people have thought our companies were somehow related. We have two separate companies, but we work pretty closely.

6) It's always been hard to get airplay, even harder today. Can artists be successful without it?

They can, but only to a certain level. There are many artists out there who have built a steady fan base, built markets regionally (or even larger), and can pay the bills. They can pay a band, and make a little money through touring and selling CDs and merchandise themselves (without having to get a "second job"!). That's success-more than a lot of struggling artists have. To become "big" or "known" or "a star," though, it takes the national exposure that requires radio airplay. As much as people talk about online marketing, digital distribution, etc., that still can't take an artist to that higher level by itself. The best thing it does is raise the artist's profile more, to make it easier to get that radio airplay. In Country music especially, the big "success" that most artists dream of needs airplay.

7) Who are some of your mentors from the music industry?

Roy Wunsch gave me my first job, and also taught me all the basics of the industry. The things he taught me from the beginning were invaluable. Paul Lucks and his experience have also helped me tremendously. If it wasn't for Paul's ideas in building VFR Records, and the time I worked with him there, I probably wouldn't run an independent label today. Finally, Nancy Tunick-one of the smartest people I know-can always give perspectives on this business that keep me moving forward.

8) What artists and projects are you particularly excited about at Quarterback for 2009?

Well, all of them of course! Katie Armiger is poised to break through, and looking back, we can't believe how much she's grown the past couple of years. Same with Stephen Cochran-we're introducing a debut single from his upcoming second CD that is getting great listener reaction and should be his biggest single yet. We have a band we've just started working with, TelluRide, who we think has as good a sound as anybody else out there.

And that's just the start. We've got some other new artists we'll be introducing in the next couple of months. Everybody can check out our website at www.quarterbackrecords.com to keep up!

9) It's a tough climate about there- especially when you think about sales for CD and download and ticket sales. What do you think can turn it around?

Technology has made it easier to expose new music, and to distribute it, but we have to figure out new ways to make it easier for consumers to pay for music. The easier it is for them to buy music, the less we have to worry about holding on to current prices we have set, or looking for ways to increase them. Imagine if there were a way to just snap your fingers and have access to a new song you like, for 99 cents, or even less. Think about how many people would do that! But when there are barriers to use, or portability, or access, that's what gives an incentive to find other ways to listen, or to steal it, or to just wait for it to come on the radio. On the ticket sales side, there are a lot of artists today who have the right idea-lower ticket prices. A concert experience is still something personal that has value to people. That won't ever go away, there's just a limit.

10) Would you spend $100-$200 to see a concert? And if so, who would you see?

I'm spoiled a little bit, in that I get the chance to see a lot of great shows, for free, but I'd still pay that to see the right show. I don't really have any artists that I need to see so much that I'd pay that amount anytime (like Madonna, or the Stones, etc.), but for the combination of an artist I like with a memorable experience and setting, I can definitely justify that price. I bought a ticket in that price range to Bonnaroo a few years back. I'd pay good money to see Lyle Lovett at the Ryman (in fact, I have, and I'd do it again). Big stadium shows don't do much for me, it has to be something that I feel a part of, and that's worth a lot.

1) What kind of stuff are you listening to right now- any format?

Old country-I always have some of the old staples on my playlist, like Haggard, Willie, Don Williams. And on the other side, I'm a sucker for current top 40 when I need a break from country.

2) What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I wanted to be a builder-not sure if I knew the difference between builder and architect, but I wanted to create big buildings, skyscrapers.

3) What would be your fantasy job outside of the industry?

Well I guess I'd still like to thing I could be good enough to perform, and be on the "other side" of the industry, but otherwise, something that would get me near the water. The only thing missing in Nashville is that I'm not close to the beach, which was such a part of my life growing up in Mobile. I'm not sure if I'd still want it to be a "real" job or if I'd be happy as just a bartender at a beach bar, but something near the beach.