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10 Questions with ... Kyle Favors
February 28, 2017
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1. What made you want to get into the music business? Were there any early mentors?
There were really two reasons that we ventured into the music business -- the love of music and an opportunity to help others realize their dreams. In 1998, we started a service business in a completely unrelated field to music and have built a comfortable living with it. My wife and partner in Thermal Entertainment, Ronda and I were at a music festival in Wisconsin in 2011, when we started talking about how it would be great to find a business to invest our time and money into that we could do together. As we talked about various ventures, it just clicked with both us ... music. So we began the process of education and discovery, looking for a band that deserved to be heard, worked as hard as we do and understood that it is a start-up company with limited resources. We found that band in Wichita, KS through a dear friend of ours, Soulicit. We spent countless hours creating a company as well as relationships to help this band and others gain the exposure that they deserved.
2. Can you give us a rundown of the music business positions you've held over the years?
Over my career, I have worked within industrial markets and have owned various businesses, but Thermal Entertainment is our first within music. As all of our businesses, it has been an extensive learning curve but the key is working with the right partners.
3. What are some of your proudest past achievements in the music business?
There have been some great accomplishments that we have achieved. Our relationships with key companies (Megaforce Records, New Ocean Media, RadioContraband, All Access, etc.) is our biggest accomplishment as a young company. One recent highlight is our newest band Shallow Side received, "Best New Artist of the Year" from Loudwire.
4. Now let's talk about your company Thermal Entertainment. How and when did you start this company?
Thermal Entertainment was established July 2011 in Greenville, SC.
5. Your company is listed as an indie record label, management company and promoter based out of Greenville, SC. What bands or artists is Thermal currently managing?
We are currently managing Shallow Side, Soulicit, and Far From Gone, as well working with some local talent to help them gain exposure.
6. On the label side, Shallow Side has had some success at Rock radio. The new single is "Can You Hear Me." What can you tell us about the new Shallow Side album and single?
Shallow Side is an amazing rock band out of Cullman, AL that we have known for several years. In April of last year we had them on a show we were promoting with Saving Abel, and had the chance to hear the music they were working on. It was fresh, with a Southern rock undertone and something that we knew we wanted to be a part of. Shallow Side's new album "One" has a taste of everything -- massive vocals, huge guitar riffs and bass/drums that you can feel to your soul. "One" brings so many elements to the rock industry that are fresh and new. After good success with both Rebel and Renegade at Rock radio, we wanted to bring one of the strong, fresh singles to radio and feel "Can You Hear Me" will give fans a different element that is so needed in radio today. This single will stand out and grab to attention of rock music lovers everywhere.
7. What else does the label have coming down the pipeline in the future?
We have a few bands that we are looking at but our concentration today is our current roster.
8. In running your business, what are the most important tools/resources you use to stay on top of the Rock formats' growth and constant daily changes?
All Access, Mediabase, Billboard, industry contacts
9. Let's talk about the Rock format as a whole. What's your take on the state of Rock radio today?
Rock music today is healthier than it was five years ago, but certainly isn't where it should be. Rock radio today is a tough market with less stations bringing upcoming bands to the market and having any type of discovery series. There are however still stations that pride themselves on bringing new talent to their listeners and we definitely commend them for that. Radio in general has suffered from all the streaming sites, Internet radio stations, and video sites that are stealing their listeners, which makes it imperative for them to think outside the box. Fresh ideas, fresh bands, and a less "more of the same" attitude is what will bring Rock radio back to the forefront. We all love the big bands of the '70s and '80s but if Rock radio continues to push music from this era, it will be history, like the songs they play.
10. Finally, being as busy as you are, what do you like to do for fun and relaxation when you're not in your "work" mode?
RVing is our pastime, typically headed to a music festival or a concert of some sort, but we enjoy seeing the countryside and meeting new people from all over.
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