10 Questions with ... Erik Baker

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Erik Baker is best most known for his creative and forward-thinking approach to artist development, management, and promotion. Erik is currently anchored in the Rock Formats, but over the past 15 years, he has been responsible for the development, launch, and execution of integrated promotional campaigns as well as artist management for both established and emerging artists in formats ranging from Urban to Alternative. His background includes the development and launch of integrated social, digital and traditional media campaigns, custom-tailored national radio promotions, product management, strategic partnerships, promotional tours and campaigns, and more.

1) What made you want to get into the music business?

I'm 39, so I grew up when hair bands were cool, and headbangers ball ruled on MTV. I'm part of a now-defunct generation of kids who could only dream of being an "executive" in the music business. So it wasn't really one particular thing other than I was extremely passionate about the music I loved and wanted to be a part of it. I went to college in Tampa, FL and I found myself promoting nightclubs and eventually getting into concert promotion. That was my first foray into the music business, and I knew promotion was what I did best.

2) Give us a run-down of the labels and positions you've held over the years?

I broke my way into record promotion after meeting DJ Speedy (a well-known DJ and Hip-Hop producer) at a conference in Atlanta in 2006. Speedy introduced me to Max Gousse, who was Matt Knowles, EVP/A&R at Music World. Max A&R'd all of the Destiny's Child and Beyonce' albums (among many others). Max hired me as the National Promotion Director for his company Arsenal Entertainment which, was a joint venture with Universal where we attempted to break Korean pop star BOA in the U.S.

My next stint was at Cee-Lo Green's Radiculture Records, which was his joint venture with Atlantic Records after having multi-Platinum success on the first Gnarls Barkley album. I served as the National Promotion Dir. for Radiculture until the label went defunct in 2010, when I started my own social media, management and promotion company in Nashville. Major Label Promotion was something I started out of necessity for artists who didn't have anyone helping them cultivate a real social presence. It was an emerging sector of the music business as a whole, and it's where I seized the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and follow my gut. I very quickly solidified my first few major clients in the Rock formats and in three short years, I went from one person and one office on Music Row to six people and five offices in the same building. I was handling socials for everything from bands like Hinder and My Darkest days to brands like Gibson Guitars and Dirtbag Clothing & Music. In 2013, I hired someone to take over the digital side, and I fully transitioned into management and promotion. Over the next couple of years, my management clients would include TRAPT, Taproot, Smile Empty Soul, The Veer Union, Ra, 12 Stones, HED P.E., Future Leaders Of The World, World Fire Brigade (feat. Sean Danielson of Smile Empty Soul and Brett Scallions of Fuel).

In 2014, I did a deal with Don Robertson and Robert Kampf and became Head of Radio Promotion for Century Media Records, Street Smart Marketing, and Street Smart Management. I was replaced at Century Media by Mark Abramson, who'd just left a long tenure as SVP/Promotion at Roadrunner Records. I continued to stay with The Century Family and began to specialize in secondary market Rock radio promotion.

In 2016 at the end of my run with Century, Don Robertson introduced me to Bob Chiappardi, the founder of Concrete Marketing. Don thought Bob and I would work well together and thus began my journey to the present moment.

3) Besides your promotion experience, you've also managed quite a few Rock bands. How did you get involved with artist management?

I managed a couple of bands from my hometown in Florida while I was doing concert promotion. I had no idea what I was doing, but it just seemed like I was supposed to be doing it. My most significant mentors were all artist managers as well as being A&R and/or marketing executives. I'm quite sure I sought them out because they all had something I wanted and I was willing to go to any length to get there.

4) How long ago did you launch Concrete Marketing & Entertainment and tell us about how your business model for this company works?

Well, Concrete Marketing and the former Concrete Management were established when I was a kid. I think I was roughly five years old when Bob and Walter formed Concrete. The company itself is legendary, and I mean that literally. They managed the careers of Pantera, White Zombie, Winger, Metal Church, Prong, etc. and were integral in the successes of nearly every cutting-edge rock and metal band of their time. By the year 2000, they had amassed a client roster that was merely unreal to me. AC/DC, Aerosmith, Alice In Chains, Faith No More, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Ozzy, Marilyn Manson, Megadeth, Metallica, White Zombie, and the list goes on ad infinitum. They also produced a yearly hard rock and metal conference called Foundations Forum from 1988-1997 in Los Angeles. It was named after Concrete's trade magazine for the heavy metal world -- Foundations. I've only heard the stories about the convention, but it's quite enamoring to think about 4,000+ registrants compared to the 300+ that we have at our Rock radio convention today. If you love our format, I'd suggest reading more about Foundations Forum here.

The current state of Concrete and how we came up with the name Concrete Entertainment is based on today's marketplace. Neither Bob nor I felt the term marketing described what we did best, but we also didn't want to use the term management in consideration of the fact that Walter O'Brien is retired. So we chose Entertainment to keep the legacy of Concrete alive but to usher in a new era of what it means to the Rock and Metal music communities.

Concrete Entertainment is the first incarnation of the company to house a radio promotion staff. Just this year, after several months of discussion, past Napalm Records USA Head of Promotion Demetrius Benoist and Rock radio promotion vet Matthew Martino joined Bob and me in creating the newly established Rock radio promotion team. We each have a skill set that compliments one another, and now we cover the entire county under one proverbial roof. The four of us together (including Bob) are as hungry as can be and we have a collective track record that speaks for itself.

5) After working for labels, what are the advantages and also the challenges of running your own company?

Advantages: Well, for one thing, no one tells you what time you have to be at your own office or how you should/need to be doing particular tasks. I can go where I want to eat lunch and not be on someone else's watch. I also have the freedom to work from home when needed and I don't have to ask permission.

Challenges: If you run your own company, then you have to create your own workflow. If you aren't a self-starter then being in business for yourself can be dangerous. There's another side to having freedom -- responsibility. I have to set a good example for my employees, or they won't be as effective as they could be. So I have to know the right time to work from home and the right time to eat lunch where I want to, or it could affect the productivity in my office. It's just the nature of the beast, as I like to say.

6) Give us a rundown of some of the artists and bands you're currently working with and how they are doing at Rock radio?

We're working hard on breaking a band out of Dallas called MESSER. We took the first single to #25, which isn't bad considering they were the only genuinely independent Rock act to do so this year. The second single, "Save Myself," impacted three weeks ago and was the most added across all three panels (Mediabase, BDS, and Foundations). We're also working records from Pop Evil, Alice In Chains, Framing Hanley, Tantric, The Veer Union, The Protest and several more.

7) What are some of the future projects you've got coming up this year that you can tell us about?

We've got some great records in the cue, but I personally think the most exciting project we're working on right now is with a team that's established a new secondary market rock chart. Right now, in its initial incarnation and is being published every Tuesday on RockRadioCharts.com. The backend software I've been involved in developing integrates data that will propagate more than just a simple weekly chart. We're roughly 30-45 days away from being ready to beta test the interface, and 10 programmers have already been selected for the process. I'm really not at liberty to give many more details, but I can say that it looks incredible and it will make the lives of reporting programmers easier on a few different levels. We will be setting this up in the Alternative format directly following Active/Mainstream Rock format rollout.

8) What are the most important tools/resources you use to stay on top of the Rock formats' growth and constant daily changes?

Here's a quick list...

All Access: I scan through every bit of news that All Access publishes online. Especially anything related to the Rock format. (Insert stylish Ken Anthony emoji guy)

Charts: Mediabase and BDS Music Tracking are tools I use continually.

In-house database: We have an in-house customized database that we update it on a daily basis. It includes detailed info on every station and programmer related to the formats we work.

Working as a team: My team talks at least once a day if not more. We have to share information and update each other continually. Being informed helps for quick decision making and in a business as fast-paced as promotion and artist management it's absolutely integral.

9) Let's talk about the Active Rock format as a whole. What's your take on the state of Rock radio today?

I remember back in 2007 while at a Promo Only convention, the talk was all about the future of radio and how Internet radio and digital broadcasting would take over. They forecasted terrestrial radio as a whole would be pretty much dead by 2020. I love how wrong they were because I never believed that would happen. Streaming has impacted the music business as a whole in a completely different manner than was being discussed back then. Regardless, the rocker inside me absolutely knew radio wasn't going to die. Especially in the Active Rock format, where the listeners are a bit late to the streaming party and like their radio "Live, Loud, & Local." Sure, you have SiriusXM (which I love), but it doesn't replace local talent on the air who present shows in the market and are the local celebrities.

In regards to the Active format alone, once Alternative went far enough right, it sort of became more of an incubator for Top 40 rather than a Rock format. I coin the Alternative format Alt Pop, not Alt Rock. I believe Active Rock has begun to settle back into an identity of its own, although we still aren't all the way there yet. I personally feel there are a few too many Alt Pop records being pushed to the Active format but I believe it's only a matter of time before it goes back to being a format of mainstream Hard Rock radio.

10) Finally, when you're not in "work" mode, what do you like to do for fun and relaxation?

Meditate: To keep my sanity I have to meditate. I get pretty wound up during the days, and that's what keeps me centered and grounded.

Spending time with my daughter: She's two-and-a-half years old and is the center of my universe. I'm lucky to be able to spend time with her every single day of my life. She truly brings out the best in me, and there's nothing in this world that I enjoy more than spending quality time with her.

Educate myself: I like to watch and/or read almost anything that has to do with ancient civilizations, consciousness science, new paradigms of matter and energy, etc. I have a monthly subscription to Audible, which is invaluable, and I'm also watching a few series on Gaia, which is a streaming TV app.