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10 Questions with ... Kurt Steffek
February 26, 2019
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Launching your own company is challenging to say the least. I'm going to be wearing a lot of hats beyond just promotion ... business development, artist relations, accounting, etc. The nice part of this job is I can spend a lot more time talking with radio and nurturing relationships. When I was running departments I spent a considerable amount of time in meetings, working with the field staff and playing politics. Now I get to do what I truly love and that's helping to further artist's careers and partnering with radio stations to achieve that goal
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1. What made you want to get into the music business and were there any early mentors?
I got the music business bug working in college radio. I had originally planned to transfer college after two years but loved the station I was at so much, it kept me there for the full four years. I had lots of great early mentors who I learned many different lessons from; At MTV there was Patti Galluzzi, Tom Hunter and Andy Schuon. When I moved to the label side there was first Jim Guerinot at Time Bomb, then Phil Costello and Bob Divney at Reprise. Guerinot taught me to treat people the way you want to be treated and to call everybody back. From Costello I learned how to see the bigger picture in promotion. Divney taught me it wasn't just about getting the add; it was about what you did with it once you got a record on.
2. I know you originally started off in college radio but quickly moved to the label side. Can you give us a rundown of the labels and positions you've held over the years?
I started as an intern out of college working for Andy Kipnes at AAM promotion. who also had Link Records. He offered me a gig there full-time. but the money was just barely enough to pay my commuting costs. I turned it down and kept working for free which fortunately led me to a job at MTV. My first "real" label gig was working for Guerinot at Time Bomb where I ran the N.Y. office and did East Coast promotion. From there I went to Reprise where I was Sr. Dir./Modern Rock and Rock doing national promotion out of the East Coast office. Then it was to Razor and Tie where I worked my way up to SVP/Promotion. In 2016 we merged with the Concord promotion department where I was the VP/Rock and Alternative.
3. You also worked at MTV for a dozen years. What years were you there and what positions did you hold?
I started at MTV in early '87 as the assistant music scheduler and worked my way up with five to six promotions over the years to VP/Music Programming and Talent & Artist Relations and lasted until '98. It was a great time to be in the programming department because we really could be the tail wagging the dog when it came to our music decisions with respect to the rest of the music industry. I programmed a big chunk of the music but one of the things a lot of people remember me most for was a show called 120 Minutes, which I programmed for ten years.
4. You ran the promotion department at Razor & Tie for many years. Can you give us some of your proudest achievements with this label?
There have been a bunch that I'm really proud of. Breaking the Pretty Reckless and having our first four singles all go to the top of the charts. Watching All That Remains develop from being a really heavy scene band to becoming one of the more consistent bands at Active Rock. Starset felt like a great job of artist development and we were able to partner with radio on some really creative promotions. Being able to bring back P.O.D. to the top of the rock charts after a long hiatus was a challenge that brought me a lot of professional pride. Having Red Sun Rising as a debut artist top the charts not once but twice. I think the biggest achievement though was winning Indie Rock Label of the Year for all those years.
5. You also ran the Rock Dept. at Concord. What were some of your proudest achievements for that label?
On the rock side, I Prevail was a real passion project. Those guys are set up to be huge with this new album and I couldn't be prouder of them. On the Alt side it was The Revivalists and Manchester Orchestra. They were radio campaigns that took forever but those are always the sweetest victories.
6. You're starting your own independent promotion company. How do you see the transition from label to Indie promotion shaking out?
Launching your own company is challenging to say the least. I'm going to be wearing a lot of hats beyond just promotion ... business development, artist relations, accounting, etc. The nice part of this job is I can spend a lot more time talking with radio and nurturing relationships. When I was running departments I spent a considerable amount of time in meetings, working with the field staff and playing politics. Now I get to do what I truly love and that's helping to further artist's careers and partnering with radio stations to achieve that goal
7. What is the biggest difference for you from working at a label and doing your own independent promotion?
I get to pick the projects I want to work. At a label you have to work a record whether you believe in it or not. On the downside it's not having some of the tools and financial resources at my disposal. It just means I'll have to work harder and I'm not afraid of that.
8. Can you tell us some of the current projects you are working on and how they are doing, and any future projects you can talk about?
The Thrice record feels like it's coming home. We just got the add on iHeart Custom; that's going to open some doors on this project. I'm working with a new band called Savage After Midnight; we just went into the Octane Accelerator rotation. This past weekend was the #Happens convention in Vegas and Messer really opened up some eyes there with a fantastic set. P.O.D. are a great band and I worked with them in years past.
9. Let's talk about the Active Rock format as a whole. What's your take on the state of Rock radio today?
We need more mass-appeal songs. Period.
10. Finally, what do you like to do for fun and relaxation when you're not in your "work" mode?
Boating, cooking, cycling and believe it or not, woodworking. I built my desk at work, dining table etc. ... we all need a creative outlet.
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