10 Questions with ... Allison Smith

1. What made you want to get into the music business? Were there any early mentors?

Absolutely! My dad, Alan Smith, was a pioneer in this business and as a kid I was enamored by what he did. He worked in radio, then records and was a co-founder of The AIR competition. At a young age I was exposed to all sides of the business and knew early on that I wanted to work at a label. I did some radio in college, which I loved, and also worked in a record store and at AIR in high school. After college, I started working at AIR full-time where I was able to get a first-class and up-close education in the business.

2. Can you give us a rundown of the record labels and positions you've held over the years?

As I mentioned, I went straight to work full-time for the "family business" at A.I.R (aka Active Industry Research) after college. I was able to get a unique lesson into dissecting records and speaking to all formats at radio, as well as dipping my toes into speaking to labels about their priorities. In my last year there, I ran the Active Rock competition and then made the leap to Sire Records as the Midwest Regional and moved to Chicago. I made a quick move to LA as the West Coast Regional for Sire, then back to Chicago for London-Sire after the two merged. Once that dissolved I went to the short-lived Palm Pictures, then Lava Records and finally landed at Virgin in 2005. I continued at Capitol after the merger with Virgin, where I was the Midwest regional up until July 2018.

3. Before we talk about your new gig with Big Machine/John Varvatos Records, what were some of your proudest past achievements as a Midwest regional for Virgin/Capitol?

There are so many. I spent over a dozen years at all formats, working some of the biggest bands in the world, including Coldplay, Katy Perry, Halsey, Avenged Sevenfold, Bastille, Beck and more. But some of my favorite moments come from breaking smaller bands and taking them to the next level, like Barns Courtney and Catfish And the Bottlemen.

4. Congrats on your new position as National Promo Dr. for Big Machine/John Varvatos Records. How long have you been with the label and how are you transitioning to life with a new record label?

I love it! I've been here since January and being able to be part of the strategy of amazing bands like Badflower has already been some of the most exciting moments of my career. Heather Luke is a rock star and both she and the potential of this company has made me beyond excited about this next chapter. I can't wait for what the future holds.

5. When you talk about Big Machine/John Varvatos, you've got to talk about the success of Badflower at both Rock and Alternative radio. How is it working with such a hot, new rock band?

It's been so great to make my first calls at a new label, talking about a special band like Badflower. They have already forged great relationships at both formats while delivering hits and everyone is rooting for them.

6. You've also had some early success with bands like Pretty Vicious and Friday Pilots Club. What's the latest on these two projects?

Friday Pilots Club is set to hit the road and play some great festivals like Bunbury, Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits. We are looking to have Pretty Vicious back in the states in the fall.

7. What else does the label have coming down the pipeline in the future?

We will have more music from Friday Pilots Club and look forward to more from Pretty Vicious, as well as a few bands that we are currently developing.

8. I've asked this question before to labels. As a promotion person, what are the most important tools/resources you use to stay on top of the Rock formats' growth and constant daily changes?

The most important thing to us as music people is consumption. Airplay, sales, streams, Shazam, etc. are what we use to further our music through the system, radio airplay. So, it's Mediabase all week, checking airplay, watching trends, streaming, sales and Shazam. Streaming has been proven in research to be the best indicator for local radio as to the hits in their market and what they should be considering.

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

Developing new bands at the format is critical. Clearly there's still an appetite for this genre and we have been able to develop a younger band like Badflower and create excitement. We need more bands that solidify the relevance of the format. Both Rock and Alternative have challenges on the streaming platforms and we need to nurture more bands that have broader importance to the masses.

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

Animal rescue is very important to me outside of my work life. I have fostered almost 30 dogs in the last three-and-a-half years through MCP Rescue in Chicago where I am also a board member. Our last fundraiser on 4/20 brought in almost 30K! My foster dog (much to the chagrin of Stinks, my cat) is currently snoring at my feet as I type this and will go to his forever home tomorrow!