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10 Questions with ... Haleigh Dever
October 6, 2020
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. 2020 has been hard on everyone in this industry, especially bands. Seeing our artists persevere by writing new music, live streaming acoustic performances on social media, starting up new twitch channels, going above and beyond for radio promo opportunities etc. has been awe inspiring. We are a tough bunch of misfits here, and together we make up one powerhouse of a label!
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1. What made you want to get into the music business and who were some of your early mentors?
I have always been a big fan of music. In High School, I started going to concerts on my own and fell in love with the energy of a rock/metal show. I remember specifically, being in my first mosh pit. It was for Slipknot, and they opened with "Sic". Right after the first line that says "Here comes the pain!", I got elbowed in the throat and couldn't breathe. My friends had to drag me out after I got dizzy and passed out. I remember coming to by the soundboard, where I watched the rest of the show unfold from the engineer's perspective. I knew then that I wanted to be in this crazy business! As for early mentors, I had a few... but the big ones that come to mind are my friends Don Black (WJMR), Big Ric, Kaytie (WZOR), Hal/Ronni (WRKZ), and of course my current boss, Mike Jakubow.
2. What was your first music/radio job and give us a rundown of some of your previous jobs?
My first paying radio job out of Specs Howard School of Media Arts was with my aforementioned friend and boss, Don Black at a small cluster in Lansing, MI. I would wake up at 4am on both Saturdays and Sundays, drive 2 hours into work, and board op specialty weekend programing for the Urban/R&B station. I later took on additional duties like running weather reports on air, board op-ing remote events for the AC station, and I even handled news coverage for the 2012 Presidential Election. I did this for about 9 months before my other friend and mentor, Big Ric, called me to West Virginia to take my first on-air position at Active Rocker, 103.1 The Bear (WHBR/Parkersburg). I look back on both of those jobs fondly, as they helped me get to where I am now.
3. You spent several years on the air in Radio. What are some of the stations and formats you worked?
Before that first gig as a board op at WQHH/WHZZ, I was an intern for both 89X and WRIF in Detroit. After spending a year and a half in West Virginia at WHBR/Parkersburg, I eventually found my way to Ohio via WRKZ/Columbus. I was the night jock there for three and a half years, and also produced/hosted a few specialty shows: "Local Stuff" and "Metal Shop". As you'll notice, I'm primarily an Active Rock gal, but I won't ever forget the start I had with the Urban, AC, and News formats. They definitely helped me in all of my other positions as I'd frequently take on production duties for a variety of our sister stations. Those additional formats included, but weren't limited to, AC, Top 40, Country, Classic Rock, News, and Sports Talk.
4. You’ve done jobs like tour manager, artist manager, venue booking agent and even GM for a School of Rock location. How did all this prepare you for your first label gig with Sumerian?
Sure did! I like to think of myself as a jack of all trades nowadays, and that definitely came from my hustle during unemployment. I unexpectedly lost my job at WRKZ in August of 2017, and was on tour with Nothing More (helping my friends in My Ticket Home with merchandising and tour management) by September. I didn't let job loss stop me, and saw it as an opportunity to grow my skills even further. In that time, I also started managing a few promising local acts and became the lead booking agent for a mid-size music venue here in Columbus. Eventually, I was hired for a full time position as the General Manager at School Of Rock Dublin (OH), and even got to tour manage the Northwest leg of the School Of Rock All Stars tour in the summer of 2019. I definitely learned a lot from radio, and made lasting friendships that have helped me here at Sumerian a great deal.... but I learned more in those 2 years of job hopping than I could have ever expected. I frequently use my booking skills when lining up promo events for our artists with radio. I use my tour skills when trying to plan business trips and prioritize my time with programmers. I use my budgeting skills from artist management to log and track marketing invoices, and so on. It wasn't easy at times, but it was definitely worth it.
5. How long have you been at Sumerian Records and what makes this job so cool for you, besides working with the awesome Mike Jakubow?
I just hit my one year at Sumerian back in August, and am so grateful to be working for such an amazing company. Every single person who works here is immensely talented, and working with Mike is a dream. I've had great bosses and mentors over the years, but none have managed to support me on a personal level as much as Mike has. He is constantly pushing me to be the best I can be, in work and beyond. Additionally, the artists we have on our roster here at Sumerian continue to amaze me with their creativity. 2020 has been hard on everyone in this industry, especially bands. Seeing our artists persevere by writing new music, live streaming acoustic performances on social media, starting up new twitch channels, going above and beyond for radio promo opportunities etc. has been awe inspiring. We are a tough bunch of misfits here, and together we make up one powerhouse of a label!
6. Asking Alexandria has always been a big priority for Sumerian and you’ve had great success with the single “Antisocialist” and now the latest single is out. What can you tell us about the latest “They Don’t Want What We Want”?
This single has me so excited for the band. It's the fastest climbing single they've had to date, and is about to crack the Top 20 in only one month! The song also falls at the perfect time, as it's all about taking your own life back from the people who have power over you. It's not a blatantly political tune, but it definitely fits for the current political climate.
7. You also have new singles from Bad Omens and Through Fire out now. What can you tell us about these two projects at Rock Radio?
Well on a personal note, I'm incredibly happy to see Bad Omens doing so well at Rock Radio. This is a band I've followed from day 1, before I even worked for the label. I think Noah's lyrics and the band's overall songwriting skills are next level. They're going to go far, and their single "Limits" shows that they're ready and willing to fight for that success. As for Through Fire, these guys are champions of the format. They know how to write a damn good rock song, and they're some of the most down to earth people I've met in this business. I think their new single "Doubt" has one of the catchiest hooks they've ever written... be on the lookout for it as we impact this week (10/6).
8. Besides the artists you’re already working with, who are some other new and emerging Rock bands coming to Sumerian?
While I can't speak to new signings that are unannounced, I can talk about two artists we recently brought onto the Sumerian roster: The Smashing Pumpkins and Meg Myers. Having these two alternative powerhouses on our label is surreal, and it's wonderful to be working at the label during such an exciting time of growth and expansion. I can't wait for everyone to hear their new records!
9. I know you also have Alternative projects at Sumerian, but let’s talk about the Rock format and Active Rock as a whole. What’s your take on the State of Rock Radio today?
The state of rock radio can be inspiring one day and absolutely infuriating the next. Frankly, I think the reason for this is that there's a deep seeded fear of taking risks. Back in the day, rock music presented stations with an opportunity to break bands. Rock stations still have this opportunity, but instead we have a lot of programmers who would rather fill up their playlist with multiple songs from a core artist over adding one track from a smaller band that has promise. I understand that listeners can be resistant to change, but I think it falls on the radio stations to program smarter for that exact reason. This way, their listeners are not only accepting of change, but craving it. That singular change would shake up the charts in an intriguing way and it'd also give baby bands a fair shot at making it big.
10. Finally…what do you like to do for fun when you’re not in “work” mode?
Nowadays, I enjoy spending any free time I get with my dog. Jyn is an Australian Cattle Dog with a lot of energy, so she keeps me active with running and hiking multiple times a week. I also enjoy reading, playing video games, watching tv/movies, camping, and am even training to become a certified yoga instructor. I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to challenge myself... even in my downtime haha
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