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10 Questions with ... Lance “Lancer” Hale
June 22, 2021
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. I’ve loved music since I was a wee little Lancer and discovered the Beatles, Kiss… then Zeppelin… Prince. I was in bands for years, trying to get signed. I juggled both the band and radio for the early part of my career, before getting offered the opportunity to program WLRS in Louisville, the “World Famous Walrus.” I made a decision to bail on the band and head to KY.
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1) What was your first job in radio and any early influences?
I did the college radio thing at WVJC. But first actual job was for WRBT, a Mainstream Rocker in the Evansville, IN market. I worked under Bill May, who was always generous in dropping some knowledge. As for influences, I learned so much from Lee Daniels (WJBX), Hurricane Shane (WROC) & Shark (WJST) in Ft. Myers. Also, I have to thank JD Kunes for giving me my PD stripes for the first time in Louisville (WLRS), Alan Sneed for nudging me into programming and Bill Jacobs for helping me navigate through the last 13+ years. I’ve also been blessed to work with some of the great women in rock radio, Annrae Fitzgerald (WJBX & WLRS), Rosy Acevedo Medlin (WRQC) & Wendy Rollins (WAVF). But I can never give enough credit to the Joe & Stan show out of Ft. Myers that for me anyway, really made radio feel bigger than life. They had such a unique connection with the listeners, which made me realize that radio wasn’t just something I did because I loved music. It was something I HAD to do because it was more than just the music. The listeners become family. They’re part of the fabric of the station. And it’s that connection that makes the station live and breathe. The music just happened to be this awesome kick ass soundtrack to our lives.
2) What led you to a career in radio?
Music was obviously the catalyst. I’ve loved music since I was a wee little Lancer and discovered the Beatles, Kiss… then Zeppelin… Prince. I was in bands for years, trying to get signed. I juggled both the band and radio for the early part of my career, before getting offered the opportunity to program WLRS in Louisville, the “World Famous Walrus.” I made a decision to bail on the band and head to KY.
3) How long have you been at WOTT (94 Rock) and what makes this station so unique?
I’ve been here for over 13 years now and there are a couple of factors making it unique. First is Fort Drum. The signal for this station was specifically designed to cover Fort Drum. Between soldiers and their families, they love the rock. We’re also on the Canadian border and have many listeners out of Kingston. So the music can be more varied. We’ll take chances on artists not doing well in the States, but blowing up in Canada. We were playing the Glorious Sons back in 2015, with ‘Heavy’, before anyone stateside knew who they were. I have several songs still in rotation. And now we’ve got new Hip, The Trews, Danko Jones, cleopatrick and my absolutely favorite new artist that SHOULD be blowing up stateside… JJ Wilde. Her new song ‘Mercy’ is my favorite thing on the radio right now.
4) You have the dual role as PD and Midday/Afternoon host. Do you do any special music features on your daily shift?
We’ve got the Retro Café weekdays at noon where we get to go deeper on the forgotten tracks from years gone by. For the drive home, it’s the 5 o’clock Frenzy. It can get heavier (more frenzied). I’ll play the occasional local band and there’s the 5 o’clock News, where I unleash one of my favorite newer buzz tracks. But my place to play, my personal playground is Saturday night from 8-midnight on my Island of Misfit Songs. It’s four hours of me playing whatever I want. New, old, deep, shallow and usually a little weird. It’s been nine years strong and no signs of slowing down.
5) Besides your duties in Watertown, you are also Director Of Rock Programming for Community Broadcasters. Tell us what these responsibilities entail?
It’s a mix of old and new responsibilities. I was already designing the databases for our rock properties (music, clocks, imaging). But now I’ve got a more hands on approach to what happens. It’s more coordinating with everyone to make sure sonically we’re on target, everything is flowing properly, that we’re maximizing our resources in getting the message of the station out there and establishing the brand. Between on-air, online and on the streets, we need to be as live and local and interactive as possible.
6) You have been running The Bob & Tom Show in morning drive for years. How does that show work with your Active Rock format?
It works better than what you might think. We utilize them in cross promoting other dayparts, the music, and promotions. They are fully integrated throughout the day. And with Bob Kevoian gone now, it could have gone downhill. But I like the evolution of the show. Tom is still a great maestro to the madness, while Chick and Kristi Lee maintain that solid foundation. Josh Arnold has been a great addition over the last few years. He brings more of a contemporary flavor, as has Tom’s son Willie. And with some of the other elements peppered in… Pat Godwin, Al Jackson, Alli Breen… as well as all of the other cast members I’m failing to name drop, the show sounds as fresh as ever. If I had one wish, it would be to incorporate more interviews with bands that aligned with our playlist. (You need to work on that, Josh/Willie). Maybe Dave Grohl, Corey Taylor, Brent Smith (I could go on). As far as Active Rock goes, we’re more on the conservative side. We cheat the edges a little on new music with Alternative and Canadian offerings, without going overboard. And we’re cautious with some of the more agro stuff out there as well.
7) OK, let’s switch over to music now. How much influence does being so close to Canada have on your music choices for 94 Rock?
It just gives me more options. I’ll go months without playing a single song from a Canadian artist. Or it could be a time like now, where I’m playing half a dozen plus a local band. I’m just trying to give different flavors for the listeners to taste. At the end of the day, we’re only playing a couple or three currents an hour. We’re still reliant on the tried and true gold. New music doesn’t define us. But it does help to shape what we do. Canadian rock can be a big part of that.
8) What's your take on current music out now at Active Rock and the Rock format overall?
Listen, it’s a different musical climate. You can’t just stamp this era with the whole ‘Rock Is Dead’ thing, which is BS. Go to any Danny Wimmer event or look at the streaming numbers and you can see that. It’s just different. It’s different in the way people are consuming music. But the music is there. Bands that are carving their own space. So many incredible bands that have emerged over the last few years and are making an impact. As for the format, itself, I think the rock community is stronger than it’s been in my 30+ years in the biz. I credit Steven Walker and Beatrix Danko, ALL ACCESS and all involved with #Happens. Bringing programmers from all over the country together to hang and brainstorm and mingle with the labels and the bands… that only makes the format stronger. I’ve learned this biz is about relationships. It’s about establishing and building those relationships. We also get a chance to hear new music… develop an even deeper understanding and appreciation for these bands and their songs. And with all that ammo, you find great music for your station and your market. Play it. Sell it. Live it. Love it. If you believe in it, you’re listeners will believe in it. It’s that ‘listeners are family’ thing I was touching on earlier. Make that connection and they’ll trust the soundtrack you’re playing for them.
9) Give me your three favorite new Rock artists/or songs so far this year and why?
There’s always great new music out there to digest. And two songs have absolutely stood out for me so far this year. First off, Architects/Animals has really resonated. It’s such a great song… musically, lyrically. But that orchestral version sucked me in. I am full on addicted. The other song is the latest from JJ Wilde, a Canadian import. A song called ‘Mercy’. Two great ‘Mercy’ songs out there. This song is so powerful. When you listen to it, you can hear JJ pouring her soul into those vocals. For the third, I can’t choose between Gojira, ‘The Chant’ or cleopatrick, ‘Hometown’. The Gojira track is the most accessible song yet from this band. I’ve been high on them since being lured out of the media tent at Rock On the Range to track down what was blowing my mind. And the new album is the best thing I’ve heard so far this year. The cleopatrick is just a hip, new, quirky (sometimes genius) band that is playing by their own set of rules. And this song just sounds so different from anything else on the radio. It just oozes cool.
10) Finally, What do you like to do to relax when you’re not in radio mode?
I’m a sports geek. So I’m always surfing blogs of my teams (Cubs/Dolphins/Bulls). I like to write. I wrote a book, which was published in 2017. It’s a thriller called “The Obituary Journal.” You can find it on Amzaon.com, BTW (hint/nudge). Also, working on music with a new band out of San Diego called Our Mother of God. My old guitarist (Jimmy Fitzgerald), brilliant songwriter, has been working on this project and asked me if I had anything to contribute. It has been a blast, writing and singing. It’s a little different from what we’re playing on the radio. But I’m proud of what we’ve done. The album is coming soon. I’ve been playing a lot of chess since COVID hit and working on a YouTube channel called ‘Chess With That Wine?’ It’s two guys drinking wine and playing chess… fascinating concept, I know. The rest is about family like chilling with my wife (we just recently hit 20 amazing years on the anniversary front). Lots of kiddo time (soccer, board games and reading Harry Potter). Life couldn’t be better. My time is well spent.
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