10 Questions with ... Tommy DeBenedictis

1.     What made you want to get into the music business and who were some of your early mentors?

It all started for me growing up in Andover, Massachusetts and listening to my favorite radio station, WFNX.  They taught me about music.   I looked to those DJ’s as the ones with all the knowledge as to what music was great and we should be listening to. After college when I moved back home, I went to every promotion or concert they put on and that’s where my passion for new and exciting music really took off. I definitely would not be here if it wasn’t for mentors like Andrea Ganis, Lea Piscane and especially Danny Buch who I have been with since 1996.  

2.     What was your first job and give us a rundown of the labels and positions you’ve held over the years?  

I started out as an intern for Zero Hour Records in 1996.  I had quit my job at Xerox as a salesman in the Boston area to move to NYC to be in the music industry.  I had no idea how to do that but hounded the owner of the independent company to take me on as his intern.  I was there for three months until an opportunity at Atlantic Records opened up working for the Record Research Dept.  Atlantic was having massive layoffs and since I was the last one hired in my dept, I was the first to go.  Two days later the Atlantic Records promotion dept called saying they were looking for an assistant.  I worked there for three years and in 1999 Atlantic promoted me to Carolinas and Virginia regional and after a year became the Midwest regional based in Detroit.  In 2005 I accepted a position as Assoc Dir Promotion working for my old boss Danny Buch who I worked with at Atlantic and now running the promotion dept for Sony/RED.  Sony/RED was folded into The Orchard in 2019 and I’m currently the Vice President Promotion Head of Rock.   

3.     Tell us about the origin of The Orchard and some of the services you provide for your label clients?  

The Orchard is the independent distribution arm for Sony.  We distribute the music of 1000’s of labels across the world.  The Artist Services department is the label within The Orchard that comprises Promotion, Publicity, Label management, Product Management, Marketing and is run by Tim Pithouse who oversees Artist Services globally.  

4.     Before we talk about your latest Rock projects, what are some of the projects over the last couple years you are most proud about working on with success at the format?  

I’ve had many successful projects including Nothing More, Papa Roach, Bad Wolves, Hellyeah, Killswitch Engage, Beartooth, From Ashes To New, cleopatrick and Fozzy.  Currently I’m working Fozzy and cleopatrick at Rock with both bands really making a statement at the format  

5.     Now let’s talk about some of the bands you are currently working with on The Orchard starting with Fozzy. What’s the latest on this project?   

   Fozzy has had an incredible run at Active with a top 5, #7, top 10 and top 15 singles.  Currently I’m working “Sane” which is top 30 in three weeks with over 30 stations.  The streaming has been great with over 700,000  and over 1.1 million views on the video in four weeks.  The “Save the World Tour” is selling incredibly with five sold out shows already with many more to come before they begin in September.     

6.     What other bands are you working with now, and also new projects that are coming in the future?

I’m working cleopatrick “Family Van” which is now approaching top 30.  They are coming off a top 5 record with “Hometown” which also had over 77 million streams to date.  Tickets are flying with their tour in September and already have sold out shows in Chicago, DC, Nashville and Minneapolis.  I really feel this band is the future of the format.  Two other bands I’ll be taking to radio is a rock band out of Italy called Maneskin that’s #2 globally on the Spotify charts and Blind Channel out of Finland that’s really picking up steam on the DSP’s.  

7.     You’ve been in the record promotion business for a long time. What are the most important tools/resources you use to stay on top of the Rock formats' growth and constant changes?  

Things have changed over the years with the rock format, and I think one of the biggest tools you can use is having really strong social media presence and always creating new content to engage your current audience and expand your current reach.  With the absence of touring over the past year and a half, having new content from your artists is so vital to keep your band top of mind.  

8.     Let’s talk about the Active Rock format as a whole. What’s your take on the State of Rock Radio today?

People always say rock is dead.  That couldn’t be further from the truth.  With large festivals that Danny Wimmer Presents puts on to breakthrough artists like Greta Van Fleet, Highly Suspect, Royal Blood making waves, it opens the format to an ever-changing sound which keeps the rock alive and current.  I think with new bands like cleopatrick the sound may change as we currently know it but will open a whole new audience to the rock format.  

9.  What can The Orchard and other labels, both major and indie, do a better job of to help break the next major Rock acts to Rock Radio? 

You have to have a story whether it’s streaming, a major tour, a sync etc…something has to drive streams and excitement around a band.  Social media plays a huge roll in marketing the band and song once it is out there. Now that touring has started back up again, keeping your band out on the road and face to face with audiences is a sure way to brand and build those relationships and keeping your band at the forefront at all times.

Proud Dad Tommy and son Trey!

  10.  Finally, congrats to you and your wife Katharine on the birth of your son Trevor “Trey” John DeBenedictis on February 5th of this year. How are you and your new family doing?

We are doing great.  Katharine and I are so blessed to have a son like Trey.  He’s sleeping through the night and getting bigger by the day.  He’s just a happy little guy.  I know I’m going to blink and he’s going to be graduating college.  We are just taking it all in taking as many pictures and videos as possible.