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10 Questions with ... Tyson Haller
September 2, 2008
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NAME:Tyson HallerTITLE:Sr. Director/PromotionCOMPANY:Independent Label GroupFORMATS:Active Rock/AlternativeLOCATION:NYCBORN:St. Louis ... in the '70sRAISED:St. Louis ... in the '70s and '80s
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I started as an Elektra college rep in St. Louis and used that experience to help me get part-time jobs at Streetside Records, a local record store, and a local club, Mississippi Nights. I did a few label internships in the meantime at Atlantic Records in Chicago and Virgin in London. When I graduated from college I got a job as an assistant in Elektra's Tour Marketing Department. After that I did college promotion for a few years at Elektra and also Virgin. I then went on to be the New York local for Virgin. That lead me today to where I am at EastWest/ILG.
1. What made you want to get into the music business? Early mentors? First job?
I was a part of that geeky crowd in high school that religiously collected records. So when I was searching for a career and my parents asked me what I enjoyed the most, I said music. And here we are.
2. Too many records, too few slots. What data seems to be most important to you when jockeying for an open slot on a radio station and why? Ticket sales? Tour info? Prior success? Retail? Other stations?
First and foremost, it has to be a good record that programmers like. If there is passion for a record, stations will play it. Active Rock is truly a format that still steps out on records if for no other reason than because they simply like the record. Very thankful for that. Separate from that, one of our best arguments for playing Tantric was the album and digital single sales. More times than not, when stations started spinning "Down and Out," sales in the market went up. There's no better callout than that. In today's difficult market of declining record sales, those reactions in sales speak even more loudly.
3. It seems that set-up is more important now than ever. What do you do to inspire your staff for success in the field on a daily basis with the amount of material that recording companies are releasing in today's marketplace?
Well, our staff is just me and Tommy Delaney, so besides telling him I heard a rumor that Asia may reunite for a new album, I think we both end up energized by agreeing strongly that the music we work to radio in fact belongs on the radio. I think we're pretty good at raising our hand internally if we don't think a certain record can get played on the radio.
4. Things are changing rapidly in our business. Were it up to you, what would you change in our "system" to give your bands a better shot?
Some records aren't given enough time to really see if they're a hit. I've definitely seen examples where a station drops a record at 80-100 spins because it isn't rocketing up the charts and the station feels it needs to make room for something fresh. Wouldn't you know it that the record continues to scrape its way up the chart, is put back into rotation and eventually researches as a Power! I wish we all agreed on a certain amount of plays that automatically come with an add that gives the record a full shot in everyone's eyes. I'll start the discussion now ... 200!
5. Who do you consider the current tastemakers in the ROCK world?
I am going to have to say Roxy Myzal. She always knows her shit. I'm sure there aren't many who disagree with that! If I ever have a question (old or new) in the rock world, she'd be the source for an answer. That's a true definition of tastemaker in my book.
6. It has become apparent that in this research-driven time, records are taking much longer to "test." How do you go about making sure that your record will be given a fair shot?
A record needs to be 80% familiar before there can be a true read in research, period. Other than that, which really is the true answer, it helps to have the band not only just on the road touring, but specifically playing radio markets. If a band comes through town, getting the station involved is the best way to stay engaged with radio.
7. Repetition breeds familiarity. How does your label increase exposure of your artists outside of traditional radio promotion?
Our New Media Department is one of the most important parts of the company. Just as important, if not more, is that the fans of the kinds of artists we have are very active. I think this pertains more to our Alt acts than Active ones, though, since their fans are usually younger. But either way, our street team and artists' MySpace friends are utilized every step of the way. We have a great presence on YouTube with the WMG players, and we're able to get music news out via the blogs and news sites very quickly.
8. Every promotion person has a record close to their heart that for one reason or another never broke through, "The One That Got Away"..... What is your "One that Got Away" and what did you learn from that record?
My first record at EastWest was by a band called Pepper. The song "Give It Up" had already been on one or two Alternative stations before we picked it up, but was huge in phones and had top callout there. Once we officially started going for adds, almost every station that put the record in rotation got immediate phones. Two of the first stations were KROQ/L.A. and WXRK/New York, and it wasn't long before we debuted on the chart. A few weeks later a lot of the CBS stations flipped to the Free FM talk format. One of those station included WXRK/New York a week before, I am told, "Give It Up" was about to get top-10 research there. Immediately we fell off the chart after losing spins from all the CBS stations flipping formats and the record was dead. To this day, most the stations that continued to play "Give It Up" now have the record in gold, assuring me that the record would have been big had we not lost our base so early in its life. I don't know if I learned a lesson from how it all turned out, but the experience did teach me that even if a record may be a year old, if it has shown signs of being a hit, it should still be worked to the entire format and given that chance.
9. What are the most important tools/resources you use to stay on top of the Rock formats growth and constant daily changes?
Keeping an eye on digital single sales is a great new way to see what is connecting with radio ... that and BigChampagne. Both of those tools are relatively new insights into what is really going on at the street level. The industry essentially got rid of singles 10 or so years ago and I remember a few years back it wasn't even part of my artillery as a way to show programmers that their airplay is making a difference in their market.
10. The lost art of artist development. What do you do to ensure your artist is building a career as opposed to just breaking a song? And does it even matter anymore?
I see artist development as a part of what I do in the building of relationships between the bands and radio. Keeping the band on the road for as long as possible is the most important thing. That in itself is artist development. But more critical is keeping the band coming through radio markets that have supported their records. Having programmers not only see the clubs that the band can fill, but also see how great the band is live builds that credibility. In addition, if you can build a successful promotion or event with the band and the station and there is great interaction between the band and winners and station staff, the station knows the next time you come back with another single, there will be a base to build another hit in the market off of.
Bonus Questions
You are the remaining survivor on a remote tropical island with no chance for rescue. You have a CD/DVD player with endless power. What five CDs are a "must" to have with you? What five movies?
CDs:
David Bowie "Let's Dance"
Radiohead "Ok Computer"
Radiohead "The Bends"
U2 "Joshua Tree"
The Verve "Urban Hymns"MOVIES:
Old School
About A Boy
Saving Silverman
Garden State
Tommy Boy -
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