10 Questions with ... Tim Kolleth

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

College Radio MD, PD, GM (WIDR/Kalamazoo, MI), Announcer/DJ (WKZO/Kalamazoo, MI), band manager, club booker and teacher (Columbia College-Chicago).

I've been with Alligator since 1991 starting out as a radio department intern, warehouse mailroom worker and asst. publicist. I became the director of radio promotion in 1995 where I have been ever since.

1. What got you interested in the record business?

I would say my time at college radio heightened my interest and awareness of the music business. I was able to field calls from label reps as MD and PD, and I thought that talking about music I liked and helping it find a bigger audience was appealing. I also managed and helped out some local bands with the knowledge I was able to obtain at college radio and working at local clubs, so I liked working directly with bands and seeing them succeed or sell out a live show I was involved with.

2. What was your favorite station to listen to when you were a kid?

WSAM/Saginaw, MI was the mixed-bag Top 40 station. I remember listening for hours so that I could hear "Band on the Run" once an hour. I also fondly remember hearing songs like "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder and "Got To Give It Up" by Marvin Gaye. I later shifted to WHNN/Flint, MI. It was an awesome Rock station in the late '70s-early '80s. I recall hearing songs like Springsteen's "Point Blank," Petty's "Refugee," Seger's "Night Moves," Stones' "Miss You" and on and on for the first time.

3. What may surprise people the most about Alligator Records?

Throughout the downturn in the music business and the difficult economic times, not one of us has been let go or laid off. We have all stuck together. Almost the entire staff has been here well over a decade. I think that's pretty cool.

4. Where do you get your greatest pleasure in doing record promotion?

I still get a huge kick out of hearing one of our songs on the radio.

5. Who do you see as the next breakthrough artist for the label?

JJ Grey & Mofro, without a doubt. JJ Grey already has a large and dedicated fan base, but I think he's poised to really breakthrough to a much larger audience with his latest release, "Georgia Warhorse."

6. What are some of your biggest challenges as an independent record label?

It feels like the playing field is leveling out a bit, but everyone has the challenge of fighting for attention and getting enough momentum behind a project.

7. What kind of tactics do you use to effectively compete with the majors?

Stay consistent and try to be as informative and as convincing as I can. I always try to deliver for stations when they need us. I don't get hung up thinking about competing with the majors because the indies are just as tough these days. Sometimes it's like golf ... you have to compete against yourself and always try to improve on your game. I've been able to outperform projects with bigger budgets on much bigger labels over the years, but ultimately you just want to expose your artist's music to a larger audience that will appreciate it and buy it for years to come.

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?

HA! I'm working that record right now! Anders Osborne's "American Patchwork." I think it's one of the most brilliant records to come out in the last decade. It's emotionally raw and musically dynamic. Anders' artful blend of edginess, romance, loss, hope and self-reflection makes this recording such a powerful album to me. I had some great stations on it, but they all played different tracks! What did I learn? I'm guess I'm still learning and that there is still time.

9. Biggest change that you'd like to see in the business?

More Rock and Blues...less talk.

10. Fill in the blank. I can't make through the day without _______?

My lovely wife, Mary.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time away from work?

Travel and chill.

Last non-industry job:

Child care counselor, waiter

First record ever purchased:

With my own money ... Styx "The Grand Illusion." I did want Bob Seger's "Live Bullet" that day, but it was a double record and a few bucks more.

First concert:

Rolling Stones, Santana, Iggy Pop (Pontiac Silverdome)

Favorite band of all-time:

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band