Charese Fruge’ @MCMediaonline Talks To Carlyn Kessler

Carlyn Kessler handles radio promotion from Denver to the West for both ATO Records & Red Light Management, which are sister companies, and home to artists like Dave Matthews Band, Brandi Carlile, Alabama Shakes, Sam Hunt, Three Doors Down and Stone Temple Pilots, just to name a few.

She started her career as a sales assistant and doing account marketing out of the WEA Philadelphia branch before moving to Los Angeles to do College Promotion for Reprise Records. After, she became the EMI Music Collective West Coast Regional, then returned to Reprise as an Alternative national, until she joined Red Light Management (RLM)/ATO about 15 years ago. “I’m originally from West Chester, Pennsylvania and graduated from the University of Maryland,” she says. “Outside of music, I love sports (go Birds and special thanks to the Saints for that great draft pick) and animals.”

“Having been on the corporate label side for the first half of my career and going through a merger, two different company sales and a rotation of C suite execs, I love the stability of RLM. Which is why I became attracted to the management side of things,” Kessler explains. “The companies are owned by Coran Capshaw, who is a passionate advocate for artists and the industry at large. I’ve been at the company 15 years as of last month and I’m still a newbie compared to some of the folks based in Charlottesville. When you work with managers and artists for that long like that, you become a big family and you get to have a different relationship with the artists and a level of trust from the managers that is rare.”

“I’m especially proud to have been part of the team that gave Meg Myers her first #1 at Alternative radio with her cover of Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up that Hill.’ She was the first independent woman artist to ever have a #1 at that format (I believe she still is),” says Kessler. “I love breaking new artists as well reintroducing artists that the industry may have forgotten about particularly, Alabama Shakes, not to mention Brittany Howard’s solo work and Brandi Carlisle’s amazing second act.”

“When I was a lowly college radio promo person, legendary publicist Bill Bentley went to introduce me to Lou Reed – and I’ll never forget this…Lou replied, ‘I know exactly who Carlyn is, besides you, she’s the only one that actually works my records.’ It was one of the most exciting moments of my career.”

It wasn’t always easy for Carlyn, working her way to the place she is now with RLM/ATO. “After being let go from Reprise during one of the many restructurings, I really felt lost as to what direction I wanted to go in,” she explains. “I thought about doing voiceovers, I tried managing a band for a while and then realized I loved the diversity of radio promotion more and the variety of the ever changing projects that has kept me passionate.”

Her years of experience have helped her develop the confidence she has today. Her advice for women who want to get into the promotion business: “Your voice is unique, especially if there aren’t many other women in the room, so speak up but have the facts to back up what you have to say. Don’t take no for an answer and ask for what you deserve,” she says.

She also has great advice for anyone in the industry who understand the importance of growing and engaging loyalty from younger demographics. The survival of traditional radio is largely dependent on the growth of a younger audience. “Look at where they are going and what they are watching,” she says.

“You don’t need to chase every TikTok fad but an artist like ODESZA, whose almost entire tour sold out including 45k tickets in Seattle and 25k tickets in Los Angeles should get a look at every Alt station in the US and we were able to have a multi format hit with Black Pumas ‘Colors,’ with the help of multiple syncs which spanned more than a year. Kate Bush is another great example and if I were a programmer, I’d give a real good look at Depeche Mode’s ‘Never Let Me Down’ again right now. They don’t necessarily need to be new songs to bring in that audience, just new to ‘them.’ Also don’t phone in your websites and social media, make it authentic and original with engaging regular content.”

“Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are also important to younger demographics,” Kessler adds. “I think the advent of social media has done wonders for this. There are several online communities which specifically cater to casting a wider net which I think is great. I’d like to see more of this happen in real life. Shout out to the NONComm convention for doing just this.”

Kessler is 100% confident in the future of the radio industry. “I still think radio is the fastest, easiest way to reach the largest amount of people when it comes to new music,” she says. “We see that almost instantly in the streaming numbers when the songs get a real shot at a station, but once a day at night isn’t going to do anybody any favors.”

What keeps Carlyn up at night? “The political divide in the country or whether I forgot put in a ticket request, it’s a tossup.” She does find balance; however. “I’m a big fan of a mental health!” she says. “Walk/hike and good yoga sessions, preferably in some great far flung vacation spot. I also volunteer for an amazing animal rescue group called A Purposeful Rescue here in Los Angeles and regularly foster several dogs at a time. Being able to see the happiness on both the dogs and their new families faces while knowing there is another dog in the shelter who is going to get out, plus an extra kennel for one already in the shelter keeps you grounded for sure. Currently I have a 2-year-old Husky and a 3-year-old Cattle Dog, both of which are very different but active breeds so I’m always on my toes.”

Speaking of which, 2023 and RLM/ATO are definitely going to keep Carlyn on her toes. “We’re going to see more great things from The Heavy Heavy (just named NME 100 Essential Artists of 2023) and Thee Sacred Souls, new music from our patron saint

Dave Matthews Band, Joseph and Grouplove and ATO’s newly signed Australian rockers Civic, plus a brand-new project making a lot of noise with Chicago’s Brigitte Calls Me Baby.”

Follow Carlyn Kessler on Facebook: Carlyn Kessler, Instagram @carlynkessler @atorecords @redlightmangment and for doggie content @bootsysbuddies