The Big Break

Show Notes

5:00When did Ant first get hooked on music, and learning instruments as a kid and in school

“I really enjoyed stories- lyrics and all that.”

11:55Forming the first band that started to get traction

E-Town Concrete

“There was a local music paper called The Aquarian, and I would go get it and then look in the back, all the advertisements for shows at all the venues, and I would just call the venues and try and get in opening slots for all the bands.”

23:30Putting out albums and getting interest from labels

“Just get in the door- don’t shoot yourself in the foot before you even get there.”

Razor and Tie

30:20Deciding to move into the business side of music, and leaving the band

“Hustle trumps talent in a lot of ways.”

36:30Big Daddy Distribution, and learning about labels and marketing

Learning management on a larger level with Ferret Records

39:30Moving into Hip Hop

Crush Management, and the next level of money in music

Almost managing Gym Class Heroes, and getting to work with The Pack

51:00Tyga

Receiving the Young on Probation mixtape

“He had a ‘it’ factor. When I met him he was a 16-year-old kid, but he just looked famous- he had this aura about him. He had it, he had the swag.”

60:00Closing thoughts

“Nothing is a loss or waste of time if you can get a lesson out of it.”

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Domingo- The importance of mentors Nov 12, 2020

Show notes

This week we sit down with Domingo Padilla, a music legend with over 30 years of experience under his belt as a producer for some of the biggest names in rap and hip-hop. Domingo shares with us his experiences, the importance of mentors, publishing, and more, on this episode of The Big Break.

Find Domingo on Social Media

Twitter Facebook

Rapper’s Delight by The Sugarhill Gang

Show Notes

1:55Where Domingo is from, where he is now, and the impact of Covid-19

“Business didn’t slow down- one of the business I own is online so it keeps generating, keeps running.”

5:26Domingo’s first exposure to music, and the path to pursuing it on a professional level.

Marley Marl- In Control Vol. 2

18:00Being a producer versus being a rapper, the Art of Mentorship, and having thick skin

“If you can’t take constructive criticism, you’re in the wrong game”

30:30The give-and-take of working with other artists, and longevity

“I think mentoring the business-end is a lot more important… Longevity is the key.”

38:55“Publishing is like real-estate in the music business.”

Mediafamous.com

44:54What’s next for Domingo

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Anthony Lee Norris - Believing in yourself Oct 28, 2020

Show notes

Anthony Lee Norris, better known as Lee on the Beats, joins us to talk about growing up in music, the people in his corner, the power of technology, and why it's important to believe in yourself, on this episode of The Big Break.

Lee on the Beats Twitter

Show Notes

1:30Where Anthony is from and where he is with Covid-19

Desert Storm

7:50The impact of family, support, pressure and guiding youth

“I’m not everybody…”

12:40Soundclick, and getting started as an artist

19:30Making the connections and turning music into a career from a hobby

“It really all goes back to Desert Storm, family and those people guiding me along the way.”

22:48The impact of technology.

“Twitter was one of the keys to succes… Myspace, Twitter, Instagram, these are relatively new

things to life… Now when Twitter came along its different, because your looking at a feed and its people just writing messages, so I’m on their following people, following artists, and some artists start putting up their emails.”

28:03Pop That by French Montana, and leading up the DJ Khaled

“It was like FAST fast, and I don’t think anybody expected it- I didn’t expect it, I don’t even think

my people in my corner expected it, nobody expected it. Maybe French expected it- you know like the people that were actually on the song expected it, but as far as the people on the outside looking in, I didn’t expect it.”

38:13Retrospective and what could have been done differently, and what’s next

“I felt like if all that time I spent in those clubs, if I had spent those times in the studio… Who

knows what I could have done at that specific time.”

43:50“I want to shout out to all the artists I’m working with- there’s a whole list of them- I just want

them to all know I appreciate them, and we’re going to keep making fire.”

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Brad Rempel - Record Contracts and always being grateful Oct 14, 2020

Show notes

Like many artists, Brad Rempel got out of his first record contract. But unlike others, he harbors no ill will. In this episode of The Big Break, the High Valley founder explains why artists shouldn’t “crucify” the companies making early bets on your career.

To keep up with Brad:

High Valley

Show Notes

2:30 Brad’s background, Canada, and life in Covid

9:00The start of music from living in a rural town, and falling in love with country music.

“I literally did not know who Michael Jackson was until I moved to Nashville.”

13:40The first concert, Mid South, and the creation of High Valley

20:00Learning about managing money, and touring

25:05The first ‘break’

Meeting John Mays and the road to a record deal

32:51The move to Nashville, Brad learns the truth about being a big fish in a small pond and what the

real level of competition is.

35:20The second ‘break’

Buying out of the record deal to go completely independent.

“I don’t understand why we try and crucify them later on in our careers when all of a sudden

we’re making real money and now we just hate them and think they’re evil people. What about

back in the day when nobody would give you five bucks for anything you had, and this person

offered you some real money to live off of?”

41:09A kids Jiu Jitsu class, and a bagel at Panera Bread bridges the gap to the US market, and

everything blows up

Make You Mine

49:30Brad tells us about the business perspective for buying out of his contracts, and what’s next

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Adam Craig - Focusing on the work Sep 30, 2020

Show notes

This week we are joined by Adam Craig. Adam has experience on both sides of the coin. He has pursued a career as a recording and touring artist, and was even named by Rolling Stone as one of the top 10 country acts to know in 2016, but he's recently put the road to rest to focus on his passion for songwriting.

Adam has contributed to Church Pew and Barstool by Jason Aldean, Whiskey on my Breath by Love and Theft, and Close Your Eyes by Parmalee among many others. Adam provides us with some great perspective as a songwriter, while keeping a foot in the performer camp, and how focusing on the work can deliver the goal in the end, on this episode of The Big Break

Adam's Instagram

Show Notes

3:10How the pandemic has affected Adam, both professionally and personally

8:24Social media and the new landscape of music promotion

John Marx and getting involved with XM

11:34Meeting Jake Owen’s producer, Adam drops everything to focus and improve and starting the

road to Nashville

“I’d meet a girl and tell her I loved her just to get my heart broken.”

16:00Adam moves to Nashville in pursuit of country music

“I came here to be Tim McGraw.”

21:30Getting, and losing, publishing deals, and then the snowball of hits that lead to a record deal

Church Pews and Barstools by Jason Aldean

30:13Transitioning from songwriter, to performer, to songwriter

40:00How do you lose a publishing deal?

42:42What’s next for Adam Craig

My First Car by Meghan Patrick

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Matt Rogers - Understanding your Publishing deal Sep 17, 2020

Show notes

Matt Rogers is a songwriting dynamo. He has written for major country artists like Brett Aldridge, Luke Bryan, Dustin Lynch, Justin Moore, Chris Young, Jimmie Allen, and tons more- even branching out to other genre artists like Jordin Sparks.

Matt started his music career in Nashville, like many other artists, but it wasn’t until a chance opportunity allowed him to play some songs for a publisher, at a bar, while filming a documentary that things started to click into place. Matt joins us to share his experiences as a songwriter on this episode of The Big Break.

Show Notes

2:10 How the pandemic has impacted Matt and songwriting as a profession

4:07How Matt first got into music, starting as a journalist

9:35Getting to Nashville, as an editor, and starting to work as a songwriter

“Okay buddy, you got something going on here that maybe we should try to pursue…”

15:10Getting meetings with PRO’s, Publishers, and Labels, and keeping momentum with your circle

“When I got there, there was like a camera man, and a couple people, and they were talking to the publisher and a couple writers, and the guy I was writing with was like ‘why don’t you play them a song?’ so I grabbed a guitar and played a song, and the publisher said ‘play me another one…’”

24:30Negotiating, and understanding, your publishing deal

“When you are getting to the stage of a [publishing deal], the best advice I would give anybody is get a great lawyer.”

28:45Matt’s first hit- We Went by Randy Houser

35:08The network and circles of writers, and working to cast a wide net

“You cast a wider net- let’s say I write for Sony, and I write a song with a guy who writes for Warner Chappell, and I write with another writer who writes for Big Yellow Dog. Now we have three sets of publishers slinging this song around town instead of just one.”

38:20Catalog sales, and what’s next

“We look at every song as a potential, life-changing, financial aspiration.”

45:15How do people follow you and keep up with you?

Freedom is a Highway by Jimmie Allen

A Little Less Broken by Luke Bryan

The One You Need by Brett Eldredge

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Jack Forman- Live Performances in the age of Covid-19 Sep 02, 2020

Show notes

Show Notes

Our guest this week is Jack Forman, President of BiCoastal Productions. BiCoastal is a booking agency working with acts like Colin Mochrie, Scotland’s Red Hot Chilli Pipers, The Daily Show Writers Comedy Tour, and tons more.

Jack joins us to discuss the state of the industry today, and how the live performance world is adjusting to the new normal of the Covid-19 pandemic, on this episode of The Big Break.

BiCoastal Productions

Instagram

4:38Jack’s inspiration for working in the music industry, schooling and learning the industry

11:15The impact of Covid-19 on live events in the entertainment industry

16:15The landscape of rescheduling- with the financial hardships falling on venues, and the limited availability for time and days, what will the return to live shows look like.

22:07Live streaming performances, and the digital forefront for engagement and monetization

23:30VEEPS, Benji Madden and Joel Madden

25:10The evolving role of a booking agent, manager, and the impact of smaller venues and artist partnerships

31:40Opening up to a virtual audience and the threat to ticketing companies- the start to hybrid events servicing both in-person, and digital clients.

35:35The four ‘D’s of Copyright Acquisition, and the different ways and opportunities for artists to take advantage of the industry changes

41:18Alternative opportunities like Cameo and looking at the glass as half-full

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Johnny Dwinell - Digital Marketing and the Music Industry Aug 19, 2020

Show notes

Joining us this week is podcaster, producer, marketer, and all-around music industry wiz, Johnny Dwinell. Johnny started out as a musician, performing in hair metal bands, but he pivoted to focus more on business and marketing side, developing artists through his own company.

Today, he is not only a co-host on The CLIMB podcast, but he also runs Daredevil Production, where he helps artists with their digital marketing. He has worked with multi-platinum artists like Collin Raye, Tracy Lawrence, Ty Herndon, and more.

Johnny joins us to discuss the state of the industry, and how the landscape is evolving, on this episode of The Big Break.

Twitter

Daredevil Production

The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast

Show Notes

1:17Where are you joining us from today?

3:40How have you been managing with Covid-19?

5:20The impact of digital marketing

6:55Who exactly are the artists that you’re working with?

10:39You started off as an artist correct?

12:50Neil Diamond, and getting hooked on music

14:24When was your first band?

16:23Opening for Hericane Alice

18:08Recording the first album

19:18Bud Snyder and The Allman Brothers

23:00Recording and mixing the record, and getting bumped

27:32What ended up happening with the band?

28:50Getting started on the business side

30:20Nashville, Tennessee

33:00Sales, and the power of ‘The List’

37:20When did you decide to get back into music?

41:42What are artists focusing too much on, and not enough on?

44:20Appetite for Destruction, by Guns & Roses

45:30How much do you need to educate your clients today about the power of marketing?

46:23Adjusting to the interruption of the internet

47:17The crystal ball of Hollywood

50:00The attention economy

55:00You need to know that you need the data, and what to do with it

56:30We keep coming back to funding- are there more options or danger in funding options?

60:14“The middle class is arriving in the music industry”

61:20How to help the other 80%

62:30The C.L.I.M.B.

65:55Johnny’s Free informational download

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Brent Baxter - Publishers and looking to the future Aug 05, 2020

Show notes

Joining us this week is Brent Baxter, a hit songwriter who has worked with artists like Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Randy Travis, and many more. He is also one of the co-hosts of the songwriter podcast The C.L.I.M.B. and is extremely active in the songwriter development sphere through the website Songwriting Pro.

After working a nine-to-five, Brent took the leap and moved to Nashville to pursue his dreams as a songwriter. Brent shares his experiences growing as a songwriter and finding a publisher who wants to invest in your future, not your past, on this episode of The Big Break.

Instagram

Twitter

Songwriting Pro

The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast

Show Notes

1:20 Where are you these days?

5:02 Do you think the remote writing method has enough benefits to stay as a norm?

7:15 Are you more of a lyricist or a melody creator?

8:09 Growing up as a storyteller, and first putting words to music

11:30Where did you go to school and what did you study?

12:11Getting a degree, but discovering the dream of Nashville

13:55The first song, and starting to make trips to Nashville

15:10A certification for ‘Triple Plywood’

15:47Alltel Communications

17:09When do you realize that it’s time to quit the job and move to Nashville?

18:20A room opens up, and the Nashville journey begins

19:54Blue Water Music

23:10Figuring out balancing working and learning the business, and writing

24:07Is being exclusively a lyricist limiting at all? Is it common?

25:40Erin Enderlin

26:46Creating Monday Morning Church

28:20How did Monday Morning Church make its way to a big placement?

30:31Getting a call at 1:00 AM

33:30Alan Jackson gets the cut, now the wait to see if it makes the record.

35:50How do you leverage a hit like that so it doesn’t become just a fluke?

37:17Jeff Carlton

38:11Don’t burn bridges

40:00Getting connected to Major Bob Music

42:49“I need to know you’re in it for my future”

43:50When did the songwriter coaching component become part of what you do?

48:10Did your job at Blue Water help you with the teaching you do now?

50:35Social credit, and staying current

52:17If there was one piece of advice you could give to songwriters, what would it be?

55:30How do people find you?

56:30Thanks for joining us

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