“Shhhh-it!”: Idolator’s Super-Secret Music Interview Series Is Online

Lucas Jensen | November 20, 2008 10:00 am

Every week in the “Shhhh-it!” AnonIMous Super-Secret Music-Biz Interview Series (S-I!AS-SM-BIS for, uh, short) we interview a grizzled music industry veteran via the controlled chaos of instant messaging. This week we bring you Sledge, the editor and proprietor of a long-running music Webzine. Online music zines, particularly the ones that have been around a while, sit in a precarious position, balanced between the huge sites like Pitchfork and the teeming blog masses. Some big ones, like Stylus and Splendid, have gone belly-up in the past few years. We asked Sledge–who was very affable–about the pressure to get “bloggier” or more like Pitchfork, whether digital servicing of media works for them, problems with publicists, and suggestions for writing an effective press release:

StumpyPete1975: what suggestions would you offer to bands or publicists doing promoting to you? Sledge: well, one suggestion is: if you’re writing a press release, don’t make it a full-length review. Sledge: simple and straightforward is the best. StumpyPete1975: like a few grafs? StumpyPete1975: what should it contain? Sledge: in my mind, just the pertinent info regarding a release. not how the album should make us feel Sledge: it just seems disingenuous that the publicist can LOVE every band they’re promoting

More insights after the jump!

StumpyPete1975: what’s it like to run a music website in a world of blogs? Sledge: we get called “a blog” all the time StumpyPete1975: and you most definitely aren’t Sledge: it doesn’t offend me as much as it offends the staff Sledge: i just i don’t care so much the distinctions between magazines, newspapers, blogs, etc StumpyPete1975: why is that? Sledge: we just do what we do, and how people want to define us doesn’t really matter that much to me. it doesn’t change much on our end. Sledge: we’re not trying to BE anything, necessarily. we’re just writing. StumpyPete1975: so you don’t feel the need to get “bloggier?” StumpyPete1975: more comments? Sledge: hah, well. if that means incorporating more multimedia, i wouldn’t mind being bloggier StumpyPete1975: more “hey, check out this free mp3? Sledge: THAT we don’t want to do Sledge: we’ve” tried to stay away from “hey, a new video! hey a new song!” we get offers with exclusives all the time, but it’s way too promotional for us StumpyPete1975: yeah? Sledge: ugh, and contests… StumpyPete1975: you don’t feel the need to be on something first? Sledge: there is a need, but the need is usually more transparent. as in, being first gets you hits and exposure, which is great but it’s not something we want to center the site on StumpyPete1975: so you don’t feel the need to compete with, say, Pitchfork or Stereogum? Sledge: i do, in a sense. they have their own worlds, though, and those worlds make complete sense for them. we’re trying harder to champion critique than be a buyer’s guide Sledge: in my opinion, some sites try too hard to emulate Pitchfork. they’re very good at what they do, and they definitely have the resources to achieve their goals. StumpyPete1975: what do you think the goals of a music website should be? Sledge: to harbor your own vision and see it through StumpyPete1975: if you can’t compete with Pitchfork and you don’t want to be bloggy StumpyPete1975: where do you see what you do? what do you offer? Sledge: i try not to contextualize the site too much, as we just do what we do. getting a response is great, but people read our site for different reasons, despite how often i try to hammer more adventurous music and/or emphasize critique over publicity. StumpyPete1975: do you struggle with writers just wanting to write disses? StumpyPete1975: or just wanting to write sycophantic reviews of their favorites? Sledge: sometimes reviews can be a bit too surface-y for my tastes, i suppose. but that happens with my writing too — some music lends itself better to description than analysis/forming connections/contexualizing, etc StumpyPete1975: but can you expect more from writers without a lot of compensation? StumpyPete1975: that must be hard, right? Sledge: as in, money? StumpyPete1975: yeah money? cds? etc. StumpyPete1975: it’s hard to control people you don’t pay much, right? Sledge: whether or not money is involved, i expect writers to offer insightful critiques, bottom line. that said, it can be difficult to get writers to stay on deadline 100% of the time. luckily we have a staff who are very dedicated and enthusiastic about what they do. it shows in their applications. Sledge: that’s why resumes say very little to me Sledge: experience is a great thing, but it’s not the overriding factor. obviously. StumpyPete1975: you would rather get the kid with passion then the established writer? Sledge: it’s hard to compare the two in a generalized fashion like this, but i can say this: i’m more willing to hire a kid WHO CAN WRITE (without formal training of any kind) and seems enthusiastic than a heavily experienced kid who can ALSO write, but seems to be going through the motions to add to their resume StumpyPete1975: aha StumpyPete1975: publicists StumpyPete1975: what is one thing they don’t get? Sledge: i can only choose one thing? StumpyPete1975: haha StumpyPete1975: go for more if need be Sledge: just kidding, publicists get a lot of shit, and i’ve befriended a lot of them StumpyPete1975: but what consistently ticks you off? Sledge: sometimes i’m saddened by the fact that some of our amazing writers aren’t raking in the big dough, while some publicists writing one-sheets get paid decently (though, not great, of course) StumpyPete1975: we never made that much, trust me Sledge: it’s funny too when i’ve already responded to whether or not XX is going to get a review, but they’ll ask a week later. StumpyPete1975: yeah Sledge: or when they are obivously copy-pasting something, and they forget to change the name at the top of the email StumpyPete1975: eesh StumpyPete1975: uh, never, uh, done that one! Sledge: haha Sledge: they have a lot of people to deal with though, and i understand the mistakes StumpyPete1975: after the blogs hit it got out of control StumpyPete1975: I added 500 people to my lists at least! Sledge: the best is when they say “Are you going to cover XX for your webzine, YY?” But the YY is some other zine. Sledge: i also wish we’d have fair access to the “breaking news.” i understand though why they’d want to have, say, Pitchfork break a story StumpyPete1975: what suggestions would you offer to bands or publicists doing promoting to you? Sledge: well, one suggestion is: if you’re writing a press release, don’t make it a full-length review. Sledge: simple and straightforward is the best. StumpyPete1975: like a few grafs? StumpyPete1975: what should it contain? Sledge: in my mind, just the pertinent info regarding a release. not how the album should make us feel Sledge: it just seems disingenuous that the publicist can LOVE every band they’re promoting StumpyPete1975: but we DO StumpyPete1975: (kidding) Sledge: though, i know some publicists who do really love their artists, so this isn’t a sweeping criticism StumpyPete1975: listen, mostly, I looked at it like this StumpyPete1975: do you love the music? Sledge: but you were the most disingenuous! (kidding) StumpyPete1975: haha StumpyPete1975: do you like the people? StumpyPete1975: do you think they accomplish their goals? that’s important StumpyPete1975: are they legitimate…also, is it something the office is behind? StumpyPete1975: if everyone else was into it, I was StumpyPete1975: but, yeah, nobody is on point for every single thing Sledge: that’s a good approach as a publicist, definitely Sledge: it’s not all about aesthetics StumpyPete1975: well, listen, not every band is my cup of tea StumpyPete1975: but some are good at what they do StumpyPete1975: if we did it just for the money StumpyPete1975: sheesh StumpyPete1975: you should see some of the stuff we filtered out! StumpyPete1975: the bands with the most money were almost always the worst StumpyPete1975: seriously, GruveShroom wants to pay you 5000 dollars a month Sledge: why do you think that is? StumpyPete1975: man, I wish I knew StumpyPete1975: anyway StumpyPete1975: back to you StumpyPete1975: let’s talk about breaking news? StumpyPete1975: what IS news in the Pitchfork and blog world? StumpyPete1975: I see a lot of Not News Sledge: like tracklistings? StumpyPete1975: OH GAWD thank you StumpyPete1975: like, I understand with, say, a Wilco or Radiohead Sledge: i mean, news can be ridiculous outside of Pitchfork and the blog world. our/their non-news isn’t an anomaly. StumpyPete1975: that is true Sledge: think of all the Palin stuff StumpyPete1975: yeah Sledge: it sickens me what constitutes news for platforms as big as what CNN has. Sledge: but i do agree that it’s hard to justify a tracklisting news story Sledge: i guess there’s only so much you can talk about in the music world StumpyPete1975: yeah, that’s true StumpyPete1975: but people could do a lot more talking about actual music itself or the business end of stuff Sledge: yeah, i completely agree with that Sledge: i’m a little shocked how little reporting there is of the industry Sledge: everyone is so afraid to get political Sledge: it’s more hard to balance what you should do: get political and risk alienating those who don’t give a shit about politics or your advertisers, or get political because you’re lucky enough to have a platform StumpyPete1975: I think you go with the latter StumpyPete1975: not to pile on pitchfork — StumpyPete1975: but this kind of story StumpyPete1975: a guy ALMOST leaves a band that people already care less about this year except it’s not true Sledge: ha, yeah, we stay out of those sorta stories StumpyPete1975: well, was the internet really abuzz? and if so, why? StumpyPete1975: maybe that’s because of my not caring about Wolf Parade at all but, man Sledge: I don’t mean to pick on P4k either Sledge: but i think Pitchfork likes to be kind of an authoritative voice. so, if people have any lingering questions about the rumor, they can get final confirmation from p4k. they’re great at that, i think StumpyPete1975: yeah, absolutely Sledge: in a way, we NEED someone with the power to get the final answer StumpyPete1975: good point Sledge: they do sometimes report rumors though StumpyPete1975: we do, too StumpyPete1975: I don’t mean to pile on Sledge: no, it’s okay. it’s good to talk about p4k like this StumpyPete1975: how have they changed or informed what you do? Sledge: they do get too much shit in my opinion — they’ve opened up a lot of doors for zines like ours Sledge: starting p4k in 1995(?) tremendously helped pave the way for independent music journalism StumpyPete1975: do you think you’d be around without it? Sledge: i’m more of a materialist, so i think if there was no p4k, there’d be something else in its place StumpyPete1975: what happened to some of the others? StumpyPete1975: stylus? Splendid? StumpyPete1975: why do you think they failed, beyond money? why did they not connect? Sledge: i think they did connect, though, especially stylus. dont’ want to presume too much, but you know, running a zine is a full-time gig, especially when you’re on the scale that those sites were operating on Sledge: you can only handle it for so long without questioning whether or not it’s “worth” it StumpyPete1975: so you think it was more of a question of fatigue Sledge: i think that’s part of it Sledge: anything that goes under probably goes under for various, multi-faceted reasons StumpyPete1975: how do you deal with that? StumpyPete1975: getting writers in on time? StumpyPete1975: mailing packages out? Sledge: it’s nasty, actually Sledge: i rarely get to write anymore because i have so many non-writing duties Sledge: not that i should complain. i’m completely happy with my life Sledge: but it’s tough work. i get a lot of shit from friends and family for sitting in my PJs all day. StumpyPete1975: haha StumpyPete1975: I am not wearing pants right now StumpyPete1975: only boxers Sledge: can you send a pic? StumpyPete1975: on the way Sledge: our writers are feeling the effects of the economy, that’s for sure StumpyPete1975: has digital delivery of content helped keep costs down? Sledge: yeah, it’s helped to some degree. though, some publicists insist on sending us BOTH digital and physical Sledge: i’m all for digital servicing. not all of our writers feel the same though, which is understandable. StumpyPete1975: well, listen, we tried StumpyPete1975: we tried to switch digital StumpyPete1975: and everybody threw a hissy fit StumpyPete1975: including a bunch of blogs StumpyPete1975: the entitlement really reared its head StumpyPete1975: “I have 200 readers a day — I DESERVE a copy” StumpyPete1975: I understand with print StumpyPete1975: but with an online site? StumpyPete1975: I was taken aback by the backlash StumpyPete1975: and the artists often suffered there Sledge: yeah, i might be alone on that. not sure. i LOVE digital servicing though — convenient, low-cost, eco-friendly Sledge: if they’re writing reviews for the commodity, so be it. but i know a lot of our writers couldn’t give a shit if they had the physical or not. Sledge: it is a nice ‘perk’ i guess. but i get annoyed when i see i have 20 packages waiting to be opened StumpyPete1975: how has the blog world affected your job? StumpyPete1975: when you started they weren’t a thing, right? Sledge: right. Sledge: when the blog world started becoming its own “thing,” i didn’t see any problem with it, really. but as time went on, i did see that publicists were aiming to control the content of those blogs, and i think they’ve succeeded to this day. Sledge: i can’t say we’re not affected by this either, but we’re very conscious about discerning between publicity and critique, despite how often they overlap (and despite the arguments that there isn’t too much difference) Sledge: on a positive note, they’ve pushed publications to be more timely w/ their stories. though, i think that’s the natural dynamic of a webzine StumpyPete1975: yeah StumpyPete1975: I hope that the release date obsession fades away, even for print Sledge: oh, so you mean organizing content based on release dates? StumpyPete1975: I think they will never compete Sledge: i agree StumpyPete1975: so they should quit worrying StumpyPete1975: and just print engaging, DEEP content StumpyPete1975: something the web, no offense, doesn’t always excel at Sledge: the world is so dynamic and constantly changing, it’s silly to plan content months in advance Sledge: yeah, it’s shocking to me sometimes how little thoughtful content there is in the web world Sledge: i think we’ve published some pretty deep analyses over the past year, and some really great ones coming up, but that doesn’t mean they’ll get a whole lot of attention, especially if readers just want to be updated on the new thang StumpyPete1975: yeah StumpyPete1975: I wrote a long thing about videogames recently that I was proud of, and it got WAY less views than when I wrote about Katy Perry riding a dildo. Sledge: haha Sledge: i think this runs throughout the entire journalism field though Sledge: that said, i wish there was more intriguing music stuff to read on the web StumpyPete1975: you might be right about that StumpyPete1975: that’s why P4k stays big StumpyPete1975: they offer a LOT of content Sledge: yeah, definitely StumpyPete1975: interviews and features every day StumpyPete1975: five reviews Sledge: they have great resources and connections, and of course some solid writers Sledge: they have a lot of pressure to find the next big artist StumpyPete1975: does it ever get frustrating that you “find the next big artist” in your mind and less people care? Sledge: i wouldn’t expect the artists i love to necessarily have a broad appeal Sledge: the adventurous musicians don’t appeal to the casual music listener Sledge: that said, i wish they all made enough money to sustain themselves through their music Sledge: but i wish the same for so many people; friends, family, writers, etc Sledge: anyway, finding the next big thing i don’t think is a very admirable goal StumpyPete1975: why not? Sledge: i guess it depends on the intent of why you want to find the next big thing. i hate to read about the next big thing, and then a publication sorta apologize for saying they were the next big thing when their proper LP ends up “sucking” Sledge: it’s a vicious cycle, and it’s why cliches like “Finally, an album that lives up to its hype.” Sledge: and why writers always lament that their year-end list doesn’t have a strong #1 Sledge: i’m like, ‘but that’s great!’

Are you a grizzled music industry veteran that wants to go anonIMous with us? Email us at tipsATidolatorDOTcom.

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