Here's a great in-depth interview with Nicole where she shares her methods and advice to musicians doing their own publicity. Also check out her Press Kit Tips.
By the way, not only is she a top publicist, but also the lead singer of the Golden Palominos on their great new release "Dead Inside" [Restless Records].
NB: I work with a band called Firewater that has a record out now on Jet Set records. On the album cover is a typical religious shot of Jesus, with his hand up holding a bible, looking very sad and pious, except he's got a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other, with bags under his eyes. Jesus has obviously been up all night partying! They knew it would be a little controversial. But this record store in Florida, Sensuous Sounds, decided they were going to ban not just that record, but everything on that label! The funny thing is that Sensuous Sounds is in Tampa, which is where another band I work with, Home, is from. And a couple members used to work at that store!
The label called me up and said "What do you think we should do?" Well - the college station down there loves the record, so we got the local station to promote this, got some of the DJs down there, let the local press down there know about this, got the band down there and fifty of their friends, to picket the store! We've got camera crews, local press, dailies, weeklys. And since Tampa is right next to St.Petersburg, there's another ten outlets of newspapers, press, TV. It's not Spring Break, there's not much going on in Tampa now. So they're all over this. MTV news might do something on it - "Label Mates Banding Together"
Taking a negative and making it a positive. That's what I do. That's how I take something from nowhere to MTV news. That's the creative part. Asking, "Who would be interested in this?" In this case I knew that we're just coming out of the Sheryl Crow and WalMart controversy, so I know we can piggyback this angle onto a national story.
DS: Someone getting banned is always a good one for P.R.
NB: It's not like we planned it, but now that it's happened, we're thinking of sending some copies to the Christian Coalition, and Bob Dole to see what happens. Bob Dole's always good for a laugh.
Another funny story - With KMFDM, for the current record, XTORT, they had to turn in everything including the bio, by April 1st. Now I've worked with them for three years, but I was in Chicago visiting friends for the weekend, and they called me there, begging me to write their bio in two days. I was kinda pissed at them, but they have a good sense of humor.
So I wrote up their bio, and it was scathing. It was like, "Well - here's the new record by KMFDM and it sounds just like the last one. Sascha corralled all of his out of work friends from broken bands 'cuz they need the money, and he's just going to screw them for publishing money this time. He just needs to buy a new house in Seattle (which I knew he was about to do). WaxTrax/TVT doesn't know how to market this record, but what else is new? They didn't know what to do with the last 10 records either!" Just wrote up this scathing, horrible thing. But the thing is, the first letter from each line spelled "APRIL FOOLS DAY FUCKER", cuz it was April 1st!
So I faxed it over to him, laughing, thinking I'll make him this joke bio today, and do the real one in the morning. He calls back, and says "Yeah... uh... I got your bio. I want to talk to you about it." I just say, "Oh, great. Do you want to make a couple minor changes?" And he goes, "No... I like the whole thing. I think this is the best bio you've ever written for us." That's the one they sent out, and it got such a huge response. It got quoted in a number of the reviews. And I here I was, thinking I was pulling such a fast one on the band.
DS: I'm sure it was a relief to people that have to read bios all day.
NB: It was! People call me and say "We heard you wrote that bio. It's our favorite! It's up on our bulletin board."
DS: Editors get so so many packages every day, how do you get their attention?
NB: Sometimes I'll call an editor, not to pitch anything, but just to say "Hi. How was your weekend? Heard you got married. What did you have for lunch today?" That stuff can really cement a friendship. Also I won't send every record to every editor. I'm not going to waste their time. Then when I'm really hot on an act, I can call him and say "Hey - I've got something special that's really right for you." And he knows I'm serious. Those relationships mean a lot.
There are publicists who are loathed by editors because they call every two days saying "Did you get it? Did you listen to it? It's really great!" One time an editor told me he hadn't had the chance to listen to something I had sent him, and I said "That's OK. It's probably not your kind of thing." And he was shocked! I said, "What - do you want me to lie?" He said, "All publicists lie!" I just went, "Well - I don't." He was so taken aback by that. Stunned. So next time I called him for something that was his style, he really responded to it.
DS: Remember that's how I found you. Two top editors said you were their favorite publicist.
NB: That's really nice. See - the best thing you can do if you're going to be doing publicity is to work at a magazine. Even as an intern or freelance. Knowing or understanding both sides of the industry makes a really really big difference. Because now I KNOW what an editor's desk looks like. So if I have something particular that's going out, I know that putting a bio on a bright orange sheet of paper will make a difference. They get so much white paper, that if I'm sending out something that's only yellow, they'll remember that perhaps only for another day or so, but they'll notice it. But I'm not going to send out chachki just to say, "Look at how weird and alternative we are,"
I know they've got editorial meetings every week. I know not to call them the day that they're closing. I call right after they close, when I can say "Hey, what do you have coming up? What do I have that may be right for you?" Ask them how they would LIKE to be approached! Ask, "what's the most useful way for you to get information?" They all say, "God I wish more people would ask me that. I prefer Email," or whatever. Email is really the best way to go. People check it when they've got the time, not when they're on deadline.
Something I found was really useful is I do a newsletter every couple months, with info on everyone I'm working with at that time. If you're a freelance writer and I can't afford to service you all the time, this newsletter lets you call me and specifically request something you know you want to write about. It's like ordering Chinese food for them. "Send me this, send me that if you have an extra, but none of this other." They're usually really honest. They're not going to ask for more than they can use.
DS: A mattress seller went to a publicist, to help build business. The publicist asked him "What do you really sell?" The mattress man replied, "Well - I sell mattresses of course!" And the publicist retorted, "No no! You sell a good night's sleep and great sex." So what are you selling?
NB: I sell plastic, actually. The artist, however, is selling hopes, dreams, ambitions, music to have sex to, great driving songs. But I'm really trying to get people to go into the store and buy plastic.
The way I do that is NOT calling an editor up and saying "We sound like This band meets That band." That's the WORST thing you can do. Because God forbid, if you say "It sounds like Vernon Reid meets Negativeland", and the editor hates both of them, you're fucked!
So instead, for example, when the senior editor Jason Pettigrew at Alternative Press asked me what Firewater sounds like, I said, "Fuck songs. Nothing but fuck songs." He put that thing on right away! And we got a feature immediately! It's a question of how you're positioning it.
If I'm dealing with a new band, I'll try to paint a picture visually. If someone asks what they sound like, I'll say "Well - it's the kind of record you put on when she walked out and you're looking for something to break. And you know you can't break the china, cuz she'll come back and be really pissed that you broke the china, so you start looking for some really really cheap shot glasses you bought in a truck stop. You break all of them in a corner. Afterwards, you feel so much better that you lie down on the floor and go to sleep. She comes back and finds all the shot glasses in the corner, you lying there taking a peaceful rest, and then you go and have amazingly wallblasting sex. And you can't remember what the fight was all about." They're going to listen to that record right away!
It's always more effective to put a record into someone's lifestyle. "It's the kind of record you're going to be putting into the car right after they don't let you into the club and you're so mad you drive all the way back to Brooklyn at 85mph." Everyone knows a record like that! The fact that you can put it into this kind of context makes people say "Ah...Aha!" Even if it's not the kind of thing that people would listen to all the time, but everyone can fit something into that context.
DS: That's where an outside publicist can come in especially handy. Musicians are often thinking in terms of The Music Itself.
NB: Music is never about music. Musicians think it is, but it never is. People say "Gee what are your influences?" But the music is never about other music. If it is, it usually fails. The music is about their family, or a shopping list, or driving somewhere, or the sound of the trains in the subway station. [Imitates a train rhythm] - There may be a rhythm track in there. It may be about me not getting into college and whacking my head against the desk. The song is about how the cheerleader always gets killed in the horror movie, and you know it, so you're yelling "Don't open that door!" when you watch it. Then your song is called "Don't open the door." It's never about other music. It bugs me when people ask my influences. The inspiration is not listening to the radio.
DS: That'd be a fun answer, when someone asks your influences, to answer "Taking the subway home. Getting kicked out of college."
NB: Yeah! It's much more influential that what you're listening to these days. Often, what you're listening to at home has nothing to do with the music you create.
DS: What about a band that wants to do their own P.R.? What's the best place to start?
NB: The best place to start is the Musician's Guide to Touring and Promotion. That's a really really good guide. I know a lot of bands and even major press people that have it on their desk. Everybody uses that. It's broken down by state, which is really helpful. [ To get it, call (212)536-5210 or go to http://www.billboard-online.com/musician/ ].
Also, in any library, there's something called the Bacon's Guide. Bacon's puts out all the best media guides. They're $200 a book, but you can go to the library and copy down the information. They've got all the direct extensions, fax numbers, and everything else. They've got in broken down into categories, too. You can look up "MUSIC" and there it is - it's all right there! What their circulation is, how often they publish, and that kind of stuff.
If you're dealing with another band, trade lists. All of your friends in bands, or working in at indie labels have good lists. People have the information. It's the boomerang theory. You have to give to get. If you want to get a complete database of all the magazines that are new, or not well known, go to the newsstand! That's what Barnes and Noble is great for! Get a stack of magazines and sit in the back, writing everything down! Within an afternoon you can have the top 100 publications covered.
For the college papers, the staff changes every six months, so you're better off addressing packages to "Music Editor". But for the major publications, you're better off using someone's name or at very least, putting "Reviews Editor". You've got to know that magazines are going to be preparing 3-4 months ahead of time, so you should try to send them an advance copy of the CD or tape. A lot of publications even review demos. Alternative Press does. Cake does. Boston Rock. Definitely go after the ones who do. Send them a picture. Who knows. And put your phone number on the tape, the j-card, the photo, the press release. And make sure it's all the same number. If you're going to be doing your own press, make sure there's one person in charge of this.
DS: How much of what you do is sitting in your office?
NB: All day. With web sites and Email, it makes things a lot easier. Especially with fanzines, I can't contact 600 fanzines every time I have a new record out. If I've got their Email addresses, I can just send them all at once, and they can get back to me without a long distance call. Also if someone needs a photo or a press release, I can just have it on the web site for downloading. For a band that can't afford to do a big press campaign, if they want to put up a tour itinerary, or put up sound samples, it's really wise to invest a couple hundred bucks in a really great web site.
DS: Brian Eno wrote this really interesting essay on Miles Davis once, saying that because of what we know about Miles and his life, we actually listen to his music differently than if we were told we were listening to some plumber from Oslo play.
NB: Of course! Billy Corgan could be farting into an answering machine and people would be discussing his new direction. Chinese calligraphers used to change their name halfway through their career, so they could start all over again. They would change their tag, their signature, so they could remain focused on their work, so the criticism was based on the work itself, not their reputation. The same thing happens with artists all the time. The only chance an artist has for their work to be judged for what it really is, is the first record. That's why you have the "Sophomore Slump". The reviewers' and listeners' ears have become attuned to it. It's not so fresh sounding. Beck and Soul Coughing for example, their second records are both just as brilliant as the first, but they got a less passionate response. As an artist, you're boxed in a corner. If you do something totally different, they say you're out of ideas. If you try to maintain a style, they say you're just doing the same thing over and over again. So as an artist, your first record is the only time the music is judged for what it really is. But even then, if you have a famous producer or band member, you're judged on that.
DS: Is it important to be in New York, to be a good publicist?
NB: It helps. You get to attach a face to the name. You get to see people at shows. It can be done outside of the city, too. If you've got a good act, good phone manner, and you treat artists and editors like a professional, you don't need to be in New York. Being in New York does help, but don't be so blind as to think New York is where it all happens.
I went to see Mike Shure at MTV News and his office is smaller than mine! He's got CDs stacked up to the ceiling, and he reads his mail the same way I do, over a trash can. You know - chuck,chuck,chuck,keep,chuck,chuck,keep. It's good to understand what's happening to your shit when you mail it to them. Now I know to put something funny on the outside of the envelope to get his attention. Stickers or a cartoon or something. I send him some funny ridiculous things. When he had to cover the Republican national convention, he really didn't want to go. So I faxed a note over that said "To whom it may concern at MTV News, please excuse my son Michael from covering the Republican National Convention as he is no fun to be around and he really doesn't care for Republicans. Thank you very much. Signed, Mrs. Shure." His co-workers said, "Uh, Mike your mom sent a fax." We joke about it. So he's got it up on his wall. He still had to go, though.
When you can, make a personal connection with the editor so it's not like Them vs. Me. You realize we're all in this together. People ask me, "Wow - Mike returns your calls? How do you get him to do that?" Well it took about a year, but he's now one of my best friends. It's not publicist vs. editor. He calls up and we talk about his girlfriend problems or whatever. Even then it doesn't mean they're necessarily going to cover you. But my input takes on some weight, because he knows I don't want to fuck up our friendship. In fact, his staff might even be more critical of it, because they don't want it to seem like all of my acts get in there. But that's what makes it fun.
DS: People work with people they like. It's so much more fun when people would drop their formality, and relate as people. We can chat about life before dealing with business. A more personal approach to your work makes it fun!
NB: Yeah! We had to send out 500 pieces of a KMFDM mailing one time. It's 1:00am. The copier's broken. We're all miserable. But you find ways to have fun playing games. In an office you always have chair races - you know - racing those secretarial chairs down the hallway. You have to do that stuff.
If you're interested in working in music, I'd say work anywhere you can. Work at a record store, to understand retail. Intern at a magazine or an indie label. Especially an indie label, because you'll get to do more, you'll have input.
DS: How do you use publicity to make the context, the image, the surroundings work in the artist's favor? To create an interesting context - like the frame of a picture.
NB: I ask the artist what kind of magazines they picture themselves in. Sometimes I've got to do some boot camp media training with them. I'll interview them for an hour until they're comfortable answering questions. If there have been a lot of lineup changes or drug use or anything that could be potentially touchy, I try to get them to discuss before they do their first interview. Not so that they have pat responses, but so they can be comfortable talking about themselves, so they're not taken by surprise.
That's something that I advise all bands to do. Get a friend to tape an interview with you. You can hear if you're stammering. If someone asks you a question you're not prepared to answer, you don't have to quickly make up an answer. Come back to it! If you really need to answer something right away, you can pause for a second, repeat their question to yourself out loud, and really think about it. The worst thing that happens is when someone feels like they're in the hot seat, getting grilled. When you're getting back to the interviewer later to say thank you (ALWAYS say thank you!) - you can say "Hey I wanted to get back to you on that question you asked..." It's perfectly fine to come back the next day and say stuff.
Anytime I'm dealing with a band doing an interview early in their career, I tell them that it's not like you're getting taken for a ride in a car. You can be in the driver's seat. If you end up with an interviewer who doesn't have interesting questions, doesn't know much about the band, or isn't very intelligent, you should be prepared with two or three things you want to talk about. Perhaps an interesting idea about the new tour, your video or recording process, some equipment you're developing. Many times those interesting and unusual things are what'll get talked about in the article. So be prepared. Don't expect them to come mine things out of you.
DS: Do you help artists speak in sound bites?
NB: No. That just comes natural to someone. Patti Smith is not a sound bite interviewee. Courtney Love is. It's just in their nature. I won't try make someone into something they're not. I just try to make people comfortable with the process. There are some artists who go into the studio and do their stuff and can't explain it. There's nothing worse than an interview where the artist just says, "Well I dunno - we just go in and the magic happens." Explain your work clearly and eloquently, or sound engaging enough to make people read the article.