A Conversation with Pandora Chief Strategy Officer & Founder Tim Westergren
Tim Westergren founded Pandora in January 2000 and now serves as its Chief Strategy Officer. Tim is an award-winning composer, an accomplished musician and a record producer with 20 years of music industry experience. He works extensively with technology partners, distribution partners, advertisers and investors to help shape the future of Pandora and personalized radio, and in 2010 he was listed by Time Magazine as one among the top 100 most influential people in the world. By Chris Borchert
A Conversation with Ian Williams of Battles
Ian Williams plays guitar and keyboards in the band Battles, whose second album, Gloss Drop, was released last year to much critical acclaim. He has previously played with Don Caballero and Storm & Stress, and lives in Brooklyn. By Scott Borchert
A Conversation with Music Critic Will Hermes
Will Hermes is the author of Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Five Years in New York That Changed Music Forever (read the Kickshuffle review here). He is a senior critic for Rolling Stone, a longtime contributor to NPR’s “All Things Considered,” and has written for The New York Times, the Village Voice, The Believer, GQ, Salon, Entertainment Weekly, and elsewhere. His writing was included in Da Capo Best Music Writing 2006 and Da Capo Best Music Writing 2007. Follow him on Twitter. By Scott Borchert
A Conversation with Vince Neilstein, Co-Editor-In-Chief of Metalsucks
Vince Neilstein is Co-Editor-In-Chief of the influential metal blog Metalsucks. Known for its snarky commentary, irreverent attitude, interviews, album reviews, and breaking news from the metal world, Metalsucks also offers sharp observations on how new media is changing the way we consume and create music. By Scott Borchert
A Conversation with Solo Artist and Founder of MAXIMUM Booking Jeff Aug
Jeff Aug is Founder of MAXIMUM Booking as well as an accomplished solo artist. In 2009, Aug set the world record for “Most Concerts Performed in Different Countries in 24 Hours,” and is out to take his record back. MAXIMUM Booking’s artist roster includes Anne Clark, Allan Holdsworth, moe., Chumbawumba, Floating Stone, and many others. Jeff’s latest album, Wedding Song, comes out March 2, 2012. By Brian Wiedy
A Conversation with JamBase Founder and CEO Andy Gadiel
Andy Gadiel is Founder and CEO of JamBase.com, a music service dedicated to providing the most complete, accurate and timely concert information available anywhere. JamBase provides concert data for AOL, Billboard and Amazon, as well as hundreds of thousands of members. Gadiel also serves on the Board of Directors for HeadCount and The Rex Foundation. By Chris Borchert
A Conversation with Brad Serling, Founder of Nugs.net
“A Johnny Appleseed of online concert recordings,” according to The New York Times, Brad Serling has been active in the digital media space for over 15 years. Both established and developing artists turn to Brad for advice on digital distribution of their content, and many artists and labels partner directly with nugs.net to distribute to their fans.
You can hear what Brad’s up to each week on SiriusXM’s Jam On channel, where he hosts “The Weekly Live Stash,” showcasing music performed in the past week. By Pat Campolo
A Conversation with Kevin Browning, Head of Creative/Business Development for Umphrey’s McGee
Kevin Browning is head of Creative and Business Development for the Chicago-based “improg” band Umphrey’s McGee. Kevin has been involved in key aspects of the band’s business since the beginning and worked as the band’s front of house engineer & producer for over a dozen years. He transitioned to his current role at the beginning of 2011, where he oversees marketing and distribution, as well as other social and digital media efforts. He also runs “The Floor,” the band’s popular and perpetually-updated blog. By Chris Borchert
Embrace the Face! A Conversation with CashorTrade.org Co-Founder Brando Rich
Brando Rich is Co-founder of CashorTrade.org – an online trading site where fans buy, sell and trade goods and services for cash or trade at face value. CashorTrade currently has over 12,500 members and over 26,000 trades. By Chris Borchert
A Conversation with Hidden Track Editor and YEMblog Founder Scott Bernstein
Scott Bernstein is Co-founder and Editor-In-Chief of Hidden Track, an award-winning music blog that offers live music fans an off-beat look at a wide range of genres. Hidden Track has been featured in Rolling Stone, the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Stereogum, Consequence of Sound and The Daily Swarm, as well as hundreds of other sites. Scott also writes for Relix Magazine, Pimpwiz, YEMblog and Scottybiz. By Chris Borchert
A Conversation with CEO and Co-Founder of Trunk Rock Records
Brian Englishman is CEO and Co-Founder of Trunk Rock Records, a North Jersey based group that serves as a launching pad for local bands. I sat down with Brian to talk about the challenges of starting a record label and the different ways new bands can use digital media to promote themselves and distribute their music. By Chris Borchert
