Creatives Prevail

Is self-educating better than a degree? The House Ninja is a costumed DJ, producer, and entertainer who plays an expansive mix of electronic music during energetic, audio-visual performances which incorporate audience samples and flow arts. He is also the host of The Producer Life Podcast. As a music producer, he released his first single in 2017, “Good Time” which went on to chart in the Atlanta...

How do you get started on Twitch? Brad Amick is from the band Halocene, one of the first Twitch Music Ambassadors and has over 1 million livestream views and over 55 thousand followers. This interview was originally streamed for The NAMM Show 2021. In this interview we talk about how Brad got started in audio and video production, their transition from in-house music videos to live-streaming, what...

How do you get from 1 to 100k followers? Matthew Krul is the creator and host of The Imagineer Podcast, a show and community that celebrates all things Disney. In addition to the podcast reaching over a million downloads, Matthew has interviewed prior Imagineers as well as the official voice actor for Mickey Mouse. In this interview we discuss how to cater and grow your audience, how to develop yo...

Have you felt that you’ve tried everything and still not getting to where you want to go? You’re not alone. Julia Bullock is the lead singer and co-founder of the electro-punk / Glitterpunk group The Foxies. The group has made so much stride from performing at Bonnaroo to being featured on Now That’s What I Call Music just to name a few. We discuss the importance of building trust with your band m...

Ever thought of pivoting to a completely different industry? Mark Nguyen is the founder of Planet LA Records. In this interview we discuss how he went from a path to being a diplomat to shifting to a second career in the music industry. Mike and Mark trade war stories on touring with bands, tactics we both use in developing partnerships and endorsements, as well as logistics and strategy behind ev...

When is the right time to pitch to labels? In the second part of this interview, Mike discusses pitching to labels and building a team. Hosted by Musicto, a curated music playlist platform. Check out our playlist Intro to Summer Website: https://www.musicto.com/ Presented by BRAVO Pay : http://app.trybravo.com Follow 80/20 Records: Instagram: @8020records Facebook: facebook.com/8020records www.802...

Mike gets candid about the relationship between artists and record labels, learning the music business, and what being an artist means. Hosted by Musicto, a curated music playlist platform. Check out our playlist Intro to Summer Website: https://www.musicto.com/ Presented by BRAVO Pay : http://app.trybravo.com Follow 80/20 Records: Instagram: @8020records Facebook: facebook.com/8020records www.802...

Ever wondered what it's like to raise a family while working for yourself? This is a rare and intimate interview with Bob Zimmerlich, a serial entrepreneur, master photographer, and the host's father. We discuss several of his ventures including a pioneering software company and a world class photography studio. Through these endeavors we talk about creating a lifestyle he wanted for his family, w...

How did you pivot during the pandemic? Rachel Van Nortwick is the founder of Vinylly, a dating app that matches people based on their music compatibility. In this interview we discuss after launching in late 2019 how Rachel had to change quickly once all events were cancelled to continue connecting people through music. Rachel also has an impressive background in marketing and promotion in the cor...

Moira Ashley is the incredible person behind the scenes of this podcast, doing all the post-audio production work for each episode. Moira is also an accomplished graphic designer and has their own brand line, ETM BRND.  In this interview we discuss how they got into graphic design as well as their experiences being A&R for 80/20 Records for almost 4 years. Instagram: @etmbrnd Website: htt...

This is an off the cuff interview where Steven Leavitt, Los Angeles producer and host of The Language of Creativity podcast, gives Mike a call out of the blue to talk about the music industry and artist management. We also discuss improving and enjoying your craft, when to build your team, networking, creating trust, and having fun. The Language of Creativity episodes: https://wavve.link/whW_WjfPH...

Jason and Jeremy Burchard are the co-founders of RootNote. Their platform is specifically designed for artists, labels and managers and provides insights into your data such as social media, revenue streams, and more. In this interview we discuss how their company got formed and experiences partnering with family. In addition we discuss content strategies, live streaming, and building a team. Inst...

Emily White is the founder of the #i-Voted Festival which last year was the world’s largest digital concert in history. In addition to running Collective Entertainment, we discussed how Emily has managed and toured with The Dresden Dolls, interned with Live Nation and VH1 Classic, worked at Madison House, as well as started her own label and entertainment agencies, wrote two books, and started two...

Christopher Leon Price is an avid filmmaker, music video director, podcaster, and one of my best friends. We discuss how he got into filmmaking and podcasting, his experiences on set for both his films and music videos, and adventures in Los Angeles. Definitely lots of insight for anyone looking into a career as a creative. Instagram: @clpfilm Website: http://www.clpfilm.com/ Vimeo: https://vimeo....

This was an interview on the Band Basics podcast from the music publication Yab Yum on June 24th, 2019. We discuss the origins of 80/20 Records and what it means to run a record label. In addition I also talk about how to find the right partnerships and I go into depth about how to submit to record labels and the importance of releasing content. Band Basics podcast Yab Yum: https://www.yabyumwest....

Tyler Winters is the founder of the online publication All Punked Up. We talked about his beginnings being in a pop punk band, which almost got signed to Drive-Thru Records, to how and why he started the online publication. In addition, we talk about the do's and don'ts on submitting to press as well as beginning in music journalism. Presented by BRAVO Pay : http://app.trybravo.com Follow 80/20 Re...

Adam Carter is the creator of The Way Back Sessions, a live-stream show featuring a variety of incredible music talent. In this interview we discuss his journey as a musician which ended up leading into a profession in videography. We talked about his adventures overseas including filming in Africa. In addition we discuss how to start developing content and content strategy as well as the future o...

Todd McCarty is the founder of Band Builder Academy, an online platform for fan building for artists. He has an amazing story of how he started touring and tour managing bands at an early age, which built him so many relationships that eventually led him to working at Fearless Records during the pinnacle of the Alternative music scene for over 13 years. Website: BandBuilderAcademy.com and HeatOnTh...

Matt and Jason were some of the first team members of 80/20 Records. So we thought it would be fun to revisit some of the shows we’ve hosted over the years. Including charity events, having two shows back to back on the same night at two different venues, and even one for April Fools! We discuss both the successes and failures of our events, as well as the lessons we’ve learned along the way. Lots...

This weekend marks the 13 year anniversary of 80/20 Records. To celebrate thought it would be fun to re-play our interview on KWSS 93.9 FM for our 10th Anniversary Show. Featuring your incredible host as well as artist Ben Anderson and team members Emily (Turn Zero) and Moira. They discuss what it's like to be a part of the company and of course some shenanigans will ensue. Enjoy! Presented by BRA...

Shelby Chargin is the founder of Girls Behind the Rock Show. We go into depth about the challenges women and non-men face in the music industry on a daily basis, how much has changed, as well as how much has yet to be changed. This is something that all of us need to hear no matter our gender, race, sexuality, or any way that we identify ourselves. Instagram: @girlsbtrs Facebook: facebook.com/girl...

Daphne Greene is the lead singer for the bit-rock band Daphne + The Glitches. Now, Daphne and I go way back, from how she got into music leading into finding 42 Eternal, which ended up being one of the first bands signed to 80/20 Records. We also discuss moving out to Los Angeles, her experiences recording in a studio and releasing music under Statues of Cats, the first project she founded. In add...

Dani Cutler is one of the prominent radio hosts for KWSS 93.9 FM and a social media expert. In our interview we talk about how Dani got into podcasting that eventually led into being a prominent radio host. And for artists out there we do talk about submissions to stations and what to do as well as, more importantly, what not to do. We also talk about her career as a social media expert, how she g...

Kirk Johnson is the founder of SOUNDS Academy, a nonprofit music education organization that teaches, mentors, and provides musical experiences and opportunities for underserved youth. In this interview we discuss how Kirk found his love of music at an early age through attending performances at symphony halls that led him into music performance as well as into music education, developing programs...

Raheem Jarbo (Mega Ran) is a Guinness World Record holding Nerdcore Hip-Hop artist. He just released his memoir, Dream Master, which we talk about writing his book and his experiences publishing it. We also discuss his experiences being Black in the music industry as well as maintaining an artist career during the pandemic. We're so proud to have Mega Ran a part of the 80/20 Records family. Dream...