Where are you based?
East Dulwich, London.
Where do you work? What do you do?
I work as a Content Manager for The Academy of Contemporary Music. Acting as an intermediary between the acquisition and marketing departments, I am responsible for developing brand identity and maintaining ACM’s online presence.
Using information such as metrics and statistics, I oversee content creation and management of targeted content for the company’s website and social channels, supporting the overall strategic focus of the company’s marketing campaigns and digital platforms. I also look after the student label, Metropolis Blue, which is run in conjunction with Metropolis Studios and comes as the result of a unique partnership between the studio and ACM.
What are you listening to?
Right now I’m hooked on Do Nothing, Remi Wolf, Drug Store Romeos and Billy Nomates.
How do you discover new music?
I discover new music through a lot of different avenues. Working at a Music University, I get a lot of great recommendations from colleagues and students alike. After work you’ll find me at a lot of different gigs of bands I’ve never heard of, usually put on by promoters who champion new music within the indie/alternative scene, some of these being Never Heard of Ya, So Young Magazine, This Feeling and Good Karma Club, to name a few. When I’m working I’ll also switch between BBC Radio 6 or a variety of different Spotify playlists in hopes of picking up on something I haven’t heard yet, these playlists include Melomania, Hot New Bands, Discover Weekly, Counter, The Indie List, I could go on!
What formats do you usually listen to? LP, CD, Cassette, Digital, Streaming Services? Why?
It’s solely streaming services or vinyl! When I’m working, I’ll stream directly to a speaker but if I’m in the living room hanging with some friends or cooking, I’ll put a vinyl on. I just love having anything physical to hand, especially if it’s vinyl. I love putting the record on and going through it track by track, looking at the artwork and reading the lyrics. I truly believe it’s the best way of capturing everything the artist is trying to encapsulate, express or convey.
Where do you do most of your music listening?
Pretty much everywhere and anywhere! When I’m working or cooking, I’ll try to discover something new through BBC 6 or my Spotify playlists. If I’m commuting somewhere, depending on my mood, mode of transport and the frame of mind I need to get into by the time I reach my destination, I’ll queue up a few of my favourite tracks from that week or week before.
How do you find and listen to pre-release music?
Usually from magazine publications like CLASH, the late-night show on BBC Radio 1 with Jack Saunders, So Young Magazine as well as newsletters I’m signed up to. Also, a lot of pages I follow on Social Media which will be touting the news!
What are your frustrations with listening to music digitally? Any benefits?
Not being able to physically explore the record by having it in my hands but also knowing the artist is getting virtually nothing from my stream 🙁
How do you keep track of everything you are listening to?
Spotify is my main channel of choice for streaming so if I’m listening to something new that I like, I’ll hit the heart icon as I’ll typically go through my listening history when I’m deciding on what to listen to and the heart helps it stand out if I can’t remember the name.
Do you tip other people off to new music? How?
I do it so much I think my friends have my notifications on mute! I’ll normally just share the link directly to a friend but depending on the friend and their taste, it’s always a little different. If I’m sharing music with a mate or family member who also has Spotify, we’ll put a collaborative playlist together where we can both add into it.
“I’ll normally just share the link directly to a friend but depending on the friend and their taste, it’s always a little different.”
Anything you want to “promote”?
There are a few artists I’m really excited about right now, some of which are Legss, Lime Garden, Viji and Folly Group but also, I can’t forget all the great artists we work with at Metropolis Blue, check out our latest release, Midnight Chic’s ‘Can’t Get Enough’.
