Where are you based?
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Where do you work? What do you do?
I work at Jones & Co., we’re a boutique management company based here in Halifax. My official job title is “everything else” haha. We’re a small company so I’m lucky to wear many hats. My main day to day usually consists of distribution and label management, creation/management of digital strategies and keeper of any and all things Jones & Co.
What are you listening to?
Currently my “on repeat” rotation is a bit all over the place but mostly looks like: Women In Music Pt. III by HAIM, boygenius by Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus and Blonde by Frank Ocean, anything by Chika. Jazmine Sullivan, Haviah Mighty, The Fugees, old Mase, City High and Anderson Paak also sneak onto almost every playlist I make too. Chloe Foy, OSKA, Daniel Caesar and Tash Sultana are my go-tos for Sunday morning listening vibes.
How do you discover new music?
Before Covid, the main place I discovered new music and new artists was live shows, showcasing events, festivals and listening to support acts. I have a small number of friends and family who know my music taste super spot on (sometimes even better than I do) and send me most of the new music that I’m listening to. I also screenshot a lot of songs that I see shared on Instagram from the people I follow – and try to go through the screenshots and set up a little playlist to see what I like and what I’d pass on. I’m also a big Shazam-er.
What formats do you usually listen to? LP, CD, Cassette, Digital, Streaming Services? Why?
I’m pretty much strictly digital (insert eye-roll here). I know it’s not the best experience and sound, but it’s the most convenient and usually how I receive everything. Sometimes I’ll pop a CD into my car because it still has a player, but that’s the only place I can listen to CDs!
“I’m pretty much strictly digital (insert eye-roll here). I know it’s not the best experience and sound, but it’s the most convenient and usually how I receive everything.”
Where do you do most of your music listening?
I would say I listen the most at home, out walking and then while driving. Music is always on when I’m home – while I cook, clean, shower, whatever I’m doing. I usually set a sleep timer so I can fall asleep to an album too. The only exception is often while I’m working, I’ll end up down a rabbit hole about who played on what / who the writers are / where the artist is from / what snacks they had in the studio while recording, pretty much any random facts as I can find if I listen to music while I work. Whenever I get new music from a friend or an artist I work with, I’ll take a walk and listen with headphones, then I hop in the car and drive with it.
How do you find and listen to pre-release music?
I’m super lucky to have artists we work with and friends send me pre-released music fairly often, and I have to send a lot of pre-released music out to our partners and contractors while scheduling a release.
What are your frustrations with listening to music digitally? Any benefits?
I’d say my frustrations are links in emails or random private links that I have to go back and remember where they exist or how I received them. Sometimes I’ll forget and then I can’t find it to listen again! Also if I don’t have a good speaker nearby listening on my computer or my phone drives me a little wild sometimes. I love when someone sends me a direct Spotify link because then it stays in my history or I can save it right away.
The benefits are definitely that you can listen to music digitally anywhere, anytime without having to carry anything additional around with you – except for a good pair of headphones!
How do you keep track of everything you are listening to?
I try to file everything I love, either by saving it to my Spotify or creating playlists. If it’s unreleased or on another service then I try to keep a spreadsheet updated with links so I can go to one spot to revisit everything (shout out to spreadsheets).
I also have a *pretty good* memory so I can usually remember where it is. Usually.
Do you tip other people off to new music? How?
I’m always dragging friends and family out to live shows or to hear new artists (pre-pandemic).
Otherwise, we mostly text Spotify links or send song titles of whatever we’re listening to on repeat back and forth!
Anything you want to “promote”?
Mo Kenney has a covers album coming out on February 26, 2021- “You Belong To Me” (Patsy Cline), “Game Of Pricks” (Guided by Voices) and “Hard On You” (Daniel Romano) have been released so far, it’s a super dreamy record that I’ve had on repeat for the last few months. Like A Motorcycle released a beauty album in October and I’m obsessed with all of the artwork, and they’re hilarious, wonderful people (not really “promoting” as I don’t work with them, but still!)
