We're very proud of our website for Goldstar PR and the lovely people at Bearded Magazine have done a really nice interview with Nita who runs our favourite Music PR company.
Read the article below...
There are many faces working to keep the steady flow of great independent music pouring out to the masses. From Crytal Antlers to Male Bonding, from Vivian Girls to Dum Dum Girls, Goldstar PR represent some of the best bands in the business. Bearded chats to Nita Keeler to peek into the clockwork that keeps GS ticking...
How did you get started in PR?
When I was at uni in Nottingham, I wrote for the student paper there, Platform. I used to cover all the metal releases as no one else but me cared about them and when it came time to leave uni and decide what to do with my life, my best friend and I decided to bite the bullet and move to London to see what our fortunes would be like there but we knew we needed jobs. At that time there was only one company who specialised in metal (I had no interest in Brit pop which is what most used to work with at the time!) called Rock Hard PR (now Work Hard PR). I called up and Roland who ran the company gave me a job! I started a couple of days a week, doing mailouts and press cuts and my days gradually increased as my role increased until I became full-time and started doing campaigns under the guidance of Roland -- it was an exciting time, I never imagined I would be able to get a job working with things I loved - I was 21/22 and I was working with the likes of Motorhead, Kiss, Black Sabbath...all sorts.
What do you see as the difference between coverage in print magazines and online? Is one more important than the other?
I think print and online work in tandem, they compliment each other. I think the main difference is it's easier (relatively) to keep track of print more so than online as you could spend every day of the week tracking down coverage of your artists online, though RSS feed/ newsreaders/mailing lists do help to try and stay on top of such things.
The main way online helps though is that it supercedes traditional media outlets (especially for smaller bands) such as radio and TV. You no longer need to rely on them for plays as the internet takes care of all of this more efficiently. added to which, you can look/ listen largely at your leisure rather than having to listen/ watch a programme on TV/ radio in its entirety. In effect it gives the power of broadcast back to the artist. Saying that the influence of radio/ TV shouldn't be underestimated.
An that is not to say the relevance of print has declined. In modern life, we are bombarded with so much information etc... that print is a step away from that. Sometimes the only way to truly take any of this information in is to step away from the screen and read something on paper. I know I find it easier as it means I'm less distracted.
How hard is it to promote a band you might not personally enjoy?
I wouldn't know as I like all my bands! I wouldn't work with them is there wasn't SOMETHING endearing about them....!!!!
What interesting experiences do you have?
I can't remember most of them! But I have to say I've had wonderful experiences - my first was running interview days with Lemmy from Motorhead. I was this nervous 22 year old (something like that anyway) and 13 years on I have to say he was possibly the nicest person of his calibre that I've had the pleasure to work with. To the point that around 5/6 years after working with him, he saw my husband and asked how I was. Not a lot of people remember who you are in the music biz, so for him to acknowledge my husband and enquire about me on a personal level means a lot. Whether he remembers me now, 13 years (or so) on is another matter!
There was a certain press trip to Stockholm with Melody Maker, which was rather fun though I think the Swedish hospitality got the better of us. I can't quite remember making it back to my hotel (HOW?????) and well, the journalist awoke in a toilet... it's not something I will tell my kids about.
Oh my, and there was a trip to Iceland before it was fashionable to go to such a place. I was working with the Icelandic band Minus and was with Kerrang magazine. I don't recall it being particularly boozy (not with those prices!) but eating fantastic sushi / fish, waking up at 4.30am to watch the incredible sunrise over the sea. being taking to the blue lagoon - the miles and miles of volcanic rock...
More recently (well, 2 years ago!), Iwas flown out to Seattle for the Sub Pop anniversary party, that was pretty damn special I have to say!
But that's not to say there haven't been bad experiences. Thankfully not too many but there are certain people I will not work with under any circumstances. Life is too short to work with people who are too arrogant to see the wood from the trees.
Do you feel that social media and the growing openness of publications threatens your livelihood? Are more artists doing the work of a PR themselves?
Hmmm... I don't think so. If a band is good at updating their Twitter/Facebook/whatever profile then it doesn't follow that they will send music, press releases and pics out... and some bands, when they're touring are pretty much Tm-ing themselves so don't have time to do such things. I think there is still a place for the PR, I think they have a job to do. Sometimes it's easier than other times but it's swings and roundabouts. It would be mightly helpful though if some of my bands/labels would tell me they're actually touring/releasing albums though before the actual release date or tour start date. Sometimes I am the last to find out - but hey, it makes it more challenging (ahem).
If you could only own one album in the world, what would it be?
Oh crikey..... it would have to be something all my kids like that is long and has variety. I haven't thought about all the possibilities but off the top of my head, I would say this bootleg comp called Lost Treasures, it's fabulous. My personal fave track on the comp is 'She Was a Mau Mau' by Bob Ridgley closely followed by 'Karate' by the Bedwells and 'Don't Sit Down' by the Rocky Fellers.
It's all about the kids y'see. If they're happy, I am happy.
