Eric Walden recently took the time to answer some of my questions about AGR Publicity, which is a newly launched division of Awfully Good Records. Their current roster includes Asylus, Filmspeed, Firing All Cylinders, and the label’s alumni.
The company specializes in connecting aggressive alternative bands with like-minded outlets. They help enrich and streamline the professional lives of their team with tools including digital strategy, media outreach, electronic press kits, press releases, public relations consulting, and event support.
Find more information here: https://agrpublicity.com/
All questions were answered by Eric Walden, founder of Awfully Good Records and AGR Publicity.
Q: Let’s start off with a fun question. What artists and bands got you interested in music in the first place?
A: Growing up my mom worked at a church so traditional rock music was hard to find. Luckily, I could get my hands on video games that had great soundtracks. Need For Speed Underground, Guitar hero 3, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater introduced me to some great bands. The first time that I heard All That Remains I became obsessed.
Q: Did you always envision a career in music, or how did you find your way into the music industry?
A: I spent some time learning guitar but it didn’t click. Being a musician seemed like the only way into music until I met Nicole of Soundcheck411. She gave me the chance to write reviews and interviews for her site showing me there was this whole network of people behind the scenes who didn’t need to play instruments. After that I was hooked.
Q: AGR Publicity is a division of Awfully Good Records. What made you decide to launch a publicity division of the label?
A: Different bands want different things. With the label it became our job to help out however we could. We were eager to assist but sometimes felt too spread out. With AGR Publicity the team is able to be laser-focused on delivering one service; connecting aggressive bands with journalists. We’re excited to help more bands at once as a smaller part of their team.
Q: What sets AGR Publicity apart from other publicity companies?
A: Our team is made up of experts from all sides of the music industry. We’ve got managers, record label employees, writers, you name it. The diverse team lets us tackle campaigns from multiple lenses. We may be new but the team is excited to prove themselves.
Q: Do you tend to work with any specific genre of music, or are you open to various genres?
A: We usually work with hard rock and melodic metal artists. A majority of the journalists we work with prefer or exclusively cover those genres. That may change in the future but right now we’re sticking to what we know best to deliver the ample results possible.
Q: If artists and bands are interested in getting in contact with you for consideration, how can they go about doing that?
A: Our website www.agrpublicity.com has some more information about the services we offer and how to get in touch. We’re excited to hear from everyone so feel free to email anytime.
Q: What is the best advice you have ever been given in relation to the music industry? Is there any advice you would give to musicians that are just starting their career?
A: Great question. I’m obsessed with Tim Ferriss and his book ‘The 4-Hour Work Week’. He mentions defining failure as detailed as possible. Switching from the vague fear of failure to an actual worst case scenario usually help make the leaps of faith less intimidating. His advice has helped me take risks and actually get excited about ambiguity.
Q: It may be a bit off topic, but what bands are you currently listening to that are not on your roster?
A: I Prevail’s new album TRAUMA has been on repeat for a few weeks now. Kayzo has also been putting out some great rock/edm collaborations recently. Assuming We Survive will be on tour soon so they’ve also been in my heavy rotation.
Q: Do you have any artists or bands that you are currently working with that have anything exciting in the works? Can you tell me anything about them?
A: Some of the bands we’re working with have great singles under wraps that will be announced soon. We’re really excited for people to hear the new music. I wish I could say more but I’m under lock and key for now.
Q: What are your short-term and long-term goals for AGR Publicity?
A: Right now we’re trying to work with as many artists as possible. The team is eager to prove themselves and excited for new projects. Long-term we would like to get more involved with west coast tour booking. It would be great to be a one-stop-shop but we’re focusing on delivering the best results digitally for now.
