the dead record

Every band remembers the first time they’re played on the radio. Hearing your music getting introduced by the dulcet tones of the stations ‘New Music’ DJ is a huge moment for any artist.

But the key is how to get your music on the radio in the first place. We spoke with BBC DJ Adam Walton about his tips for getting your music on the airwaves and getting involved with radio.

Dead Record: Tell us how you became a DJ and did you always want to?

Adam: I was in a band in Mold (North Wales) and had a heated discussion with the man who is now my producer in a pub. I wanted to know why the local radio station [BBC Radio Clwyd] wasn’t supporting local musicians. The station manager called me the following week and offered me a short run of programmes. That was in 1991 and I’ve been there, more or less, ever since. It’s the only time I drunkenly vented an opinion and something good came out of it.

I think the best way into radio is to be passionate and authoritative about your chosen subjects. I never had any intention of being a radio presenter, but I have an all-consuming passion for music, and I can (sometimes) string a cogent sentence together.

Dead Record: How do you choose the music you play on your show?

Adam: I just play the best and most interesting music that arrives through my letterbox / in my inbox.

It’s a massively subjective set of decisions, none of which are taken lightly. I spend many hours every week wracking my brain and my conscience over the playlist. The majority of music that gets sent to me doesn’t make it onto the radio. They’re hard decisions to make, but I’m paid to make them. Whether I’m qualified to make them isn’t, really, for me to say. But I assure you I take the responsibility very seriously. I was in a band for a long time. I understand the amount of work that goes into even the simplest demo recordings. I don’t take other people’s dreams for granted.

Dead Record: Do you listen to every demo you receive or are there certain things artists can do to catch your eye when sending in tracks?

Adam: I listen to everything I receive. And mostly, unless it’s absolutely unmitigated crap, I listen to them two or three times. I try and get back to everyone who is good enough to send me music. But I get anywhere from 50 – 200 submissions every week and there is only me doing this. Sometimes – too frequently – I get buried under the landslide.

For me, and I’d imagine any of the BBC shows dedicated to new music, all I’m bothered about is the music. Poor bands tend to try and disguise their musical shortcomings with big glossy press packs or terribly written biographies. I could write thousands of words on this subject, but I’ll give you the two absolute best pieces of advice I can that I think would benefit any band, whoever they’re approaching in the industry.

1) Do your research. Don’t send your music to shows / labels / venues / publications that are incompatible with your music. Focus your efforts on those that have the best chance of being receptive to you. With regards to radio, that just involves listening to the show you’re thinking of approaching once or twice (which will give you a good idea of the standard that is expected).

2) Less Is More. I’ve ‘sloganised’ that because it’s a key philosophy that you can apply to almost any aspect of your music and the way you present it to people / the industry. In particular:

i. just send your best one or two tracks, not a double album’s worth. Trust me. You might want to show the variety in your sound but a sense of focus and identity is more likely to win you support. You can reveal your bossa nova death metal side when you’ve already got people’s attention.

ii. keep your biographies short and absolutely factual. Any band who feels the need to proclaim boldly that they’re “the best band since…” or “the best band in…” aren’t. Ever. Trust in your music to sell you, not a self-aggrandising biography. If you’re not that confident in your music, don’t send it. .

Dead Record: Radio play is a huge part of artists’ careers; could you give some words of advice on the best way for artists to approach DJs and pluggers?

Adam: What I said up there, really.
But, also, be honest with yourselves and be your own worst critics.

With regards to my show, I’m  looking for music that is fresh and passionate. It doesn’t have to be original, as such, but done with imagination and spirit. Be aware that every other band that sends me music sounds like a third rate Funeral For A Friend. It’s very hard, if not impossible, to distinguish yourself if you’re part of that crowd.

Dead Record: How important do you feel it is for artists to build relationships with particular DJs?

Adam: It’s much more important for bands and DJ’s to build up relationships with their respective audiences. That way they can be much more useful to each other.

Dead Record: What are some key ‘Dos’ and ‘Dont’s’ for bands looking to get airplay?

Adam: Don’t be shit!!
Do respect any constructive criticism you receive. You’re free to ignore it, but it’s utterly pointless to argue with it.

Do make sure your e-mail address / contact numbers are on the CD, or that your .mp3′s are correctly tagged. If you don’t know what that means, research it. Otherwise your music will end up unaccredited and unheard to as ‘Track 1′ on someone’s hard drive.

Dead Record: Who are you listening to right now?

Adam: Cate Le Bon, Quantic and his Combo Bárbaro, Mos Def, various Eddie Scissors re-edits, Colorama, Beatles & Kraftwerk remasters, The Victorian English Gentlemens Club, Jay Reatard, The Heavy, 9bach.

Dead Record: Your band tips for 2010?

Adam: I expect to hear excellent music from: Islet, VanGuard, The Boy, Son Capson, Georgia Ruth Williams, Gallops, Houdini Dax, Solutions, the Binary Kids, Straight Lines

Dead Record: What’s your alternative classic album?

Adam: Pixies – Doolittle. But if I was stranded on a desert island right now, I’d take Travels With Myself And Another – Future of the Left. Its most of the things I admire about music in fearsome, razor-toothed focus [a terrifyingly mixed metaphor]. Plus, on a desert island – if I had a solar powered stereo – I’d be able to play it loud without my daughter singing the “but does it f*ck like a man” refrain, to the utter embarrassment of the rest of the family. You didn’t mention desert islands, did you? It’s been a long night.

Listen to Adams show every Sunday at 10pm on BBC Radio Wales or get a little more personal information with the man himself at his blog site http://www.adamthomaswalton.co.uk/.