Experiment: Band Management: Blog 12: John Richards, KEXP

I am managing “Band A” for one year. I believe in their music and want to get them a bigger audience. How will I do this? My secret is that I started stealing ideas from the influential essay, “Getting Airplay,” by John Richards of KEXP. 
Read it here: https://kexp.org/about/getting-airplay/
It talks about approaching college radio stations, how to successfully approach those radio stations, writing a one-sheet, working with promotion companies… 
I’ve been following his instructions for “Band A” – and it seems to be working. “Band A” is on rotation on KPSU and their first review will be out on June 27. 
So I reached out to John and asked him to be on the “4 Questions in 5 Minutes” video series for the Holy Crap Records Podcast. 
It was great – he started telling me a story about a band that sent him their release with a number of unpacked hotdogs in the same envelope – and I forgot to hit the record button until after the story was over. Full disclosure, I am in a band called the Egg Eaters and about 3 years ago we had plans to send our latest release with an egg sandwich to radio stations, labels, and publications. When you’re in a band – you’re brain doesn’t work. It seemed like a genius idea at the time and now seems like the fastest way to get your release thrown in the garbage.
Anyway, I am even more grateful to John after the conversation – where he talks about why the music industry should be kind to artists, how Macklemore, Fleet Foxes, and Nirvana approached KEXP to get their releases played, and what he would do to get exposure if he was starting a new band..