Get to know EMI's John Kuliak

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: 10 Questions with ... John Kuliak : NAME: John Kuliak : TITLE: Promotion : COMPANY: EMI Distributed Labels : FORMATS: Active, Alternative, Rock, AAA : LOCATION: Chicago : BORN: Chicago, 20th Century : RAISED: Chicago : BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS: : Record retail: Yardbird Records, Rose Records : Touring PR for Dutch rock group Focus : Jazz promotion for MS Distributing Company : Top 40 promotion for Stevie B, Salt 'n Pepa, 2 Live Crew, Tag Team, Duice, Tone Loc : Rock/Alt promotion for Roadrunner, Sanctuary, Victory, Equal Vision, Suburban Noize : A&R: signed Slipknot to Roadrunner and Ministry to Man Trax : 1) Too many records, too few slots. What data seems to be most important to you when jockeying for an open slot on a radio station and why? Ticket sales? Tour info? Prior success? Retail? Other stations? : Programmers need to see that a record won't just lie there like a turd if they play it on their station. That seems reasonable to me. The best clue I can give programmers about the long-term viability of an act (anybody's act) is this: See if the act is selling records. Growth in record sales means the label will continue to fund the band. No growth in record sales means you have just wasted spins on an act that will be orphaned, and will never become a core act for you. Top 40 may be all about one-hit wonders, but the Rock formats are about career bands. : 2) It seems that set-up is more important now than ever. What do you do to inspire your staff for success in the field on a daily basis with the amount of material that recording companies are releasing in today's marketplace? : As a small label veteran, many times I AM the staff. Other times, the small staff we did have was motivated as hell, or they wouldn't be up for such a thankless job as small-label radio promotion in the first place! The music is what has inspired every great record guy I have ever met or worked with. If the music you are representing isn't good enough to motivate you, find another label or find another career. : 3) Things are changing rapidly in our business. Were it up to you, what would you change in our "system" to give your bands a better shot? : I would give every radio station PD the budget to hire enough people so that all of the essential work at the station gets done. They could then have the time to truly LISTEN to all of the music that floods into their station -- and choose the best -- rather than just picking "the usual" from the major label menu. Choosing from the indie label menu increases the chances you will find a hit; but that takes more in the way of time than the average programmer has these days. : 4) Who do you consider the current tastemakers in the ROCK world? : If you are getting ratings in your market and you are breaking new bands, then you are the tastemaker for the people who matter ... your listeners. : 5) It has become apparent that in this research-driven time, records are taking much longer to "test." How do you go about making sure that your record will be given a fair shot? : I think most good programmers are only adding records they believe in these days. So once he finds the space and gets the song on the air, the programmer is as interested as we are in giving it every chance to work. : 6) Repetition breeds familiarity. How does your label increase exposure of your artists outside of traditional radio promotion? : Any way we can. But for the Rock formats, nothing works better than a great live band playing great shows in every radio market. : 7) Every promotion person has a record close to their heart that for one reason or another never broke through, "The One That Got Away" ... What is your "One That Got Away" and what did you learn from that record? : What I learned was: Don't trust the video! Years ago, at my distribution company, I was floored by an incredibly compelling, amazing video by Definition of Sound of their forthcoming song called "Now Is Tomorrow." I took it straight to B96 in Chicago, where they agreed, and they added the song immediately ... before the box. The very first time I heard that song in the mix on their airwaves, I knew it was wrong; it just didn't fit. And sure enough, it turned out to be the only song I ever got added there that failed to go top 10 for them. If I had heard the song on its own -- without the visuals -- I probably would have not chosen to work it so enthusiastically. That video still kicks ass, though! You can see it up on YouTube. : 8) The lost art of artist development: What do you do to ensure your artist is building a career as opposed to just breaking a song? And does it even matter anymore? : It costs so much to develop an act these days that it isn't worth chasing a one-hit wonder. A few of the bands I've worked with in the recent past, like Slipknot and Atreyu, have the inherent talent, intelligence and live skills to grow and maintain long careers. I'm working with Eve To Adam now because they have all the goods, too. : 9) What is the strangest record you ever worked and what ended up happening to the band? : The strangest band I ever worked with was Slipknot. You probably know what happened to them! Even though the higher-ups at Roadrunner did not believe in them, Slipknot's first album became the label's first-ever Platinum record. I think the band is still around somewhere.... : 10) Are you finding that today's "baby" bands are getting a fair shot at radio, and more importantly are they being given the airplay they need to break through to the masses and be recognized? : I think it is sad that so many radio stations are abdicating their responsibility to bring the "New Music First" to their listeners. Giving up that position to the Internet or to other media only serves to weaken the position of radio as a relevant medium. That being said, it is our job in records to help stations out by exposing the music we are asking them to play in every other way we can, so as to minimize the risks they are taking when they play a "baby band." : Bonus Questions : You are the remaining survivor on a remote tropical island with no chance for rescue. You have a CD/DVD player with endless power. What five CD's are a "must" to have with you? What five movies? : CDs: : Ornette Coleman: Beauty is a Rare Thing : Focus: Moving Waves : The Who: Who's Next : T. Rex: Electric Warrior : The Jam: In The City : (I've been in a '70s mood lately...) : MOVIES: : Grand Prix : Goldfinger : Battle of Britain : Babe : The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann : Of course, since Amazon.com ships everywhere, this is just for starters... : (AA)

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