It’s Sunday, which means we’re back with another edition of Sucker’s Guide to the Music Industry! This time around, we had a chat with Robin Fulton, writer for EARMILK, and founder of his own publicity business, Feathered Friend Media. Through his work, Robin has been able to see every angle of the music journalism industry, making him the perfect candidate for the fourth instalment of our Industry Guide.
So Robin, what up and coming bands are you most excited about at the moment?
Seeing both sides as a PR and a blogger with an avid passion for music discovery, it can be hard to keep up with it all as there’s simply so much amazing music coming out every single week! Notable projects that immediately spring to mind, however, would be Sorry’s album ‘925,’ goldenbloom’s ‘Life’ EP and Show Me The Body’s album “Dog Whistle;” I was absolutely besotted upon first listen respectively, and I can’t wait to hear what’s next.
What advice would you give any band pitching their music to be reviewed?
A personal touch goes an awfully long way. I know it can be overwhelming with the sheer number of bloggers out there and you can’t take the time with all of them individually, but one personal email will go much further than countless copied and pasted ones.
What’s your biggest pet hate when looking through music submissions?
It might sound a little self-entitled but basic manners! If you’ve not got time to say hello, I certainly don’t have time to cover it.
What’s your favourite method of discovering new music at the moment?
I’m biased of course but blogs! I frequent the blogs I write for daily, and other notable mentions would be Dork, So Young and The Line of Best Fit. YouTube is a great source too, Anthony Fantano and David Dean Burkhart are no doubt responsible for a decent chunk of my music library at this point. Also, a bit of a curveball but the Idles’ community on Facebook, AF Gang, is always on point with their recommendations. I found all three of the above projects on there thinking about it!
How important is an artist’s image when deciding what music to write about?
An artists image is definitely an extension of their brand and aesthetic, but to me, if the substance in the music is there, it doesn’t really matter what you look like.
How do you think music journalism is changing? Are there any new trends you’ve noticed in recent years?
I don’t believe that journalism itself isn’t changing all too much. For every blog that shuts down, another one takes its place and there’ll always be passionate writers ready to sink their teeth into another feature. Music discovery, however, is a completely different ballgame; Spotify playlists run the show and there’s a complete monopoly on what’s featured on them. As far as trends go, TikTok is taking over!
What upcoming releases that you’re covering should we be excited about?
Lady Bird’s EP “BRAINWASH MACHINE SETTING,” they are the genuine article.
For more information on Robin’s Feathered Friend Media, check out their website HERE.
And we’ll see you back here again on Wednesday when we’ll be chatting to Futuresound Events promoter Toby Womack! X
