Downbeat to Business with Lydia Liebman

Lydia Liebman has emerged as one of the most successful publicists in the music business today.  Starting her own company as a freshman in college she has steadily made a name for herself and is now working with artists such as Ralph Peterson Jr., Derrick Gardner, Lakecia Benjamin, The Curtis Brothers, Jonathan Barber, Rachel Therrien, Brandee Younger, Thana Alexa, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, and of course the legendary Dave Liebman!

Coming from a musical background and having been involved in music as an artist as well as many aspects of the business she definitely has a lot of insight into the music world from many many angles.  Even amidst the current pandemic, she finds herself just as busy helping to promote her clients’ music so I’m very grateful that she took the time to do this interview discussing her career and the ins and outs of the publicist business.  I hope many young musicians and perhaps some upcoming publicists have their pens and papers ready to take notes!

Having been involved in many facets of the music business, what made you decide to settle on PR and how does your experience in the other fields help with your current business?

I grew up in the “jazz” business, and I have always been involved in different aspects of it throughout my life. When I was younger I was involved as a musician and vocalist and then when I went to college, I got very involved in jazz radio and eventually concert promotion. One thing led to another and then one day I realized I was a publicist. I didn’t make a conscious decision to do this – honestly, I am just trying to serve the music. I want to preserve this art form, and help expand to as many people as possible. I think my skill set was just a good fit for PR and over time it became clear that this was where I excelled. It goes without saying that growing up in the household I did had a huge impact on me- knowing first-hand what it’s like to be a working musician has really shaped my perspective of course. That, coupled with the hands-on experience I have had in radio (four years of a jazz radio program in college, Sirius XM, WBGO), plus my 7 or so years as a journalist has really shaped the way I do my job. I absolutely love what I do.

A lot of musicians have great recordings that unfortunately don’t get the exposure they need and deserve.  Can you tell us just how important having a good publicist and PR campaign is?  

If you’re releasing something, you surely want to make sure people know about it beyond your immediate circle of friends. Publicists help spread the word to the media so that they may cover it and expose it to a larger audience. Publicists also can help craft your public image, manage press requests, and act as the mouthpiece for a public figure. The key though is hiring a good publicist with strong connections and a good reputation.

It’s very important to do the research before settling on a publicist. Check out the artists they currently represent – do you see yourself fitting in stylistically with what they usually work? Talk to them on the phone, at the very least, and get a read on their personality. Is this someone you feel comfortable with representing you? Take a look at their track record. Have they gotten placements in outlets you aspire to be covered by? And most importantly, talk to your peers about their experience. To this day, I have never lobbied for a client – it is not my style. All of my work has come from word of mouth, from musicians sharing their PR experiences with others.

Just like all musicians have their own style and approach to music so do publicists. You undoubtedly have a successful approach with your work based on your clientele–  can you tell us what your goal(s) are when working with a client and how do you go about producing these results?  

The main goal is to raise as much awareness about a particular project as possible. I send hundreds of emails a week – I am pitching all the time (sometimes I’ll think of an angle in the middle of the night and draft it up at 3 am!) because I don’t want to leave any stone unturned. Obviously, these efforts do not result in placements 100% of the time – but you never know when something will hit or when a journalist might need something for a story. When I get a new project, I try to look at it from every conceivable angle to see how we can get it out there. If we’re able to pick up a prominent outlet that does not cater exclusively to jazz, that’s always a big win because it has potential to expand the fan base of that particular artist.

In the end, I just want my clients to feel that their money was well spent. I know how hard it is to make a living doing this music and I know that PR is a big investment for a lot of people. My goal is to do the best possible job and make sure every project gets in front of the correct people.

For musicians new to this side of the business, what does the job of a publicist entail?  Are there certain things that musicians need and should expect?  

A publicist, by definition, is hired to generate publicity and media coverage. Publicists act as the connector between the artist and the media and help shape the narrative around an artist, a new release, a tour, etc. When an artist hires me, they can expect to receive a well-written press release, an informative yet visually appealing one sheet, and coordinated communication with the press on their behalf. I also send out physical promo copies for whatever projects we’re working on. At clients’ concerts or events, I invite the press to attend for coverage and I am there to “work the room”. And I also manage red carpet appearances for my clients when necessary (this year I did the Grammys and the NAACP Image Awards).

When an artist approaches you and says they want to work with you, what are some things you are looking for to determine whether or not you would want to work with a client?   

First and foremost, I need to like the music. I would never feel comfortable pushing something I can’t stand behind musically so personally liking it is essential in that regard. Next is the story. For me, it’s really important that there is a compelling narrative or story behind the work – this is what helps drive substantial coverage. I also take all the musicians into account beyond the leader. Lastly, I take a look at their overall package – are they touring, or in the time of COVID, are they doing live streaming concerts? What’s their social media presence like? Sometimes I just really like an artist’s vibe and something intuitively tells me to say yes, even if not all the pieces are there. If I do choose to pass it’s because something wasn’t clicking with me. The worst feeling though is when I do love a particular project or artist but have to pass because the timing isn’t right.

Can you share with us some of the artists you’ve represented and some upcoming releases that you might be able to share with us?

I feel incredibly privileged to work with such an incredible roster. This month, I have new projects coming from Dave Bryant, Dylan Jack, Michael Olatuja, Azat Bayazitov, and John Minnock. They are all so incredibly different and musically rich – I really can’t wait for people to hear them. I’m hesitant to list what’s coming this summer out of fear of excluding someone, but I can assure you there are some very heavy hitters coming up that I’m just so excited about. I also work regularly with Ralph Peterson, who is releasing a major album with The Messenger Legacy in September; Spanish Harlem Orchestra, who just released their seventh album The Latin Jazz Project; and Andy Milne, who just released The ReMission on Sunnyside. I also work regularly with labels Woolgathering, Dot Time, Rainy Days, and Outside in Music.

Since we are in the middle of a pandemic, how are you adjusting to this situation? 

This is obviously affecting the entire musical community, and it’s a rippling effect where no part of the business is unaffected.

COVID has forced us to completely recalibrate everything from the ground up. During the first few weeks of the shutdown, I must have spent 5-6 hours on the phone almost every day talking with clients and colleagues about what on earth we were going to do. I don’t think I will ever forget what those few weeks felt like as the bottom just fell out of the entire industry.

I was working new releases from Elsa Nilsson and Thana Alexa at the time, and they both developed some incredible initiatives really early on that I jumped on board to help promote: Elsa created the Lattice Concerts and Thana, in conjunction with Sirintip and Owen Broder, created Live From Our Living Rooms, which went on to raise almost 60k for musicians in need. I think that both of these set a precedent for what a successful virtual concert series/program could look like and it was encouraging for me to see it- and also, from a PR perspective, to see some serious press develop around these initiatives.

Concerning PR, in some ways it’s been easier to get press for new releases – without live show coverage, more attention can be paid to recordings. A lot of publications have been expanding their coverage and are interested in the creative ways musicians are making it now. DownBeat, for one, has been doing a great job in this respect in my opinion. On the flip side, there have been massive layoffs in the media world and a lot of the contributors I used to work with at top tier publications are no longer there. It’s a tough time all around.

Personally, though, I have been okay. I feel very fortunate to still be working and I can’t describe how good it feels to know you are helping someone else with their life’s work. I think the key throughout this whole experience is to be flexible and have an open line of communication. We are ALL in uncharted territory and we have to work together to get through this.

I do have my bad days though and the hardest day for me was when Wallace Roney passed. Wallace was my client and such a beautiful person. Obviously, I was heartbroken, and then having to quickly learn how to handle a high profile passing like that on a national level was crazy. I learned a lot on the job during those days.

For anyone who is possibly looking to be a publicist, what advice would you give them to be as successful in the game as you have been?  

Be nice to everyone and don’t burn bridges unless they truly deserve to be torched.

That last response is some sage advice that can definitely be applied to all facets of the business!  Be sure to check out Lydia at https://www.lydialiebman.com/ to see all the amazing work she has done both past and present. Lydia will be presenting a talk on PR this Thursday as part of the Universal Musicians Cooperative on Thursday at 7 pm EST. I definitely hope many musicians out there who are thinking about releasing an album, doing a tour, etc will read and reread this interview, as having a great publicist and just a great team around you in general, can be a game-changer, in my experience.  Wishing all my colleagues out there continued success!

 

For further information on Lydia, please visit

https://www.instagram.com/lydialiebmanpromotions/
https://twitter.com/LydiaLiebman

Photos by Leslie Farinacci.

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