Bands like American Aquarium, the Turnpike Troubadours and Jason Boland and The Stragglers might not be household names, but for their fans throughout North America, they represent one of the most genuine live music experiences out there. Guiding their careers, along with over 30 additional acts, is Jon Folk. The former Buddy Lee Attractions agent left the big time Nashville shop in 2009 to start his own boutique agency in Music City and hasn’t looked back.
Venues Today recently caught up with Folk and began the interview with a question about one of his recent success stories.
Your band American Aquarium is doing some great numbers on the road right now. How did you discover these guys?
Their manager Peter Jackson had contacted me about doing some shows together with some of our other clients. I was blown away with what American Aquarium was bringing to the table musically and became a real fan. That’s our philosophy here — we’re fans of the band and we believe in putting the band first. With American Aquarium, we had them open an East Coast run with Jason Boland and the Stragglers and then, after the tour, we decided to work together.
What do you look for when signing a band?
I think we collectively have to be a fan of the music and what they’re doing, no matter what level they are at. If we’re all on board musically, then we look to see if they are doing this for a living or whether it’s just a hobby. We want people who are serious, and have a good work ethic. Being a boutique agency, we don’t have the luxury of signing anything and everything that comes down the line and seeing what sticks. If we’re going to put this much time and energy into something, we need to know that they will as well. Secondly, our model is focused around the fan. It doesn’t mean having to have radio or having to have a record deal. It’s really based on the idea that if we build the fanbase, everything else will fall in line.
How did you first break into the music industry?
I got a degree in the music business at the University of Southern Mississippi. At the time, my options after college were New York, L.A. or Nashville and Nashville seemed like the best fit for me. I started off as an intern with Randy Wright from World Class Talent. He’s still in the business as a talent buyer for a bunch of venues. Eventually Buddy Lee Attractions (BLA) bought World Class, and I made the move to BLA first as an assistant and eventually worked my way up from there.
With the record companies weaker than in the past, do you find yourself doing more artist development?
Definitely. With artists’ careers being based around what they are doing live, it’s very much up to the agent to handle A&R. Independent music is bigger than ever and there’s an ability for artists to reach anywhere and everywhere on their own.
When did you realize it was time to leave BLA and take the next step?
There was no one defined moment. It was my passion and it was what I knew I wanted to do. I wasn’t worried about money because I was always taught “pursue what you love and everything else will fall into place.” That’s the approach I take with our agency. We pursue the acts we love and take care of the fan, and everything else falls into place.
Who was your first Red 11 client?
Well, I had a number of clients that came with me to Red 11 including Jason Boland and the Stragglers and Jace Everett. More came to the roster as we developed as an agency. That was the toughest part — I never thought it would have taken this long to build the agency.
Do you think the opportunities for your artists to tour are growing or shrinking?
They are definitely growing. Take Turnpike Troubadours – three years ago, they were playing small clubs. There are markets now where they are doing over 5,000 hard tickets. They’re going into California for a second run — when they played The Mint last year in Los Angeles, we had no idea how it would go and they sold out way in advance. Same thing when they played in New York – we sold out two months in advance.
How did you meet Turnpike Troubadours?
Their manager is a guy that I do a lot of business with. He also manages Jason Boland and the Stragglers. I heard their record for the first time and I knew I had to be involved. Jason Boland and his guys put them on a bunch of their shows and they really caught fire. And right now they’re really going strong. Next year they will be back in the studio doing a new record.
Are they staying focused on Texas and the South?
If you look at their calendar this past year, it’s really spread more nationally. We’ve got some dates in April in California, and then in August we will be in Idaho at some festivals out there, then over to Oregon and Washington.
How do you find your new acts?
It’s some time on the Internet and time talking to people in the industry. Sometimes stuff gets forwarded to you and other times it’s an act you stumble across playing a venue one night. Nowadays, everyone can have access to anyone instantaneously. Artists and music can come from anywhere — it could be an email from my mom or a guy at one of the major promoter companies turning me on to something new.
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