As alluded here elsewhere, after two and a half decades in the trenches of professional journalism, I am currently a director of content and editorial services for a prominent performing rights organization. One of my myriad duties involves putting together a weekly newsletter for our thousands of affiliates. Said newsletter generally contains some original content, but we frequently fill it out with bits of pertinent content from around the web. On Mondays and Tuesdays, I am regularly searching for news items, interviews, articles, podcasts, listicles and profiles that might provide insight, advice and/or solutions for burgeoning songwriters looking to catch a break, learn some best practices, hone their craft, sharper their networking skills and basically advance their careers in one capacity or another. Ultimately, our aim is to provide our affiliates an encouraging leg up, and furnish them whenever we can with tools, tips and tricks of the trade for navigating the wilderness of the music industry writ large. We want to help them succeed, basically.
In the last couple of weeks, I stumbled on a podcast that — while technically also tailored to unspooling the intricacies of career advancement for the otherwise creatively inclined — is really meant for those less doe-eyed about the endeavor. In a nutshell, this podcast shines a light on those who have essentially had to forsake their more creatively fulfilling trajectories in order to pursue vocations that stand greater chances of keeping them financially solvent and gainfully employed. Fittingly, the podcast is called Killed by Desk, a sly nod, for those of you not saddled by worthless rock trivia, to a comparably titled Motörhead ditty from the mid-80s.
I first heard about it, recently, when my friend Jon Fine assumed the hot seat (as detailed here), but KBD has also featured other Flaming Pablum favorites like former Antidote vocalist-turned-filmmaker/author/archivist Drew Stone of The New York Hardcore Chronicles, Penelope Houston of The Avengers, Brooks Headly of Born Against and Chicken John Rinaldi, formerly of Letch Patrol, Sissy and GG Allin & The Murder Junkies.
Like the episode with Jon, the conversations are enlightening and hilarious and really worth your time. Check it all out by clicking right here.
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