We recently connected with Nolan Davis and have shared our conversation below.

Nolan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

In early 2014, I was working at a record store in Fresno, CA (my hometown). We would get these promotional CDs sent in to our store and I grabbed a copy of this one sampler CD that highlighted different up and coming Bay Area rappers. I remember thinking, “Wait, this is a cool idea. Why hasn’t someone done this for Fresno? And why not have every type of music on it?”.

A few friends and I reached out to any musician we knew in the area to see if they would submit music for our own Fresno sampler CD. Everyone kept saying that it was a “rad” idea, so the name RAD Music felt natural. After we compiled several songs from a diverse group of artists, my dad helped me burn and print labels for hundreds of these RAD Sampler CDs. We put them in every record store in the area and even shipped some to other states. Not long after this, I did a few sampler CDs of Orange County artists with my friends in Orange County Music League. At the time, Orange County seemed like a scene that was being overshadowed by the “A Market” next door (Los Angeles), and that just felt relatable to how Fresno always gets overlooked.

I honestly just wanted to share music with people and show that these scenes can be cool too. The samplers were fun, but CDs were already a novelty long before 2014. It felt like every time I would talk to my friends in bands, they all had these horror stories of artists being taken advantage of, especially by promoters. I wanted to offer artists a break from the promoters who do pay-to-play (which, if you’re an artist and reading this, pay to play is literally never worth it), never promote their own shows, or promoters who run off with all the money from the show, awful stuff like that.

I dove into live events when I organized my first show with the guys in OCML. It feels silly looking back on it, but organizing an event gave me a sense of purpose I really needed at the time. By the summer of 2015, I really started to pick up steam with live events. I had done some shows with friends and booked my first tour package that Spring. It was at this point I was just like, “yeah, I love this. I’ll do this forever.”

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Nolan and I do way too much. I got into the music industry by basically just loving a variety of music and making friends. I didn’t really know that I wanted to get involved with live music until my sister Chrystalyn introduced me to a bunch of her friends who were promoters for nightclubs and venues. Watching them organize the events and basically put out fires as they came up felt like such a natural thing for me to pursue.

10 years later, my resume includes roles I didn’t even know existed back then. I book events as a talent buyer for my own company, RAD Music, I’m the booking agent for the prog metal band Artificial Language, I’m a podcast host and editor, I make websites, I occasionally DJ, I do graphic design and video editing. I’ve worn many hats for other companies in the past as well, such as social media manager, production manager, hospitality coordinator, tour manager and stage manager.

What I mainly provide as a promoter, is a space for artists to perform and grow. Unlike a lot of promoters, I understand that the artist is the priority and I try to treat them as such. A big part of the industry seems to be gatekeeping information and connections, which I don’t really agree with. If I’m not able to book your show, I’ll try to find someone who can because I understand how difficult it can be sometimes. I’m proud of the fact that I’ve been able to help a lot of friends grow as artists, promoters, photographers or illustrators.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Right now, it’s just showing up. You like an artist’s music? Buy their merch and go to their shows. Most musician’s can’t really make a living off of music streaming or touring anymore, so buying their merch is the most direct way to financially support them. Going to their shows helps them by providing an organic audience and keeping venues open in a time where live music is in peril.

And if you’re an artist yourself, you absolutely need to show up for your friends and make connections. Don’t approach it as “networking” either. In my opinion, trying to meet people to simply use them as a connection has an expiration date. Genuine friendships or support are how you can stand the test of time in the music industry and keep a scene thriving.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

This past weekend, I threw a festival in Fresno to celebrate 10 years of booking shows. I had the privilege of booking a bunch of my friends I had met in those 10 years and I made some new friends as well. People traveled from different states just for this show and some friends I hadn’t seen in years showed up just to say hi. Seeing fans and artists enjoy themselves at an event I curated will always be one of the most rewarding feelings.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://radmusicofficial.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nolandude6/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nolan.davis.16/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolandavis559/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/nolandude6
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@radmusicofficial
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/hellandu
• Other: Podcast: https://radchat.buzzsprout.com/
  Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/radmusicofficial

Image Credits

Cat Eye View Photography: https://www.facebook.com/cateyeviewphotography