We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andy Keathley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andy below.

Andy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

In my career, success has come as the result of two factors. The first, to put it plainly, is to become an expert. This may sound pretentious at first but I try to use the word in it’s truest sense. You can just as easily substitute “professional” to understand what I’m getting at. Whether someone is hiring a house painter, a plumber, a doctor, a tattoo artist… everyone wants to feel confident that the professional they are hiring has expert-level knowledge and proficiency, which only comes from experience (lots and lots of it).

The second factor for success for me has been basic customer service. The “customer is always right” concept (with boundaries in place, of course) in addition to polite, transparent communication goes further than any level of technical expertise. I am always amazed when I encounter a professional of any kind with poor customer service skills; such an unfortunate waste for both parties.

There are lots of business owners out there who have one and not the other, but when one has both, they are able to confidently command the rates they deserve, and retain repeat customers for a long time. In other words, be undeniably great at whatever it is that you do, and do honest business with your clients, and the money and opportunities that success affords will come easily.

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 came to California in 2008 after graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston. I quickly landed a job as a runner and assistant engineer at The Village Recorder, one of the last legacy recording studios in Los Angeles. As a result of that job I was hired as an engineer, music archivist and eventually Operations Manager at The Ray Charles Foundation, where I spent ten years overseeing the tape archives and recording studio of Ray Charles.

Simultaneously, starting in 2010, I co-founded The Get Down Boys, a traditional bluegrass string band that quickly gained momentum playing events and clubs in California and other U.S. cities. Playing guitar and singing in that band would prove to be the most valuable preparation for my current business.

After being laid off from The Ray Charles Foundation due to COVID-19 in 2020, I founded Wood & Steel Live Music Company, a full-service live music agency. We provide ensembles (live bands) of any number and genre, for various events such as weddings, corporate functions, celebrations of life, house parties, recording sessions, TV & film taping… virtually any type of gathering. We also subcontract DJs, event rentals and other specialty musicians.

Before starting the company, I had already been a musician in Los Angeles for over 12 years. During that time I came to build a network of hundreds of musicians of all instruments and unique talents, as well as performed at over a thousand weddings, clubs, parties, etc.

I took the technical experience I had gained from performing as an event vendor and started to learn the service side of that corner of the music industry. I saw an absence of bluegrass string bands in Southern California, and yet knew there was high demand for that style, so our first two in-house bands that we started to book were our traditional bluegrass band, True Blue, and our country rock group, The Canyon Brothers Band.

Building on the success of those two groups, we added classic rock, gypsy swing and pop bands to our roster, produce a podcast (Have A Great Gig) and continue to grow our list of bookable talent. I utilize a roster of about 50 musicians (and a few country line dance instructors) so we can have multiple bands all working simultaneously, and our groups’ availabilities are not contingent on any one person’s schedule.

In 2023 we contracted over 150 events.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

In an earlier question I mentioned how important (lots and lots of) experience is in becoming an expert in your field. Part of my long journey over several decades as a music professional includes learning what not to do as the result of some truly epic failures.

There was a time when my reputation among the musicians in town was wholly and completely in the dirt. I was a self-centered party animal who was a working band-leader, yes, but who ultimately alienated the majority of my colleagues and friends as the result of my words and actions. I was fired from one band after another.

I took over two years off from performing, in order to address my physical and mental health, and treat my alcoholism. That was the beginning of a new era which allowed me to build a new foundation for my music career. The new policy I adopted was to treat my musicians and clients equally with dignity and grace (and patience). I learned to set boundaries (or “policies” in terms of business) which would assure that no one was stepping on anyone else’s toes.

After this turn of events, and since maintaining my sobriety, I was able to mend my reputation. I pay musicians a fair rate and cultivate a respectful, fun environment for them to work in. I value transparency with my clients, so that there are no surprises on the day of an event. I don’t bother with local gig politics or taking sides. The result of these practices has been that the most in-demand musicians enjoy working for my company. I couldn’t ask for anything more, especially considering the ups and downs of the journey thus far.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

It’s impossible to ignore the theme of expertise-plus-customer service! My clientele grows the same way my reputation among musicians has grown; We’re good at what we do, and are a pleasure to work with.

All of our repeat clientele (and there are many) had such a great experience hiring us for the first time, that they come back for more every time they need live music.

Then there are the word of mouth clients, who have heard first-hand from someone else that our company provides top-tier talent (expertise) and is easy to work with (customer service).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://woodandsteel.live/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/woodandsteellive
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andykeathley/
• Linkedin: http://instagram.com/andykeathley
• Youtube: @woodandsteellive
• Other: http://instagram.com/andykeathley http://instagram.com/truebluelosangeles http://instagram.com/canyonbrothersband http://instagram.com/haveagreatgig

Image Credits
Hamilton Boyce Ether and Smith Photography Lauren Kallen Steph Port Rob Marienthal