We were lucky to catch up with Kevin Loesch recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kevin, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

If you want to work in the music industry, all you need to know is one thing…risk! Before I earned all of my titles and started touring all across the country, I had to lose everything. I always wanted to work in the music industry. I was in band from elementary school all the way throughout highschool. I used to rap in my closet and make music on my laptop before I switched to the business. I used to work a normal corporate job and I was dating a nice girl. We had a garden, a dog, and an ideal life together. When I took this leap of faith into the music industry I had no idea that I would eventually lose all of what made me happy. Reason being is because there are no set hours, no PTO, no vacations in this industry, I travel 2/3rds of every MONTH and I live in tour busses, hotel rooms, rental cars, etc. From the outside, the music industry may seem amazing and fun but the minute you enter it as a place of business you will see the sacrifice and toll it takes on your mental state and emotions. Experiencing these types of challenges and pains also helped me grow into the person I am today and I am stronger than I ever have been before. If you are able to overcome this turmoil and execute well in the role you play, it is one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I got into the music business by taking tickets at the door in 2019, I was working out in the gym in my corporate office of downtown Minneapolis and got a call from a mutual friend who is a concert promoter. He used to provide me with all of my opportunity when I was rapping when I was 16 years old. He asked me to help out where I can on the weekends and take tickets and buy the artist’s rider items. After the second day of taking tickets, he asked me to run the show! I knew that was my moment to execute and to show all of my skills in one night. Afterwards, we talked about bringing me on full-time to run all of his shows all over the country and the rest is history. CLM Presents is the company I work with and we offer an experience to our patrons that we do not want them to forget! We operate around 60 shows per year and have worked with all kinds of clients including Da Baby, Chris Webby, Mod Sun, Migos, NLE Choppa, and many more. Our primary market is hip hop but we also venture out and have worked in Heavy Metal, Country, and Country Rap. I am the most proud of becoming a Tour Manager for Dizzy Wright as of recently. We were on tour for 100 days this year and since then I have ran multiple shows, I NEVER STOP!

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

Be a great leader but be an even better student. The music industry changes more rapidly than any other industry I have been a part of. I used to think technology and software was a quicker changing industry but after my experiences, I know that is not the case. You could be working with an artist and overnight their whole trajectory could go downhill and you will have to pivot to the next best thing with little to no information. It is an overly competitive market that is reliant on individuals that can deal with no sleep, little pay in the beginning, and little professionalism and you will still need to operate on the highest level. What has worked for me is being genuine and letting my work speak for itself. Do not force your way into an artists team, let it organically grow. Plant the seed and let people know you are available to help and if you execute well, people will naturally talk about you will see the offers start coming in! Do NOT fake it until you make it. People who are genuinely in the business will see right through you and when the opportunity arises for you to execute, you will fail because you gave a perception and never took a minute to be a student to the game.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to learn to develop some thick skin and when working in corporate, you HAD to be sensitive about everything. Corporate life compared to the music industry is totally different. When I had to go into the office every day, my boss would be offended if my tie was a little crooked or would be upset if I spoke my mind in a morning debrief meeting, In music, I work behind the scenes and no one cares about your feelings or personal life. The only thing people care to listen too is the value you can bring them and how you can improve their artist’s situation. Most people who work in the music industry are lone entrepreneurs who are self-made. Once you step into the actual industry, it is a constant state of proving yourself to those around you while also maintaining the mindset that you are a student and you need to learn from every experience. Every artist, every venue, every promoter, every DJ ALL have a different way of doing business. If you cannot adapt to different situations on the daily and you’re overly sensitive to peoples words, this industry is not for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.CLMPRESENTS.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clmkevloe/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clmpresents
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-loesch-56b982138/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CLMKEVLOE

Image Credits
Shot by Gage Reagan of Gage Reagan Productions