We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rob Dixon. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rob below.
Hi Rob, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
In one sense, every artist is taking a risk when they share their creations with the world. The more honest and original the art, the riskier it is. In fronting a rock band, Pinetree Janitorial Service, I am taking those creative and emotional risks.
However, perhaps the more tangible idea of financial risk is even more looming. I used to be a software development professional, and could be earning a very good living continuing on that path. But I put that aside and am trying to build something new and unique- Kinda Vague Records. I try not to think in these terms, but my financial future is indeed at risk. In a sense, I’m trading real income now to curate a collection of intellectual property. My own view is that there is an abundance of unrepresented I.P. and it is valuable. But of course that remains to be seen. Investing in a band is like investing in a startup- even if they have a great product, a million other things can derail everything.
The label itself is breaking with a lot of industry norms, endeavoring to take a more modern approach to what a record label is. But every novel policy and process we devise does carry risk- it differs from the industry legacy. We’re betting that our ideas are innovations, but they may well turn out to be faulty in a way we haven’t anticipated. So that’s another risk.
So, lots of risks on a lot of different levels. But, is anything worthwhile built without risk? Nah. Plus, it makes life more fun than the old corporate drone gig.
Rob, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m very proud of both bands I’m involved with- Pinetree Janitorial Service, clearly, I hope, since I write the songs and do the lead vocals. But I’m just as invested in Circles We Draw, which is fronted by Andrew Royalty. He’s the bassist of Pinetree Janitorial Service, and I’m the bassist for Circles We Draw. Which is an ideal arrangement in my opinion- I would feel a bit stifled focusing on Pinetree all the time, and in a sense I have more fun in my role for Circles We Draw, because it’s less of that creative risk thing we were talking about. I love my songs and enjoy performing them, but I’d be lying if I said that didn’t carry with it a set of nervous responsibility. I suppose it’s something like being the lead actor in a film vs. a good supporting role. Being the lead is great, but it’s also a lot of pressure. The people playing good supporting roles are probably having more fun.
I’m also proud of Kinda Vague Records, and Kinda Vague Radio, the weekly radio show we do on Denver Open Media. In both cases, I feel like we’re finding and putting the spotlight on some truly great stuff. I don’t want to mention the bands we’re on the verge of adding to our roster until it’s official, but I’ll just say take a listen to the Spotify playlist we’ve cultivated from the radio show and you’ll be hearing a few of them.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Yes! On a practical level, Donald Passman’s “All You Need To Know About the Music Industry” is our guide to navigating the music business. Two books that I personally draw a lot of inspiration from is David Lynch’s “Catching the Big Fish” and Rick Rubin’s recent book “The Creative Act: A Way of Being”.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
When it comes to music, get out and see it live, and not just the major touring acts. See what’s up in nearby local venues, you might just be surprised.
For better or worse, we live in a capitalistic world. So, no matter what the art is, help them build a business- i.e. go to shows, pay for tickets and buy the merch. Streams and follows on social media are helpful too. But here’s a rule I’ve found to be generally true: Things that make money tend to stick around, things that don’t, don’t.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://pinetreejs.com/
- Instagram: @pinetreejs
- Facebook: @pinetreejs
- Twitter: @pinetreejs
- Youtube: @pinetreejs
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0OgzeSXxm7FmeAaW4aLGmy?si=gGiu8Nx2TZifGbgWrcHBZA