Interview: Barrett of New Transcendence.com

I have always enjoyed talking to other music journalist who are in it for all that right reasons, helping the bands. So recently I caught up with Barrett Stephens over at New Transcendence. They are a true dedicated site that has been growing rapidly and truly helping any band that comes their way respectfully. I talk to Barret about PR, Journalists, and so much more.

Please introduce yourself and how your involved in the music industry?

Certainly! My name is Barrett Stephens, I am the former co-owner/founder of the music promotion website New Transcendence. As of March 24th, 2014, I was made Owner of the site and I handle the majority of the major decisions. That’s not to say I’m a dictator, we work collectively to bring people the best music news, reviews, interviews and show coverage that we can muster.

How did you get started in music journalism?

It’s a funny story, actually. I was really compelled by Avenged Sevenfold’s album, “Nightmare”. I decided to take it upon myself to use my pre-order to write a review… vowing only to show it to a few people to gauge their reactions. When I was met with positive response across the board.. I spoke to Chad and a couple of other friends about the idea. Originally, I was going to just create a Tumblr and use it to write reviews for fun. The idea for NT came up when Chad decided that he wanted to buy some server space for a promotion site. I spoke to him about doing reviews on the side and the rest is pretty much history. A lot of people don’t know this but it just started with Chad, myself and our buddy Dave Woodward. Dave later moved on to form Great Counselor and his production work for his company, Voidspeaker Recordings.

I myself being a internet based journalist must ask this. What keeps you interested and devoted to it ?

I love doing it… since I started, I feel a certain joy that I have never felt with anything else (save for how I feel about my family). I feel like it’s something I’m meant for. Seeing all this fresh talent, as well as, getting to work with some of my musical idols makes it all worth while. I love the satisfaction that I get from seeing bands enjoy and/or share my hard work just as much as I love hearing theirs. It’s a pretty crazy feeling… mind you, there are days that I feel de-motivated… and on those days, I take a breather and try again the next day. In being a journalist, just as with life, you’ve got to do things in moderation or you might find it getting stale on you.

Off the top of your head list five unsigned bands you think deserve to be signed (Here at RATA we are all about the underdog and showing them support)?

Stories of Solitude (Asheville, NC)
A Future Corrupt (Buffalo, NY)
Illuminate Me (Tampa/Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
Atlas (Beaumont, TX)
Curse and the Cure (Groves, TX/Pasadena, TX)

What tips would you give to a journalist starting off?

Don’t underestimate the power of a second opinion. You might feel that something doesn’t live up to your expectations when, to someone else, it could be a masterpiece. Don’t limit yourself to one subject/genre, either. Doing so will close doors to what could be huge opportunities in disguise! Most of all, if you aren’t enjoying what you’re doing… find another approach to it, don’t ever take something you feel you won’t be able to handle. Lastly, don’t let fear stop you from pursuing the things you want to cover… you will be surprised at how accommodating the music industry can be… I know I was!

What was your first in person interview and how did that go? ( I know I was nervous as hell and had to re film)

My first in person interview was set up by my now good friend, John Janatsch. He was attempting to book Red Lamb (Dan Spitz’s new project) at The Gig in Beaumont, TX and he had promised me an interview with him if I was able to help him get it booked. To step on this legendary guitarist’s tour bus was almost overwhelming. I was shaky, I was nervous… you could tell it in my voice but to say that he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met is an understatement. Not only is he nice, he’s EXTREMELY passionate about his family. It was truly an honor and still one of my favorite moments in NT’s history thus far.

So in your point of view how is NT going and where would you like to see it in a year?

I think NT is going a lot better than I ever dreamed it would. We’ve had the pleasure of covering Warped Tour ’13, the Seduce & Destroy Tour (Otep’s last headliner w/Picture Me Broken and One-Eyed Doll), the reviews just keep pouring in and it’s a blast! This year I am working on personally covering Rockfest in Kansas City and Mayhem Fest in Oklahoma City and we’ve got a lot of stuff already in the works that hasn’t been announced yet that we’re super excited about.

As for where I would like to see us in a year? We’ve already hit over a million site views which is NUTS to me… but I think the one territory we haven’t really covered yet is video interviews. I’m hoping we can change that but it’s difficult because there are a lot of artists who aren’t open to posting video interviews, sadly. We’re also playing around with the idea of movie reviews and possibly video reviews (as in actually spoken reviews of albums). It’s all part of getting bands’ names out there and an unbridled passion for music.

Where would you like to see NT in 5 years?

In 5 years? Honestly, I think it would be cool for us to start a publication. It’s a pretty crazy idea in retrospect but it would really help us get out there even more. I’d love to find some way to help out (or create) some charities so that we could really help make a difference, as well as doing what we’re doing now. I hope to still be owner of the site and I hope to take it to soaring heights by then, but if Chad decides he wants the position back, of course I will not make a fuss. Without him, we would not have even gotten off of the ground. A huge dream for me (which I’m hoping to fulfill this year at Mayhem) is to do a video interview with Avenged Sevenfold. I’d love to even maybe partner with some booking agencies and help get the music we review heard even more. Idk, it’s all just ideas I have in my head that really haven’t been toyed with. The sky’s the limit, we will not let fear keep us from trying new things!

Favorite top 5 bands and why?

Avenged Sevenfold is my #1 favorite band because they got me into rock/metal as much as I am today. Despite people saying they have sold out, they try new things and they aren’t afraid to think outside the box musically. They really care about their fans more than money, which really speaks to me as well. Not to mention that recently they won the “Most Dedicated Fans” award at the Revolver Golden Gods and they gave it to a fan…. you won’t see many bands that dedicated to their fan base these days.

Coheed & Cambria is a close second because they are a band you can never get tired of. They always try new things, they always add levels of mysticism and perplexity to their music that you don’t see many other bands do. Not to mention that they are a concept band that has been around for over a decade that has survived purely on their ability to tell a story through their music. It’s really amazing what they do.

Suicide Silence is my third favorite band and the reason why is because they got me into deathcore. My best friend, Troy Walker, showed me their album ‘The Cleansing” when it first came out and I fell in love. I’m not a huge fan of deathcore but SS has always been my one exception.

Panic! At the Disco is my 4th favorite because I am a very odd individual and I relate with them because of their ability to try the oddest things in music, ever successful in their endeavors. If I got a chance to meet Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith… I believe the most hilarious conversations would happen… especially if I had a chance to interview them. That’s another dream of mine.

Last, but not least is Paramore. Anyone who knows me will know that I love female-fronted bands because I like to see females who prevail against the odds in a scene that aren’t really very accepting of them. Hayley Williams is one of the strongest, most down-to-earth individuals I have ever seen and, regardless of all that the band has faced… they have managed to pull through and create great music every time.

What tips would you give to any band starting off from what you have noticed from being journalist?

Don’t start up a band just to get on a label… if you practice hard enough and you really promote yourself (or find people who will help promote you), labels will eventually notice. Never turn down a webzine or blog that wants to review your music just because they “aren’t big enough”.. you never know where that site will end up in the long run. Also, if you get signed… don’t forget where you came from. Don’t develop that “Rock Star” attitude where you think you’re hot stuff just because you’re in a signed band. Fans will label you as a dick and you will lose love and respect from those who you hold close. Lastly, don’t be afraid to be yourself… if you think an idea for your music is odd, experiment with it anyway! Some of the best music has been made purely out of experimentation!

Whats your favorite label PR to work with and why?

My favorites to work with? Hmm… I’m gonna have to say that’s a tie between Doug and Nixon at New Ocean Media and Shauna O’Donnell at Pavement Entertainment. They’ve always been incredibly nice, they’re extremely accommodating and they aren’t beating down your email if you miss a deadline. Although, once I informed everyone that I was working with that my wife had our daughter, that kind of subsided. But journalists are humans… we have lives outside of writing. Sometimes things come up or we need some time off to re-energize and they’ve always been extremely understanding of that.

So what would be your least and why?

I guess if I had to pick, I’d say BB Gun Press because of the simple fact that, both times we’ve tried doing coverage for them… they have said they would send material and then never do. It’s a bit frustrating to plan out things so that you will have time to review material and then never receive it… so you can’t review it until a) you buy it or b) you stream it… which isn’t necessarily an issue… I just feel that if you say something, you should honor that, ya know?

In closing is there anything you would like too add?

If you have a gift… or others tell you have a gift, explore it! NT was just a pipe-dream until Chad and I made it happen. You never know what could become of even your tiniest ideas. The sky’s the limit… never be afraid! Check us out at http://new-transcendence.com and at http://facebook.com/NewTranscendence and follow us on Twitter: @The_NTweets.

Thank you for your support over the years and looking forward to unveiling what we’ve got going for this year! Thank you, Tim, as well! Everyone be sure to check out Rise Above The Anchor if you haven’t already!