BIGSOUND Speaker Profile: Joe Alexander

24 August 2015 | 11:09 am | Staff Writer

Name: Joe Alexander 

Business: Bedroom Suck Records

Position/Title: Director

How did you first become involved in the music business? I become involved in the music business first as a musician, and later as a label director. The sheer quantity of great local music was what originally inspired me to start an independent record label. 

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What do you perceive to be your area of expertise and how did you gain experience in this field: I guess this would have to be A&R! As an artist myself, I think a strength of the label is our interaction and close relationships with artists. It's a family!

Popular culture tells us that the music industry is all about hedonism, drugs and partying - how true is this in your experience? Poppycock!

In this time of technological change how do you see the dissemination of music changing in the future? Is there still a place for physical product?: I think there will always be a place for physical production, as that interaction with a physical medium is something that is impossible to replace. It's a matter of presenting your product in a way that is compatible with new media.

Some pundits espouse that the future of music is electronic-based - in your opinion is rock'n'roll passé? Not necessarily. What's a pundit? 

Do you think it's a good or bad time to be starting out as a musician? It's certainly an interesting time — the sheer quantity of music being made available through new media is overwhelming, and certainly amounts to a competitive and saturated environment. By the same token, access to this technology makes it a lot easier for some.

What advice would you give young practitioners in your area starting out today? Love what you do! And keep at it. Ultimately, a passion for what you are working on is the only thing that will keep you going.

What will you be primarily discussing during your appearance at the BIGSOUND conference? I believe we're appearing on a panel about the relevance of community radio in the independent music world and how this has affected us.

What are you hoping that people will be able to learn from your panel/interview? I hope that people remember the relevance of radio! I think it's a great medium that is completely accessible to all young musicians.

What do you personally hope to take away from your time at BIGSOUND? A sunny week in Brisbane.