BIGSOUND 2017 Speaker Focus: Nic Warnock

Organisation: RIP Society and Repressed Records - Founder and Co-owner

How did you first become involved in the music business and how did you end up where you are today? By accident. Repressed Records was my dream part-time uni job, so much so I stayed there long after I graduated. RIP Society was filling an empty hole in Australian music.

What's been the biggest change in the music business you've seen over the past 12 months? I think that a lot of the practices that are becoming normal or even seen as progressive in the music industry are bad for any music culture of substance. But ya can't stop "progress". 

What do you think will be the biggest issue affecting the music industry in the next 12 months and why? Not the entire industry, but the greatest challenge for independent artists/labels is finding a way to communicate what you do to a potentially interested audience without it being diluting or tarnished by music industry practices. 

What advice would you give young practitioners in your area starting out today? Think about the music culture you'd like to exist and only act in ways that will strengthen that culture. There's nothing wrong with being an amateur musician/label operator, most good stuff comes from that realm. 

What will you be primarily discussing during your appearance at the BIGSOUND conference and what are you hoping that people will be able to learn from your panel? The panel is called Making It Last. We'll be talking about surviving as an independent record label/small arts business in this crazy world. My perspective will be that the "all or nothing" approach to being involved in the music industry is bad and it's valid to do something as an amateur passion. If the opportunity arises for it to become a job, take it, but don't let it destroy your passion. 

What do you personally hope to take away from your time at BIGSOUND? Meeting more like-minded people, seeing friends from around the world. Bringing some type of different perspective, maybe? 

Which acts are you most looking forward to checking out at BIGSOUND? Sarah Spencer of Blank Realm. 

When and where is your panel? 6 Sep, Cloudland, 11.20am.