Tell us a little about yourself and your experience.
My name is Tom Mullen and I do digital/creative marketing at a major label full time and from 10pm to 2am I run WashedUpEmo.com. Washed Up Emo has morphed into so many things including a DJ night that’s about to celebrate it’s 5 anniversary, a popular podcast and half joke/half serious site IsThisBandEmo.com where you find out if a band or anything is emo or not. My lives intersect a lot with friends in music industry that know me through the site or vice versa. You can see my current work in the music industry and also everything emo at thomaspmullen.com
What drove you to choose your career path?
I knew from a very young age that music was my life. I would obsessively listen to the radio, listen to new bands and crave anything different. I grew up in northern Vermont with very little access to things outside of top 40 radio and cable. I remember the moment vividly to this day. I was watching MTV and Nirvana’s video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” came on. I was floored and just stared at the TV. I remember walking upstairs after and asking my parents to take me to the music store. I had to buy a guitar immediately. That led me on a journey of independent labels, the hardcore scene, and eventually the post-hardcore/emo scene of the late 90s.
How did you go about getting your job? What kind of education and experience did you need?
In college, I lived at the radio station that was on campus. So with that, I got free music and free tickets to shows. I used that to my advantage by being in touch with the industry folks that would call the station to push records and as well as meet and connect with the bands, managers that were coming through town. I was going to shows 3-4 nights a week and getting countless CDs in the mail to review and promote. I was in heaven. I knew I could do the music industry thing because I could be out all night at a show and still be in class the next day and be involved. It was that trigger that said, I think I can do this. The reason I got my first show at a gig when I was about to get out of college were my relationships. I had already built up friends at labels and marketing companies that trusted me in college. I didn’t realize at the time, but I was one of the few to make it out. I believe that the opportunity of college, timeliness of knowing an independent scene and lastly, being reliable to those in the industry already paved my way for the first job I got.
Every subsequent job has been by word of mouth and/or recommendation. I’ve relied on that for the last 15 or so years.
What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?
For my full time job, I’m working on exposing larger audiences to the catalog music of the labels that the label owns digitally. It’s an amazing experience to be a part of a catalog release that’s never been heard or there is a new story. It’s a great honor to be able to do that every day. The day is spent on the phone, email and in meetings figuring out every day how to get more people to experience, interact and listen to these artists.
For WashedUpEmo.com, when I get home and up until around 2am, it’s going through emails of music submissions by new artists, setting up the next DJ night in the city, working out the next podcast guest or editing one. I could also be working with a publicist about a premiere of a song or video. Most nights it’s just listening to new music.
What misconceptions do people often have about your job?
The music industry isn’t all fun. It’s long hours and lots of opinions and thoughts about music, art and how to do things. it’s also it’s strength because music is art and people look at it from so many ways. It’s a great challenge to get things to work for this but when they do, the reward is amazing.
What are your average work hours?
Average hours for my day job is 10am-7pm. Many nights there are dinners, events, parties or shows that I have to attend as well. Then when I get home, it’s then down to business with WashedUpEmo.com until 2am.
What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?
I love what I do. I can’t sell shoes, I can’t fake an interview with a band I don’t like for Washed Up Emo. I just can’t. I’ve found knowing that goes a long way to how you do things in personal and professional settings. Find that thing that you enjoy and focus on that. It will lead you places. That’s how WashedUpEmo.com started in 2007. I just felt no one was talking about the bands from the late 90s that I loved. It just snowballed from there.
What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession?
For my full time job, everyone has a different background, history or music knowledge. It’s amazing to see where that leads us in conversations about the marketing of an album. I think it’s a great asset to have so many different people working toward that at a label. There is no one right way to approach an idea. I hope I do that same thing myself.
Do you have any advice for people who need to enlist your services?
That doesn’t apply for my real job but for Washed Up Emo, I’ve been approached a lot from people wanting to help. I absolutely love it. Ask any question to me and I’ll respond. I always respond to every email I’ve ever gotten through the site. I just have to, it’s in my heart to do it. If you’re at all interested about this timeframe and genre, hit me up anytime.
What's the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?
The worst part of any job is the politics. That is with any profession or job so it’s not just music industry. I think there is a deep drive from everyone to succeed and at times it gets out of hand. I really try and focus on what’s important to me and focus on something I can control personally. If I can do that, some of the other stuff washes away.
What's the most enjoyable part of the job?
For my full time job I love working with artists that want to work and push themselves artistically. Taking chances and coming out on top is so enjoyable. For Washed Up Emo, I love getting an email or a message on Twitter from someone I’ve never met that listened to a band because I recommended it. No greater joy than that. Pass on that good music to someone else.
What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?
Ha! If you’re getting in the music business looking for money, I’d like to direct you to a different career path. Money is not the goal for me personally. I know it is for some in the industry as with any field so I get it. I started working hourly and had no health insurance and stayed on a friends floor when I started. I’m not saying you have to do that, but it weeds out the weak pretty quickly.
How do you move up in your field?
As I mentioned above about when I was at the college radio station about reputation. People remember things like that so when a conversation is happening with a friend of yours and they remember you did so and so last year for X artist, etc. That will go a lot longer way than saying you got 4.0 in college. Do what’s right for the artist, do what’s right for your heart and you’ll have your network circle there for you when you’re ready to move up.
What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?
Be yourself. I know that sounds insanely cheesy but as an example, I don’t drink or do drugs at all. I never have. When I started in the music industry, I was told by a few that you had to drink to network and get ahead. I just didn’t believe it. To be honest, I’m sure I missed out on some things over the years. At the end of the day and after all these years, it’s actually been something that’s kept me sticking out a bit among colleagues. Not because of what drinking is but that it was a hook for me early on in my career. I still don’t drink and don’t feel the need to. Stick to your heart, stick to your guns about an idea, a thought or a gut feeling. The music business is a lot about data and numbers but before that you have to know the music, to feel the music and to live it.
That’s where you can take what you’ve done over the years by going to shows, talking to bands, listening to music for hours on end and implement that full time into a career. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something because of ANYTHING. Just go and do it. Start a label, start a band, start a PR company, it doesn’t matter. The first week I started at my first job in 2000, someone said to me that the music industry was ending. I’m still in it 15 years later. It’s not ending at all, it’s just changing. If you like change and want to help music’s message carry on, then you’re well on your way.