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This week Ari sits down with Heather Vassar, the Senior Vice President at EMPIRE—a fully independent record label, publishing company, and distributor. Heather’s career began at Universal Music Group Nashville, where she developed digital strategy for renowned artists such as George Strait, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, and Keith Urban. In 2019, Heather joined EMPIRE where she now plays a pivotal role in operations, marketing, and strategy for a diverse roster of artists including Shaboozey, Wyatt Flores, Niko Moon, Sophia Scott, Don Louis, Reyna Roberts, Tenille Arts, and Randy Houser.
Heather and Ari discuss the incredible success of Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” which has been number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for 19 weeks straight—the longest any song has held that position. Heather reveals how this hit (released on an indie label) became the biggest song in the world and how they have sustained its momentum. She shares the entire journey from signing Shaboozey, to putting out his initial singles, releasing his album, collaborating with Beyonce, all the way to his massive global success today. Thanks to her extensive experience at both major and independent labels, Heather has sharp insights to share about deal structures, ownership models, artist development, and how the industry has shifted (in the majors and the indies) over the last five years, all of which you’ll hear about in this episode.
https://www.instagram.com/hvassar/
00:00 The Hustle Behind Success
02:49 Empire Records: A New Era in Music
06:07 Shaboozey’s Journey to Stardom
09:12 Navigating the Independent Label Landscape
12:01 The Creative Process: From Songwriting to Release
14:50 Breaking Through: The Success of “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
18:07 The Role of Radio in Today’s Music Industry
20:49 Building a Fanbase: The Digital Approach
24:02 The Importance of Flexibility in Music Releases
33:56 Navigating Legalities in Music Production
39:08 Strategic Album Rollout and Market Timing
45:51 Building a Global Music Infrastructure
50:02 Maintaining Momentum After a Hit Release
55:04 Balancing Art and Market Trends
01:00:10 Educating Artists in the Digital Age
Edited and mixed by Ari Davids
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take
Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com
