When to Hire a Publicist: Tips for Indie Artists

Subscribe: iTunes / Spotify

In this episode of “I Eat Vibes for Breakfast,” Juliana Hale sits down with John Panichella, a publicist who has worked with a variety of clients, including NFL players and indie artists. The episode begins with Juliana sharing her “tea of the day,” a chocolatey mint tea her mom brought her. John has a black tea with pineapple and dragon fruit. They discuss their respective teas and the puns on their mugs, with Juliana sharing her story of how her mug came to say “empty” on it. The conversation turns to John’s work in public relations and his experiences working with Juliana. They discuss the importance of building relationships and the challenges of remote work.

They also discuss the importance of finding a balance between social media and work, and the challenges of being constantly surrounded by screens. John shares that he used to be on social media 24/7, but has since found a balance by setting boundaries for himself and his clients. He now only checks social media at the beginning and end of his workday, and takes breaks throughout the day to check personal social media. Juliana and John also discuss the physical effects of screen time, such as eye strain and headaches. John shares a tip from his eye doctor to look away from screens every 20 minutes for 20 seconds, which can help relax the eyes. Juliana and John both express their frustration with the pressure of achieving perfection and the obsession with the number of followers, likes, and views. While they acknowledge the positive aspects of social media as a tool, they prefer to enjoy real-life experiences and conversations with friends without discussing social media constantly.

John provides advice on when indie artists should consider bringing on a publicist and highlights the benefits. He suggests that artists should hire a publicist when they have something they are proud of and want to share with a larger audience. However, he advises caution and stresses the importance of having a budget that can accommodate a publicist. John explains that PR is about building relationships, telling a story, and exposing an artist to a wider audience, not necessarily increasing streams. He emphasizes the need to invest in marketing for that purpose. John also recommends tailoring campaigns and stories to each client and suggests that artists should collaborate with their publicist to create a personalized campaign.

They also discuss how gimmicks can cheapen an artist’s brand and take away from the authenticity of their music. They express concern that music created for algorithms rather than art could erase the history of music. They also discuss the importance of creating timeless art and the mistakes that artists make when they jump too quickly to the top. They emphasize the importance of staying true to oneself and creating art for the sake of art.

Story Notes:

Challenges of remote work
Finding a balance between social media and work
The physical effects of screen time.
Frustration with the pressure of achieving perfection and the obsession with the number of followers, likes, and views.
Advice on when indie artists should consider bringing on a publicist *Dangers of gimmicks in music
The importance of staying true to oneself and creating art for the sake of art.

To learn more about John, visit:
https://www.instagram.com/jpprelations/
https://www.instagram.com/johnpanichella/

To learn more about Juliana, visit:

Master Link to All Pages:
https://ffm.bio/julianahale