One thing I see consistently in the music business is independent artists becoming discouraged after contacting the “Top 50 music blogs”, or scouring Hype Machine, and getting no response. All I can say is that there’s a much bigger world out there and I can guarantee that there are more high quality publications supporting indies than you think. Case in point; My good friends over at Vents Magazine have been raising their profile and consistently covering a wide range of artists through interviews, reviews, features, and a whole lot more since 2011. I can verify this personally through my own experiences with them and what they’ve delivered for artists I’ve worked with. Most importantly, they have a good ear for the “right stuff” and exert quality control. You can check out their issues through the link below and get in contact via their website.
I also had the chance to speak with head honcho/CEO Rafael Jovine and he answered a few of my questions about how they operate.
What is Vents Magazine looking to accomplish for independent musicians?
We want everyone to know about them. There are some cool big and indie signed bands around, but there are awesome and amazing talent yet undiscovered and that, if you check them out, you will realize you have wasted so many time listen to mainstream crap, loosing hope in music, when there was a light out there, and it is stunning beautiful.
What qualities do you look for in a musician or band?
I am a man of sounds, basically. I pretty much give a damn or don’t care too much about lyrics. So bands with great hooks, riffs, bass lines and drumbeats… those are my favourite.
What are some artists who have blown you away recently?
I know too much, but groups like Arstidir and iamthemorning, are perfect example of the talent yet to be discovered. Joe Vitale Jr. and Ivan Mihaljevic & Side Effects know how to rock, everything in their latest albums just fit perfectly. Michael Stahler and Ray Tarantino has some great tunes when it comes to Folk and Country Music, those are the types of artists that truly have been making me dig more those genres and getting more interested… EB11, The Upset Victory, In Cage, Dead Letter Circus… too many to count really
