Bridge The Atlantic

Joining us this week is lead singer of post-hardcore band Alesana and founder of Revival Recordings, Shawn Milke. To date, Alesana have released 2 EPs and 5 full length albums, and have recently brought out a novella - Annabel, which is what inspired their Annabel Trilogy. With Revival Recordings, the message is clear: it’s all about art and the people who create it. The team and artists signed to the label are a community where creative and artistic integrity are paramount. It's not just music, it’s good music by good people - and this is why we think Shawn is a perfect guest for the show. In this interview, we talk about Shawn's work with Alesena, the advice he'd offer to artists who want to sign to a label, and the importance of integrity in the music business. Highlights: - Shawn is ambitious and follows through on his ambitions - “When you first start out, you make decisions based on where you hope to go” - Shawn Milke - Shawn shares the tough decisions that Alesana had to make in the beginning - “We wanted to have artistic success, and if that ended up being commercial success, then great” - Shawn Milke - Shawn shares how dedicated the fans of Alesana are - We hear about some of the opportunities that Alesana was presented with, and how they handled those - “We made the decisions we wanted to make, which has benefitted our art and our fanbase” - Shawn Milke - We talk about the importance of maintaining your integrity - Shawn shares how he loves crazy challenges and has always wanted to offer more than just the music to Alesana’s fans - “Our fans’ devotion to what we’ve created has inspired me to keep giving it to them” - Shawn Milke - We talk about the importance of having a supportive team around you - Shawn shares how it was tough to be taken seriously as a label owner in the beginning - Shawn shares how being an artist has helped him earn the trust of the artists they sign - Shawn tells us what he looks at when considering signing an artist to his label - “The industry could use a lot more honesty” - Shawn Milke - “Our mistakes are just as important as our successes” - Shawn Milke Advice: - If you want to be signed by a label, you have to consider yourself a professional band - You can’t sell your product when your product isn’t finished - A label’s job isn’t to make your band good, it’s to give your band exposure - Social media is great, but going back to the grassroots is also very important - Fans want that real person interaction - be real, and physically interact with them Guest Links: - Website: http://www.revivalrecs.com - Facebook: Alesana / Revival Recordings - Twitter: @ShawnTheMilke / @Alesana / @RevivalRecs - Instagram: @Mr.MilkeRevival / @AlesanaOfficialIG / @RevivalRecordings Sponsors: - Chris Keaton @ Chris Keaton Presents - Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses - Joe Settineri - The Rock/Star Advocate - Music Launch Hub - Bob Baker - Buck Naked Soap Company - Wendy Donaldson --- For more episodes, visit http://bridge-the-atlantic.com Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bridge_atlantic Subscribe on iTunes: http://bridge-the-atlantic.com/itunes Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/bridgetheatlantic