Interview with:
Adam Lewis
Planetary Group
Tell us a bit about the career path that led to starting Planetary.
So, I was running my college radio station by the end of my first semester in college. I was MD for 3.5 years and was also booking most of the entertainment on my campus. So, I got a taste of the business early. During my summer break of my junior year, I went out on the road on a national tour as tour manager with a band that was signed to Nettwerk/IRS Records. We were opening for Nine Inch Nails on the Pretty Hate Machine tour – among others. I did this again two years later with Alien Sex Fiend. This gave me a great insight into how the music business works – what it takes, what can go wrong and most importantly – how artists think/feel on the road. During my senior year of college, I put all my classes on Tuesday/Thursday. This allowed me to intern at Rykodisc – the premier indie label in the Northeast on three days a week. The label only had one radio person. He was busy working commercial radio, so I got to talk to all the college and non-com stations myself. They just kind of threw that at me. There were 600 of them then! So, I learned radio promo early!
When I graduated from college, there was no job for me a Ryko, so I worked as a middle agent with one of the companies I had worked with while booking shows at my college. I booked college tours with 10,000 Maniacs, Cyprus Hill, Tribe Called Qwest, Spin Doctors, Public Enemy, C+C Music Factory, among others. This was great, but I really missed the record business. I started promoting records at the same time as being an agent, since so many people knew me from my radio promotion days. For several years I did both – but the record part just overtook the booking. I have been doing the radio promotion part ever since – even though I have also been a show promoter and an employee at TVT Records (Nine Inch Nails, Guided By Voices, etc.) at the same time.
Planetary is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Share what your most satisfying moment has been during that time. What has been the most challenging aspect?
Never thought Planetary would be here for 30 years! There have been so many. I think finding a band from nowhere and getting them so much airplay that they end up getting signed to a larger label – that is a thrill. Working with artists early is just a wonderful feeling. Courtney Barnett , Bon Iver, Passion Pit come to mind. There have been so many!
Planetary was also fortunate enough to be a part of all the giant Phish Festivals – up until they broke up. The original ones: Clifford Ball, LemonWheel, Great Went, It, the Millenium Florida shows. Seeing 100,000 people have the time of their lives while siting side stage – was huge thrill. Those shows went on to influence Bonnaroo and Coachella and all modern festivals here in North America, so proud to have been a part of that.
The biggest challenge when you are self-employed, is just staying relevant and keeping the company viable through a continually changing music industry. It’s not easy! Sometimes I wish I was working in the 70’s through the 90’s instead! Little more stable!
How has College & Non-Comm Radio promo changed the most while you’ve been at it, and what is your pitch to anyone that questions why radio still matters?
Well, there are less stations for sure. Schools have sold off their assets to cash in. Also, the non-comm’s used to be part of the college world, but now they have their own chart!
Radio obviously used to be the most important part of breaking a band. Now it’s just part of the mix. Obviously, that has changed. Many artists try to skip that step. I always tell people that college, specialty and non-com radio are important developmental steps for an artist and for a release. This is where the actual fans are. This is where you build base. Streaming and social media are great. You can get a hit out it out it for sure, but it is often a sugar high. So many artists have millions of streams and can’t sell out a phone booth. College and non-com radio are where the true fans are. These are the early adopters that you need – that are on Bandcamp and are going to shows. It’s who you need in the early days. If you can have success at college radio and move it up to Non-Com – then that can help create more and better content online. What KEXP does with their channel is fantastic. That doesn’t just happen. You can’t skip the steps! I used to call KEXP when it was college station KCMU!
What band/artist or style of music outside the realm of your college/community radio promotion would people be most intrigued to hear you love?
So, I am a huge Prince fan. That was my Jr High and Senior High first love. I was a huge fan. What was good about that at the time was that he was so prolific. There were so many records coming out of his, his protégés, side projects and songs that he wrote for others – that I was in the record stores every week. There was no internet. You had to read everything, learn and crate dig. I learnt the music business this way – by reading the credits, the liner notes and Billboard/Rolling Stone every week. By going in the stores weekly, I got hired to work at a record store called Strawberries. This was the big chain in the Northeast. Owned by the Mob! I subscribed to Billboard in High school! In college I moved onto all the UK alt artists of the time: Cure, Smiths, New Order, Depeche Mode, etc. but my love of Prince is still very much there. I own over 2500 Prince / Prince related pieces of vinyl within my too large of a collection overall!
What job do you think you would have if you weren’t in this industry?
To be honest…I have no idea. There was never a plan B. I wanted this since my high school days. I didn’t have any other passions other than performing – and I knew I was not good enough for that!
Do you have any fun plans or a vacation scheduled this year? Maybe just a daydream so far of a place you’d like to visit? Speaking of time off, what would be your dream vacation?
I love to travel. It is my other hobby – other than music. I love to discover the world. It has helped me so much in business and in life. I can talk to almost anyone from around the world and find something in common. I have been to 90+ countries. I need to get over 100! My next big trip is doing a cross Atlantic cruise from San Juan to Rome – stopping in the Azores, Maderia and the Balearic Islands. Greenland, Faroe Islands and South Africa are also on the daydream list!
You just won 10 million dollars. What are you going to do with it?
Give all of my current and past employees a raise or a bonus check. No one gets rich doing college/non-commercial radio promotion. It’s a passion job and folks give up a lot to do it. I would then, maybe work a little less hard! More travel. More community work. Eat out more. Smell the roses a bit more. But I would keep working. Starting and running Planetary – promoting new artists – is my passion. Not something that I am looking to stop doing until I have to.
Entertainment Time: What is/are your current favorite TV obsession(s)? What’s a great movie (new or old) you’ve watched recently? What is your current favorite album?
Sign me up for any British Crime or Spy Drama. I get my monies worth out of Britbox! I just watched Official Secrets, which has been out some time. I am also loving the JFK Jr series Love Story – which has great music supervision from a great time in music by a good old friend from the Boston music scene – so that has been fun (Jen Malone). Also liking The Pit. Sometimes I just need some trash reality TV. Mr Beast, Below Deck, Jury Duty – these are guilty pleasures.
Do you have a favorite restaurant in town you love to go to and would recommend?
In Los Angeles – I love a hole-in-the-wall Thai place called Hoy Ka. Cheap. Fun. Fantastic. Reminds me of Thailand every time I go.
You’re stranded on a desert island. What five well known people (dead or alive) would you like to have there with you?
Prince. Winston Churchill. Obama. Shackleton. Julia Child!
Prince because he is Prince! Churchill and Obama because they are so inspiring. Shackleton because he was fearless. Julia Child can hopefully teach me to cook so I survive! Probably need to pick a survivalist as well. Oh well!
