Q&A
The Sound of Change
Montclair’s Mike Easterlin is the new co-president of Elektra Music Group
WRITTEN BY NICHOLAS KATZBAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY MITSU YASUKAWA
M
ike Easterlin was
recently named co-
president of the newly
formed Elektra Music
Group. Easterlin for-
merly ran the punk-
and hard rock-related Elektra subsidiary
labels Fueled by Ramen and Roadrunner
Records. From his home in Montclair,
Easterlin discusses what attracted his
wife and him to Montclair, whether
vinyl records are back for good and
what to do about stubborn rock fans
who still buy compact discs.
WHAT IS A MUSIC GROUP, AS OPPOSED
TO A RECORD LABEL? We started the
Elektra Music Group on Oct. 1 and
broke off from Atlantic [Records]. We
took the two labels that Greg Nadel, my
co-president, was running, which was
Elektra proper and this label called Low
Country Sound out of Nashville. Then
we took the two labels I was overseeing,
Fueled by Ramen and Roadrunner and
put 65 acts underneath what we’re
calling the Elektra Music Group.
We wanted to keep the individual
labels because we thought they all stood
for something. It was important that
they keep their identities.
I’M SURE PEOPLE IN YOUR POSITION ARE
REGULARLY ASKED TO PREDICT THE
FUTURE OF YOUR INDUSTRY, BUT IS IT
EVEN POSSIBLE TO STEER THAT SHIP?
Developing artists will ultimately be the
endgame and the win. How it used to be
in the old days, with people listening to
whole albums, obviously it’s not going
to be that way anymore. If you develop
enough videos and content and put a
face to the music, there is a way to have
significant artists in an era that is driven
by singles.
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SPRING 2019 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE