Industry Insider: Angela Tyler Discusses Her Career, Utilizing Crowdfunding, and Artist Development

Thanks to her hard work, instincts, and dedication to her craft, Angela Tyler has confidently established herself as one of the top names in the music PR industry. About ten years ago, Tyler founded Muddy Paw PR. Since then, Muddy Paw has established itself as a trusted source in the PR game. Tyler has helped her clients get placements in outlets such as Earmilk, American Songwriter, and Forbes.

But it’s not just about securing features and “getting the word out,” so to speak. It’s about building relationships and really investing in clients to help them navigate toward goals they never thought possible. Tyler believes in the value of partnership in facilitating opportunities. She has worked hard to establish partnerships with labels, festivals, and other industry sources. Tyler also contributes as a creative writer on Substack, and offers a free Fan Building Workshop for musicians.

As part of our Interview & Feature column, “Industry Insider,” Tyler joins us to discuss artist development, utilizing crowdfunding, the hard truths about the music industry, and much more.

What’s the most overlooked aspect of an artist’s development?

Angela Tyler: “I think it’s vulnerability. Maybe it’s because I’m a storyteller at heart, but I think what makes someone the most interesting is their vulnerabilities, and it’s the part missing from a lot of artist stories. It’s why I watch a movie, pick up a book, or listen to a song because there’s something in it that I see reflected back in my own personality. Who I am, who I’d like to be, little curiosities of myself. And when an artist refuses to access and share that vulnerability, I think it can be really detrimental to their career.

Angela Tyler @ Greenhouse Studios, Reykjavik, Iceland

“So developing that from an early stage and learning how to convey it in a way that’s comfortable for the artist is really crucial. Being vulnerable doesn’t mean pouring your heart out nonstop or sharing all your secrets. But it does mean being honest and showing up authentically. Words that have largely lost their true meaning on social media in recent years but that still hold just as much weight.”

Vulnerability is what led to my meeting one of my favourite bands when I first started as a music journalist. Years later, this same connection with the band led to one of my first PR clients. Pictured: Anberlin

Do you believe the responsibility for artist development now lies more with the artists themselves? Or should labels and managers still play a bigger role in shaping careers?

“In an ideal world, both. I think it’s unreasonable to expect labels or especially managers to be doing all the work for artists, especially indie artists who aren’t really making any money yet. But I also think everyone needs a break and traditionally, that role has fallen on labels, because they have more resources.

Being in this line of work means late nights and early mornings sometimes. Thankfully my best Pup-CEO has been by my side for all of it)

“That said, an artist needs to be willing to put in a lot of their own blood, sweat, and tears if they want anyone else to do the same. It’s a mutual effort and the best artist/manager or even artist/label or artist/publicist relationships are those in which both people are putting in equal effort. I do think to be successful as an artist you must be willing to show that you have that work ethic and are willing to do what it takes. If you aren’t going to help yourself, you can’t expect others to.”

When clients come to town. Zach of Vox Vocis

What’s the most valuable long-term professional relationship you’ve built over your career, and how did you maintain it? What advice would you give for cultivating lasting relationships in the industry?

“I would say the relationships I built within the Balanced Breakfast community. BB is a group of musicians and industry professionals that operates in 30+ cities internationally. What started as a group getting together each week in San Francisco to talk shop has now expanded to cities like Nashville, Austin, Denver, and more. That group helped me find some of my first Muddy Paw PR clients when I joined in 2014, and even today I still get referrals from the group.

“Just last year the founder Stefan Aronsen and I, along with other BB members, spoke on a panel at the CD Baby DIY Musician Conference. It’s been one of the most amazing communities I’ve ever been part of and I’ll never forget how Stefan and the others took me under their wing.

“But I’d also be remiss not to mention Jen Appel who ran Catalyst PR and Sari Delmar of AB Co. (formerly Audio Blood). Two female-led companies that took a chance on me when I was just starting out and were never afraid to get on a call and answer my (probably very annoying) beginner questions. Their belief and willingness to always support me, even though I was technically a ‘competitor,’ has always meant so much, and I really try to offer the same to others.”

What’s one hard truth about the music industry that no one prepares you for when you first enter it?

“It’s a lot of networking and a lot of luck. If you’re an introvert like me, you will have to step out of your comfort zone. It’s just a fact. You’ll have to go to events (yes, offline), shake hands, have conversations, and learn how to be in a room full of people. I always tell this story of how I used to go to networking events and hide in the bathroom—which is true! I was so nervous about meeting people solo like that, so I’d lock myself in a stall every 20 minutes or so to reset. But I forced myself to and it gave me some of my most valuable connections, not to mention a lot of personal growth.

Some of the closest friend’s I’ve made have come from networking

“The other thing is, you can do everything right and it still won’t make a difference. Or you can do nothing right and still get a lucky break. There’s a lot of luck and timing in this industry but most of all, it’s who you know. So putting yourself out there is crucial because I can promise if you don’t at least do that, nothing else can fall into place.”

CMW

How do you feel about the growing trend of artists using crowdfunding platforms to finance albums or tours?

“Personally, I love it! I think it’s amazing to allow fans to be part of the experience like that and I think it also forces artists to look hard at the relationships they have with their fans. Is it strong? Is it healthy? Are they there in the first place? It also forces artists to get out of their shells and interact with those fans which is another really important skill: the ability to network and connect.

“Crowdfunding is kind of a trial-by-fire intro to a lot of very important industry lessons, but I do think it works and I think it can work really well if you put in the work and have the fanbase. You don’t have to have a ton of fans either! This is such a common misconception.

“I always think of this amazing artist I worked with, Downupright who has a small (under 500!) fanbase on socials and basically wasn’t even using Instagram when they launched their Kickstarter. Even still, they managed to fund several very niche projects and even get featured as a ‘Kickstarter Project to Watch.’”

How do you see the role of influencers evolving in music promotion? Are they the new gatekeepers?

“Such a great question! This is something we started incorporating into our PR and marketing campaigns last year because, yes, I think they’re super important! Traditional press is changing and while blogs have fallen out of favour with many musicians, influencers, and especially micro-influencers, are really on the rise. For some reason, I don’t see a lot of musicians tapping into this market and I have no idea why.

Once-in-a-lifetime major label studio tour thanks to a mutual connection. Your personal network will always be the original OG influencer

“We’ve been able to work with influencers with tens of thousands of followers to feature our artist’s music and it’s significantly helped boost their visibility and excite both an existing and curious fanbase. I think it’s absolutely replacing traditional methods of promotion and something artists should be taken seriously.”

How has your view on the role of a manager evolved over your career? What do you think makes a great manager today?

“Oh, you’ve really tapped into my passion here! For over a decade, I’ve been sharing my opinion on the artist/manager relationship whether or not anyone asks, so… thanks for giving me a platform!

“I’ve always had so much respect for managers. It’s a thankless, tough job with brutal hours and terrible pay if we’re talking about indie artist managers. No one is getting rich and we’re doing this for the love of it. I felt this way when I first started as a journalist and saw how much of the day-to-day as well as overarching support managers gave artists.

“I feel it as a publicist when we partner with managers for their artist’s campaign and I can see how passionate they are. And now, as an artist manager myself, I can see it in the work I do. It’s hard work and it takes a very specific kind of person to pull it off and more so, thrive in it.

Attending and speaking at CD Baby DIY Musician Conference brought me my very first management client. I’m forever grateful

“To artists looking for managers, I’d say this: your manager is a part of the team. They are there to support you and help make your dreams a reality but they aren’t your assistant, nor are they your punching bag. They can not grant miracles and things will take time. You have to be willing to treat them like an equal and to respect that these things take time.

“To fellow managers or aspiring managers, I’d say this: We do this because we can’t not. Because we love our artists and the music they make and we believe with every fiber of our being it deserves to be out there. To be seen, heard, and devoured. Your artist may not always understand or appreciate everything that goes on behind the scenes. But you do. And I do. And your fellow managers do. You are changing that artist’s life and you should feel proud of that. Not everyone can do what you do.”

Is the idea of “selling out” still relevant in an industry where brand partnerships and corporate sponsorships are now seen as essential for survival?

“Oh, interesting question. I don’t think selling out really exists, to be honest. I’m sure many people would disagree with me but I think the only thing that would count as selling out is an artist going against their own morals or values, i.e. a vegan band granting licensing for a Big Mac McDonald’s commercial.

The cutest brand ambassador

“But as far as selling out, I just see making money from brand partnerships and sponsorships as a way to fuel what you’re doing and change more lives. If you need to work with brands or sponsors that are excited about you and want to pay you to spread the message, why not? I say go for it.”

What’s the most innovative marketing campaign you’ve been a part of, and what made it stand out?

“Such a fun question! The one that comes to mind immediately is the one I mentioned above, with Downupright. It was for their album We’re Doomed, We’re Dancing Sixty Apocalypses, an album truly unlike anything else. The album explores the end of the world in 60 different ways across 60 different genres, each with their own reaction to their own unique apocalypse. It brought in over 40 different collaborators across 60 tracks to ask them all the question, ‘What does the end of the world mean to you?’ And combines all the answers into one hour-long continuous DJ-style party mix that changes genres and vocalists every 60 seconds.”

“Not only that, but the backers for the Kickstarter got to choose the genre, set the order of tracks, choose themes, suggest collaborators, vote on song titles, and more. That meant not only was it a truly a living, breathing project pulled together by some 40+ collaborators, but Downupright had to take these insane requests and actually make them work and turn it into something cohesive—which they did, quite brilliantly, I might add.

“Because of how unique the concept was, we had interest from Earmilk, Critical Reactions Live Reaction Video (40k subscribers), The DJ Sessions, and more. It’s one of the projects I’m most proud to work on. However, we are now working on a campaign for their follow-up album, MANIC EPISODE! Which is also creative and clever in a totally different way but, that’s a story for another time…”