This piece was originally featured in AM01 — Issue One of Ascribe. Click here to read it alongside the rest of the issue.
About Kelly: “I have been the Publicity Manager at EVR for about 2 years now. For each new release, I find an appropriate press company that matches the publicity goals of the band or album. Once I find a suitable partnership, I connect the band with the team and we chat about overall goals and outcomes for the upcoming campaign. I then coordinate all release assets with the PR team to make sure they have everything they need to properly pitch the release and gain as much exposure as possible for the artist. Once the release is out into the world, I also help coordinate interviews, features, and press coverage for shows.”
Before we jump into discussing the label and its artists, I would love to talk about how you became part of the Equal Vision team. Can you tell us how you got here?
Hey there! My name is Kelly Nichols, and I am the Publicity Manager at EVR. I joined EVR with a group of five individuals who formed our Portland, OR team back in January 2020. It’s been quite a wild ride navigating the pandemic and societal changes directly after joining, but the other half of our team in Albany, NY is absolutely amazing and made us feel totally at home.
Having been founded by a musician (Ray Cappo), Equal Vision has always been uniquely positioned in the scene. How do you think that history’s impacted EVR’s success?
I mean, what can we say? Ray Cappo is a legend in the hardcore scene. There’s no doubt that his legacy and experience with Shelter allured many bands into signing under his label.
Once Ray brought on his longtime friend and former Youth of Today roadie, Steve Reddy, to help run the day-to-day of the label, it was their collective connections and skills that really completed their vision of what a well-run label should look like. Once word spread that EVR was the desired label in the hardcore scene, the interest quickly spread to to other genres.
Equal Vision rooted itself in the hardcore scene initially, but has since expanded into the alt scene as a whole. Do you see it expanding further out from the niche it’s in?
One of the greatest things about the music scene is that it’s an ever-expanding field of opportunities. We will always stay true to the hardcore scene by scoping out new (or old) bands, but it’s also very exciting to see how those same bands influence younger generations of musicians.
We as a label take pride in staying true to the overall desired sound we’re seeking while still experimenting with different artists of similar genres. I doubt you will see us expand into a totally different world like EDM, for example, but you may see us dabble with alternative bands that heavily feature pop or hip-hop every now and then.
It seems like EVR has been able to evolve alongside the scene as different sounds shift in and out of popularity. What’s it like getting to watch these genres evolve as you guys grow alongside them?
Watching genres evolve is first and foremost very exciting, because there’s always something new to discover. It’s very cool to see the nostalgic post-hardcore music that was popular in the Warped Tour era circle back around and become one of the most popular genres in the alternative scene in 2022.
Not only does the resurgence of older genres breed new bands wanting to explore the sound, it creates endless opportunities for older bands to tap into their nostalgia and make new music once again – like Armor For Sleep, The Juliana Theory, and more.
It’s not easy to stay so prominent in the scene for so long, especially while independent. What do you think makes EVR stand out among the rest?
I think what makes EVR stand out among the rest is simply our dedication to following through on the bands’ visions. Labels sometimes have the tendency to try to pigeon-hole bands into sounding, looking or acting a certain way, and we do not feel that is what music is supposed to be about. The personalities of our bands make them who they are and we would never want to take that away from them or change the message that they are trying to portray.
We will always give guidance and come up with strategic plans to make the most out of the releases, but at the end of the day, it’s the artists’ visions that should shine through.
Lots of artists have gotten their start on EVR and found success soon after signing. What is it about Equal Vision that draws smaller artists to it?
While a lot of big-named artists got their start on EVR (Converge, Pierce the Veil, Set It Off and We Came As Romans, to name a few), I believe smaller artists are drawn to EVR because we are still an independent label.
In comparison to major labels, we are a small team that whole-heartedly cares about every project we work on and give all of our bands the same attention, no matter how big or small. Looking at our roster, it’s clear that we like to work with small and large bands which offers a potential “in” for smaller artists that might not be there with other labels.
EVR’s never shied away from having artists of different sizes on its roster. It’s really exciting to see legends like Anberlin and Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows on the same roster as up-and-comers like Cherie Amour and Shallow Pools. What’s it like getting to work with such a diverse lineup?
Honestly, the word I would use to describe working with such a diverse lineup is “fun”. Having such diversity opens up the doors to so many different opportunities. For example, larger, more prominent bands get those exciting tour offers that your inner 16-year-old is freaking out about, their new albums are always highly anticipated, and you get to have fun with their already-established fan bases on social media.
On the other hand, working with smaller bands is almost like a brand new slate. You have the opportunities to try new things like social media or marketing campaigns, and allow the band the time to figure out who they are and what they want to represent. Having the larger bands under the same EVR umbrella also helps out the smaller bands by seeing what types of overall strategies work and what don’t.
One of my favorite things about EVR is that it seems very aware of how the scene is evolving and its place in it, but is still super conscious of where it came from. What’s the process like for bringing on artists? What sort of things do you keep in mind or look out for?
We are extremely conscious of who we want representing the EVR label and we do a whole lot of homework before bringing on a band. If we are potentially interested in a band, we of course scour all related social media channels (band and members) to make sure that all messages and thoughts are on-par with the EVR mantra.
Once we are ready to sign a band, we actually have an on-boarding seminar that reiterates appropriate behavior while touring and interacting with fans. It’s extremely important to EVR that we are properly vetting and educating our bands so all fans can feel safe and assured going to shows.
There’s also a podcast, Peer Pleasure, on the EVR roster. I’ve never seen a podcast signed to a label before. How did that come about?
The host of Peer Pleasure, Dewey Halpaus, used to tour with Portugal. The Man, Anatomy of a Ghost and The Burning Room, so he has been in the scene for quite some time. After about ten years away from music, he started his podcast to re-immerse himself in the scene by interviewing a plethora of old friends. Dewey covers artists of all genres, including a ton of old EVR artists, which is where the partnership developed.
We checked out his podcast and loved how personal and in-depth his questions were. We figured that it would be a great outlet for our old and new artists to chat on, as well as a great partnership for Dewey to promote his name through a larger audience.
Do you see a future where EVR expands into other mediums? More podcasts, maybe other sides of the entertainment industry too?
I wouldn’t say it’s impossible! We’re always open to new ideas and opportunities, especially in the ever-changing age of social media and platforms. Either way, our focus will always be on the music and giving our artists the best opportunities possible.
I want to shed some light on the different imprints and partnerships EVR has worked on over the years. Can you tell us a bit about them?
One of the most exciting imprints EVR has set up over the years is our partnership with Velocity Records! In 2021, we partnered with Velocity to co-release records from a variety of talented bands. Some of these include familiar names in the scene like Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows, Thursday, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, and more.
It’s been a fun endeavor working with a lot of nostalgic bands with established fan bases while also being able to promote newer bands, like Concrete Castles!
Do you think that being involved with these imprints/partnerships has expanded your horizons as far as what genres you listen to?
For me personally, working with the Velocity bands have definitely expanded my listening horizons! I found myself jamming to older bands like Secrets and Eve 6 on the daily, and then turning to newer artists like Nate Bergman at night for a more folky vibe.
Now that 2022’s finally wrapped up, is there anything on the horizon that Equal Vision is cooking up for 2023 that you’re really excited about?
Oh yes, but that’s a secret for now.
Got a couple rapid-fire questions for you before we wrap up! First being, what’s one piece of advice you’d give to anyone who wants to do what you do one day?
Come up with a step-by-step plan of attack and just keep pushing to reach your goal! Everyone at EVR has hit roadblocks in their career, but it’s how to react to those roadblocks that matter. If you just sit down and say “well, there goes that,” then you will find it harder to make headway.
Figure out a way around the obstacle, even if it’s not 100% ideal to start off with, and move forward from there. Just like the industry itself, you have to keep pushing forward to stay relevant or you will find it hard to catch up. You never know who you will meet along the line!
How do you like to stay involved in your local scene?
Go to shows! Whether it’s local bands or huge names like My Chemical Romance, go immerse yourself in your community! Attendance is what keeps small bands and venues alive, and it’s also a great way to meet friends and potential industry contacts.
EVR has released a ton of great music in its 30+ years; what’s your favorite release from the catalog?
I am a huge Greyhaven fan! I first became obsessed with their debut EVR release, Empty Black, but their new record, This Bright and Beautiful World, absolutely rips.
How about releases from this year — which ones do you think represent Equal Vision’s mission?
I think Hot Water Music’s Feel The Void expertly represents what EVR is all about.
HWM clearly has an extensive catalog and this new record shows that a mature band can rile up old and new fans with incredible riffs and sincere lyrics. It demonstrates that bands can have major success by sticking to their roots and simply creating awesome music.
If you could say only one thing about Equal Vision to everyone reading, what would it be?
EVR is gearing up for an exciting 2023 and we have some great things in store for you all. Prepare your ears for some kickass music!
