DAVID RISHTY (Palm Tree Records) - The Importance Of Storytelling As An Artist

David Rishty is the president of Palm Tree Records, Kygo’s label imprint under Sony Music that is home to artists like Sam Felt, Forrester, Thomas Jack and more.

In this episode we talk about David's music industry career and the mindset that has supported his success, what they look for when signing artists and the importance of really understanding who you are as an artist and the bigger story you're telling.

Follow David and Palm Tree Records here:
https://www.instagram.com/daverishty
https://www.instagram.com/palmtreerecs

And visit my site to join the mailing list, book a free coaching call or get in touch:
https://www.nikcherwink.com

Transcript

David Rishty: 0:00

Our bread and butter has always been artists development, and we've always had a model or like, I guess, a formula that we've gone by with each of our artists, and it's really coming down to storytelling, making sure that the artist knows what their own story is so that we can share that with the fans. And sometimes that does require some soul searching and figuring out like beyond the music beyond the cohesive artwork, like Music is simply just the platform. But with that platform, what are you going to say?

n (Detached audio): 0:43

What's up everybody. Welcome to the Headliner Mindset Podcast. Today's guest is the president of Palm Tree Records, a joint venture between Sony music and label founder Kygo. They've been putting out a steady stream of hits from artists like Sam Felt, Thomas Jack, and of course the label boss himself, racking up hundreds of millions of streams in the process. This is David Rishtie,

David Rishty: 1:06

Yeah, thank you. What's going on? Appreciate you having me.

n (Detached audio): 1:10

my man. Thank you for being here. You know, this is really cool because I'm, I'm a little bit woo woo. I love like the law of attraction and manifestation and seeing all the synchronicities that come with that. And it was so funny how we got connected what, because I had literally. Just drafted up an email. one of my top artists that I want to get on is Sam felt because I came across a series of tweets that he had tweeted out a while back, and it was all about mindset. It was all about how to like navigate the business. Just like, you know, be a good person, like personal development. It was all the stuff that not a lot of people were talking about. And I was like, yeah, this guy gets it. This guy totally gets it. So I was like, you know what? I'm going to shoot my shot. I'm going to find out who his managers are. I'm going to, I'm going to go hit these guys up. And I literally had an email drafted. I found the managers. have an email in my drafts and that's with like Palm tree management, Kygo's management company, Sam felts with the same team. And then literally like a couple of days later, out of the blue, I get an email from you coming from Palm tree records. And I was like,

David Rishty: 2:15

How to share the love.

n (Detached audio): 2:16

Hello universe. Hello universe. Like that kind of shit just happens all the time and I love it. So I'm happy to have you here. Happy to dive in and, uh, hear about what y'all are doing over there at, uh, at palm tree and beyond where I'd love to start is for you to give a little bit of a history just about your career. I saw that you actually started at billboard, which is really dope. Obviously, uh, you know, huge power player in the industry, but like, take me to the beginning of your music industry career. Where, where did you start and what were you doing over at billboard?

David Rishty: 2:44

Yeah. No, crazy journey to get here. Definitely an unorthodox route. So, it started out, I'll take it to the very beginning. Uh, I was a music blogger. So, in college I was working for EDM tunes, Fists in the Air, This Song is Sick, all these different types of music blogs. Uh, and I just thought it was so cool that I could share my tastes with other people and simply just have a platform to share it on. Especially on a platform that I really respected. And, from there, like, really just became internet friends with a lot of different bloggers. I went to college at NYU, so a lot of people were going to NYU. Webster Hall on the weekend, so I could like meet them face to face, meet the artists, meet the managers, and just like that was my first taste of just getting into the scene, what people were like, what the energy was like, yeah, I was just so enthralled by it. I mean, I studied film and TV, like that's what I have a degree in. I have zero formal education in the music business. But so yeah, music blogging was my first taste of it. Had a bunch of internships in the film and TV space. I interned at Atlantic Records and I was in their video department. So I was cooking up sizzle reels and you know, teasers for like Galantis Panic at the Disco. And honestly, really good time, really enjoyed it. Uh, but it wasn't until my final semester of college that I interned at the And that was when the joint venture at Sony had just formed. Uh, and that's headed up by Adam Alpert. And they had the Chainsmokers. And this was right after they released Selfie. But it was before Roses. So no one sorta knew what was gonna happen there. but I, I treated the internship like a full time job. I mean, first one in, last to leave. Uh, asking as many questions as possible. And while I was hoping to get a job there, timing just simply didn't work out. So sort of like right place, wrong time. They then introduced me to the folks over at billboard and they didn't have a full time position open, but they had an internship available and it was just a social media intern. And so worked with them. And I want to say it was honestly like a week into that internship where I was doing like the Facebook, the Twitter, Instagram, etc. But I felt I had a good grasp of the voice that Billboard wanted to present. I went to my supervisor and I was like, hey, like, would it be okay if I do some stuff for Billboard Dance? Saw that they're like just starting up, I would love to like write some articles if possible. And, yeah. She was super sweet and saying, you know, as long as it doesn't negatively impede on your social media duties here, like do whatever you want and took that to heart started doing a bunch of different articles and Was there for three months then they gave me an internship extension So I was there for a total of six months and I mean dude, I'm doing literally everything from social media writing the articles getting the exclusives The head of artist relations had left for a different company. So I'm hitting up different people because I just wanted to show the company that I can bring them value. And, I didn't know everyone in the world, in the, in the world of music, but I knew at least one like junior booking agent, or at least an assistant or coordinator at every major booking agency. And I had the billboard email and it was a full time internship. So. I had already graduated from college. People are asking me like, wow, like billboard. That's amazing. You work there full time And I said Monday through Friday nine to five because that was my that's how long I was committed there for so The email did not say David Risch D at I'm a billboard intern calm. It was just at billboard calm So my signature I didn't throw that in there either. I wanted people to take me seriously You And emails were very short, sweet, professional, and I was able to bring in folks from Carly Rae Jepsen to Brandy to Shaq. and then everyone's looking around being like, who the hell is this intern bringing in Shaq? sort of same thing though, right place, wrong time. There just simply wasn't an opportunity there at that moment. So, ended up working at, uh, this song is sick as a contractor. And then about a year later, my, uh, boss at billboard dance, he was like, I've been pitching you to the higher ups. Like you're going to get a job. You're going to get a job. And we had been having that conversation for months at this point. So when he called me about it again, I'm like, all right, like I really don't appreciate it. It's like boy who cried wolf.

n (Detached audio): 7:30

Keep teasing me over

David Rishty: 7:31

But then, lo and behold, like, Monday, get a call, get an email, HR, here's the job, here's the title, when can you start? And I'm like, can I do it tomorrow? Like, and um, yeah, I was at Billboard for two and a half years, and now I've been at Palm Tree Records for four and a half years. Yeah.

n (Detached audio): 7:49

there's a really important addition to that equation. Right place, wrong time, right mindset, right work ethic. Because you're talking about being the first one in, the last one gone, adding value, you know, making yourself indisposable. Right? I worked at Capitol Records for three years. I hired a lot of interns. 90 percent of them, they come and they just do what they're told, go get the coffee, make the copies, you know, like do the basic shit. They're just kind of happy to be there every now and then someone comes along and they're like, yo, I'm fucking hungry and I want a job and I'm going to do everything I possibly can to create a lane for myself and to add value. So. That's what I call the headliner mindset right there, bro. You came in and we're like, you know, you, you, you meant business. And, uh, that's really, really, really important. You know, last week I just had, Paul Campbell on, uh, a manager and, uh, and a promoter out of Miami. And, you know, he was just talking about how like, yo, that's what's cool about this business is. Well, it doesn't matter what your degree is. It doesn't matter where you come from. It doesn't matter who you know, but if you're willing to work your ass off, you can make it in this business. And it sounds like you really had that, that work ethic that's required for anybody to succeed in any position in this business.

David Rishty: 9:14

Yeah. I mean, I felt very guilty when I sort of told myself that I wanted to switch careers from being in film and television to like being in the music business and knowing that I really needed to start from scratch with zero connections whatsoever. When I graduated from college, I actually did have a job lined up. It was a semi strange job, but it was, I was doing like social media and blogging. for a small radio promotion company up in West Harlem. And the total company size, I believe was four people, including myself. And, but it was a full time job. So my parents were very happy and I was there for three months. And then when this internship opportunity came about at billboard, I was like, it's definitely a lot less money. It's internship money, but I know billboard. My parents know billboard. Like, I feel like I can grow faster. I feel like I can grow faster. And at this point, my sole focus was growth. If I need to sacrifice whatever it needs to be like, I'll do it. And I really need to commit to this process. And so when I took that internship, uh, I mean, my parents were quite upset. They're like my son, like he doesn't have a real job. He just has an internship. And then the kiss of death is when I interned there for six months, gave them my heart and soul. And they're like, we don't have a job for you.

n (Detached audio): 10:40

Uh huh.

David Rishty: 10:41

And some of it was also just like proving to my parents, like, no, like I can do this. Like, well, you guys have instilled in me is this work ethic, this relentless nature and hustle to just keep pounding the pavement until you get there. And, uh, I was so glad that when billboard finally called, offer me a position. Cause it's like, it's not like the money was necessarily sexy, but I'm like, you have to start somewhere. And at the end of the day, like. I'm going to bet on myself and so like hopefully things will turn out fine.

n (Detached audio): 11:16

That's exactly it, man. You bet on yourself. And you also said sacrifice, right? Like, sacrificing the good to get the great. Right? There's so many amazing lessons in your story, bro. And it's so true. I think it just is the nature of the music business where You have to believe in yourself wholeheartedly. You have to bet on yourself. You have to make sacrifices and also. You have to oftentimes not listen to other people, you know, like parents that are like, Oh no, take, take the money, take, take the safe route, take the safe job. And you know, I know for a fact, cause I talked to him every day, all y'all listening, you know who you are, people that are. You know, that have that burning desire to really be an artist. And they're like, yo, I want to be touring the fucking world. I want to be making my music, developing my fan base. And a lot of times that safety, that comfort and that security gets dangled in your face. And it's like, Oh, well I could just, you know, produce for other people, or I could just do mixing and mastering. Like I'm still in the studio. I could still like work adjacent to what I'm really doing. But. You got to be fucking honest, like, is that really what you want to be doing, right? Like, did you really want to be working for that small little four person company? Or did you want to be doing like big boy shit, you know, working at billboard and, and really being a, in a bigger part of the industry. And the only way you can get that is to let go and to sacrifice and take that leap of faith and bet on yourself and just fucking trust that it's going to work out. But it's, I, I truly think it's actually that. That boldness and that belief in yourself, that energy that you carry with you. Like that's what actually creates the opportunity. Anytime you're playing it safe, you're living in safe energy, right? You're living in like a smaller version of yourself and that smaller version of yourself. Isn't going to create the opportunities that you want.

David Rishty: 13:12

Yeah. It's, it's honestly like a conversation that I've had with myself quite recently. Uh, I'm 30 years old and on a personal level, uh, just like, Growing up and the fact that it's like a lot of my friends are getting engaged, getting married, having kids, and real life starts to set in a lot more and becomes just a lot more apparent and just like visual with your surroundings. And suddenly you feel you have a lot to lose, because it's like you've built yourself up to this point. With a mindset of I got nothing to lose. I got to go as hard as possible, but then you start to feel this societal weight that you essentially put onto yourself because you don't need to do that. Uh, but then it could sort of dictate your mindset. It could dictate your confidence, uh, your belief in yourself. I'm a big fan of the, the movie Rocky and the whole Rocky franchise. And I believe it's in Rocky three, where He's on the beach with Adrian and he's just not in the right head space. And she's like, what's going on? What's going on? And he screams out, he's like, I'm afraid, I'm afraid. And she's like, she calms him down. But she's like, you know, you got to at least try and know that like, even if the worst situation happens and unravels into itself, like, you know, you did everything you can, that you could in your power. Right. So like put yourself in the best position, at least you can take pride in that. But to let fear dictate your, your mindset and your decisions, like you're just giving up, you know, that's not the whole point of life here. So yeah,

n (Detached audio): 15:03

find it. I find it interesting that you called it real life, like real life starts to kind of present itself and I get it bro. I'm 38.

David Rishty: 15:13

yeah,

n (Detached audio): 15:14

I know that age. Everybody's getting married. All the homies from college have their careers. They're nine to fives. They're climbing the corporate ladder. They're starting to buy houses, you know, all that shit and It's like, what is real life, right? We are all the creators of our own reality. And that certainly is one version of life that we are very societally programmed to think is Normal or expected or, you know, like what we should be doing. And when we're not, we can rub up against some cognitive dissonance there. Right. But as they say, it's like comparison is the thief of all joy. And that's the, one of the most important things for artists, right. Is to really choose like, well, what's the path that I am creating for myself. Right. And if I am going to compare myself, who am I comparing myself to? Let me, let me look at the other people that really have what it is that I want, right? Maybe I do want that family and I do want that, but I also want to have the, the label job or the artist path. And a lot of times we believe, I'm glad you're bringing this up because I think this is a big, uh, inner conflict that a lot of us have. It's like, oh, if I take this path of working in the music business or being an artist, then that means I have to sacrifice having a relationship, having a family, having some of these other things. And, That can be your reality if that's what you choose. But if you do want those things, well, then just look at the other people that actually have those things, right? Cause there's plenty of. You know, guys and girls out there that are married and they do have kids and they're still doing it, they're still in the industry, you know? So, yeah, we got to watch out for that little, uh, I don't know that little comparison trap and that all the, all the, all the social programming, the parental programming, the religion, the religious programming, you know, not that any of it's bad, but we just have to recognize that it is programming, right? So what is the programming that's actually going to best serve us to truly, Be the best versions of ourselves, achieve the things that we want and be the most fulfilled in the process. Cause sometimes that programming doesn't actually really serve us.

David Rishty: 17:17

Yeah, no, there was a period of time where even on Instagram, like the majority of the people in the music industry, I just muted them because. I could not stand seeing their success. I got very jealous. I got very insecure. I started questioning my own success and making my own wins smaller. And, uh, once again, wasn't honestly until at the last like six months where I started to just like reprogram my mind of like how I view that stuff and how, I mean, partially like someone could be sharing a win, but like, I have no idea what's going on in their life. Like, they're sharing this one great thing that I may be like very envious of, but there could be a whole other world that's a part of them that, you know, I'm not so envious of. Uh, but I only, you know, see one aspect of that. And so, I like shared something on social media and one of my buddies responded. He's like, dude, like, focus on the inputs. And the outputs will come later. Like anything in terms of like radio success, charting success, getting on certain playlists. Like you can't control a lot of these things, but like you can control the storytelling, how a brand is perceived, the quality of the music, the relationships that you create, the relationships that you build, you know, and I think you'll find a lot more peace if you just focus on those inputs. And I thought that was great advice.

n (Detached audio): 18:47

You know, as a, as a coach, as a, you know, life coach, business coach, uh, of course, goal setting is a really big part of the process. But there's two types of goals you can set. There's the results goal. I want to have the Grammy or the gold record or the house or the relationship or whatever. Uh, and those are nice. Let's let's set those. But really, 90 percent of our focus needs to be on what are my what's my process goals? You know, like, how am I just showing up every day? What do I actually have control over on a day to day basis? Right? And when we like you said, that's the input. Where am I putting my time and my energy? And I think one of the most important things is, you know, we should also have a goal to be happy. And to be fulfilled, you know, I love this quote that success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure. A lot of people have those things. They have all those results, goals that we want. It's like, okay, cool. But you know what? You just sacrificed your life and your marriage and your relationships. And like, are you really happy though? Are you actually really fulfilled? You

David Rishty: 19:41

Happiness is underrated.

n (Detached audio): 19:43

Yeah, man, we gotta, we gotta enjoy the fucking ride and you know, that's where I come back to celebrating the wins all along the way, celebrating the process. you get to, you get to brag, you get to be proud, you know, as I'm, I'm looking at your resume, you're only 30 years old, bro. You're a fucking young buck, dude. And you are the president of a, of a record label. Like, dude, that's pretty sick. Not a lot of people can say that. So, uh, I want to know, I saw on your, uh, On your LinkedIn, you started off as a product manager at, at Palm tree, and now you're the fucking president. And I don't think that that was, I don't think that that was that long ago that you went from product manager to president. I want to know, how did you make that jump? What was it about you that had you go from, you know, just managing probably a small piece of it to now like actually really running the whole thing over there.

David Rishty: 20:36

Yeah. So, one, the reason why I wanted to join Palm Tree Records in the first place was I liked the fact that it was a joint venture. So I knew it was going to be a small team environment. Uh, but because of that, you sort of wear ten different hats at once. And having not had much experience experience on the label side, I wanted to learn a little bit about everything. Whereas if you join a major label, and let's say you do digital marketing, they want you to become a master at that craft. You want to learn about radio and A& R? Maybe another day. Right now, let's get the digital marketing done. so I really just try to absorb as much information as possible, but like similar to the way that I approach these internships, like Anything and everything that I could do to simply drive value to the label, I will do. Like, I don't view it as a nine to five. It's much more of a lifestyle, as is most of these jobs in the music space. But I was doing a little bit of everything. Like as a product manager, I'm supposed to act as the liaison between the artists and all the different counterparts over at Sony, whether it's the creative team, legal team, release planning team, et cetera. But beyond that, I've been doing artist management for about 11 years. So I have a lot of experience in the touring space and the A& R space and the radio space, and just having built up all these different relationships. So I was sort of just doing. As many different responsibilities as possible to show the team, like, listen, like I'm here to play. Like I put in good work, you know, you could trust me. Uh, I think I'm a good representation of the palm tree brands. And, uh, it was sort of one of those like preparation meets opportunity moments where the position came about and I had received a call from miles. And he's like, I see the work that you're putting in. Trust you. I think you do good work. I think you're a good look for the brand. Uh, The reins are yours if you want them and in that moment I was relieved Uh and terrified at the same time Because this all happened around the pandemic and so layoffs People being furloughed, job security was definitely something that was top of mind. And there had been a joint venture at Sony Music that got cut. And I'm like, all right, well, our contract is coming up too. Like, they may want to do the same thing. So I had to Once again, just like figure things out, like how to put together a financial model to then create a proposal for a three year renewal. and you know, extrapolate all this existing data that we had, uh, put in some estimated predictions for the future to show Sony like, this is my vision, this is the path. let's just keep it going. And so I felt I was very fortunate to like, uh, be given that opportunity to run the label. But at the same time, it's just like, I had an idea of what it was going to be like, and then you're actually in it and you're like, whoa, okay, let's take a step back. Like this, this is intense and it's less of contributing ideas. And it's more like you're the decision maker. Like if you say yes. It's a yes. If you say no, like it doesn't happen. And so that power, that authority, uh, on one end, I guess it's like, cool. But at the same time, I'm just like, Arlie, I'm close to the sun, meaning I can get burnt at any moment. so it's definitely a responsibility. Uh, I didn't take lightly. Uh, and the last thing I'll say about that was as soon as it happened, I quickly reminded myself, like, being called president, like it's title, it's vanity, it doesn't mean anything. What I do with that title is what it actually is. So I was like, now it's a go time to really show people the impact that I can make because now it's going to be much more exposed.

n (Detached audio): 24:48

yeah. Yeah. So I hear how it is a lot of responsibility and probably a, you know, a little bit of pressure as well, right? Steering, steering the ship. How do you stay grounded amidst all of that?

David Rishty: 25:03

my friends and family for sure. I think just like making sure I'm being conscious of who I surround myself with, making sure that I constantly feel like I'm in a safe place, surrounded by good energy, and if I need people to lean on, I have those people around me. You know, it's funny, when I was at Billboard, everyone wanted to be my best friend. And rightfully so, like you want an article, you want to become best friends with that writer. And as soon as I Uh, switched over to Sony Music, half the people that were like hitting me up every single day, gone. And that's okay, because that was expected, but it made me be a little bit more aware of, particularly in the music space, like, who are the people that I trust? Who are my ride or dies? Who are the people in the music space that I want to also continue investing in and making connections for them and setting up introductions? And helping them grow as well. So, yeah, I think a lot of it is about just the people that you surround yourself with.

n (Detached audio): 26:07

Yeah. I love that you bring that up. That thought was literally on my mind this morning. You know, every now and then I get these downloads of ideas and I'm like, Oh, I should make like a Instagram reel about this. I want to put this message out. And this is exactly what I was thinking about this morning. And I'll formulate it and formulate it into a. point, uh, but for now, you know, it's really looking at exactly, as you said, like, who are the real ride or dies? Because a lot of the nature of the music business, it's very transactional, right? It is like, what can you do for me? What can I do for you? We're going to do some sort of, you know, Business together and let's like, yeah, you're friends and you have a relationship on the surface, you know, but how deep does that relationship actually go and how many relationships that you have that actually are really, truly, truly deep, you know, it's a, it's an interesting ocean to navigate, but I, I think my, my message in all of that is exactly that to like, look for those people that you really. Can trust and that you want to have a deeper relationship with and like build those bridges, invest in those relationships, you know, cause that's, that's, what's gonna one, not only make oftentimes the business better, but just like, again, back to that fulfillment piece, it's going to make the whole journey better, you know? Yeah. Yeah.

David Rishty: 27:37

Uh, and what I mean by that is, like, I'll occasionally host these, like, industry dinners. And I'll bring people from all walks of life. I'll bring folks from Spotify and SiriusXM and Amazon and Netflix and bring this podcast on board and have all these people. meet because I don't want it to be a transactional relationship where it's like, Hey, Spotify playlist my stuff. You don't enjoy that. I don't enjoy that. That's not fulfilling. Like ideally, we're all doing this for many, many, many years to come. I don't want this to be a transactional type of exchange. So the purpose of these dinners is to be like, Hey, like I like you,

n (Detached audio): 28:22

Yeah.

David Rishty: 28:22

not necessarily the company. Like I like you. Wherever you go, I want to make sure that you can look to me as a friend you can trust, and I want to set up, you know, different introductions, whatever it may be, be the glue for your relationships with other people in the music space. Just because there's so far and few between these types of people that you really resonate with and are sort of just of the same mindset. Like, for example, I'm really grateful for My friendship with uh, Rita who works over at Sirius XM And i'm sure she has a bunch of people hitting her up like hey program myself blah blah blah And she works in the dance space as well So like we do do some work together But i'm never going to force my friendship on her in a way where it's like I need you to program this for me Like if she says it doesn't fit then it doesn't fit, you know but more than anything i'm just grateful for the friendship that You And just like, on a personal level, just being able to exchange, uh, stories with one another, or just like, vent to each other, like, just, it's rare. And so, it's definitely something I don't take for granted.

n (Detached audio): 29:34

And isn't that why we all want to work in music anyways, is so that we can have fun and enjoy it. And it's like, you have fun and enjoy it because you're working with your friends,

David Rishty: 29:44

yeah, it should be a good time.

n (Detached audio): 29:46

it should be a good time. Right. And it's like, you also are always going to. Want to help your friends more than anybody. So even when it comes to business, it's like, yeah, if you're my homie, like I'm gonna, I'll bend over backwards to help you out however I can. And at the same time to have a really good friendship, you also can't really prioritize it with the business. It's like that friendship has to come first too. Right. So it's, it's, it's almost like a paradox, you know, but, uh, Yeah, it's a, it's, it's important. I hope we're just, you know, planting some seeds for people to think about, you know, it's a, it is a relationship driven business, but, put the relationship at the forefront, you know?

David Rishty: 30:23

it's it's a marathon like you have to have the long term mindset Even if you were aggressive out of the gate and you got that playlist that you begged for was it worth it? You know like So, I don't know My dad's always been like slow and steady wins the race and that's that's just how I go about it

n (Detached audio): 30:44

Yeah, it's like, I'm gonna go out to see, uh, Gareth Emery is in town tonight. And, it's, it's funny, talk about synchronicity again. I hit up his, his manager. I was like, yo, I saw you guys are coming to town. Would love to see you. And they're like, yeah, come out. I used to work with Gareth a little bit back in the day also. and then on Facebook today, uh, There was a Facebook memory that popped up and it was like nine years ago, Winter Music Conference, and it was like me and the manager, me and the girl, and I was like, oh yeah, that's a, that's a nine year deep relationship, you know, and and it was just like one of those things, you know, it was just kind of cool to see. It's like, oh yeah, we get to, we get to reconnect, you know, when our paths intersect and, just knowing that, like, yeah, like if you're in this, like you can be in this, you know, if you're all in and this, you want this to be your, your career, like, cool, there is no rush, you know, plant those seeds, be genuine. A lot of these relationships are going to be 10, 15, 20 year relationships. And so, you

David Rishty: 31:36

A hundred

n (Detached audio): 31:37

treat them wisely.

David Rishty: 31:38

Yeah.

Nik: 31:40

What's up, you guys? This is Nick. And if you are looking to develop some of those deeper relationships, if you are tired of going on this artist journey all alone, and you are ready to get some support, And find your peers and a tribe and other artists to build this dream with. I just so happened to have the perfect opportunity for you because on May 13th and two weeks, we are launching the next round of the headliner mindset coaching group. this Is an eight week program that I put together to walk people through the process that I use to help my clients take their music and their career to the next level. From getting your mindset and energy dialed in, to breaking through creative blocks and having better sessions in the studio, and ultimately really discovering who you are as an artist and figuring out what you are bringing to the world that is unique and fresh and different through your brand and through your music. This includes weekly video lessons and exercises and not one but two different group coaching calls that we have every single week and also monthly guest Q and A's that we do with my artists and industry friends as well as a private discord. But the best part is this really is a community. So once you go through those eight weeks, you are still a part of this family. You still have access to one of those weekly group coaching calls. You still have access to the monthly Q and a you're still a part of the private discord, which honestly has been one of my favorite parts about this whole thing. Every day people are sharing wins and sharing memes and giving feedback to each other on their music and just generally hyping each other up and supporting each other. Like it really has become. And I love that, you know, I am right now keeping this relatively intimate. I'm only taking on 10 people at a time because it loses some of its magic. I've been in a lot of different group coaching programs and once they get too big, it can lose some of that magic. So I already have four people signed up for this next round. I only have six spots left. I know they're going to go pretty quickly once I start promoting. So if you're interested, shoot me a DM. I'd love to tell you more about it. I'd love to have you be involved. It really is something special. So super excited for this next round. I hope to see you in there.

n (Detached audio): 33:49

well, I love that, uh, we're podcast and we actually haven't really talked about, the actual, you know, Label strategy. I want to dig into that cause I feel like you have so much that you can offer to artists that are trying to build their careers. maybe they're self releasing music. let's, let's start there really like on the label side. One, one question I always like to ask with labels is like, how do you get signed? What are you guys looking for when you sign an act? Uh, cause every, every label is usually different. I feel like they're oftentimes kind of looking for different things and looking at different things, but at, at Palm tree, what do you guys take into consideration when you are looking at signing an act or signing a song?

David Rishty: 34:37

Yeah. Honestly, I feel like labels are looking at acts more differently than ever. Uh, really just with the advancement of technology and different software that's, you know, easily accessible at a monthly subscription. a lot of labels are very data driven, very tech driven, and they could get to their artists that they like quicker. We've definitely taken a more traditional route while trying to keep in mind the metrics. Uh, but at the same time, I think it's always going to come down to the music. And then secondly, I usually just check out their Instagram page, get a vibe for the personality. And if the vibe check is right, I reach out. I'm honestly less concerned about the numbers because I sort of feel like that's my job. You know, like I'm the one who can help you. create that industry awareness, make sure that your product is, uh, that your project is simply on the radar of all these different personnel. and I think a great case study of this was Forrester. when we signed them, I think they had less than a dozen songs out. And I think it was like less than a hundred thousand monthly listeners. I don't know how many Instagram followers they even had, but, uh, What I saw, I thought was really cool, and we've ended up releasing three albums with them on Palm Tree Records, which I'm super proud about for a variety of reasons. One, they're from the dance space, and I don't feel like the dance space naturally lends itself towards storytelling and albums, uh, so the fact that that's something that they were interested in, there is an immediate synergy, I also just think, like, it's also, once again, like, very fulfilling when you're able to build something from the ground up or as close to the ground up as possible. Just because that relationship is more unique, more special, and you've just, you've seen the arc. And you fast forward to now, they've released a total of four albums. They're on a headline tour. They're selling thousands of tickets. They're playing the Fonda Theatre, uh, in June in L. A. They're playing Irving Plaza out here in New York in April, and they're selling thousands of dollars worth of merch. So it's not even just an act that streams well, does well on radio, like, they have die hard fans. who are, you know, investing their friday and saturday night to seeing them perform live, getting the hoodie, matching it with the hat. real career artists. I've never been all that tick tock savvy. If I'm being completely honest, it's definitely a model that works at least in the short term for sure. but I feel I don't know. Our bread and butter has always been artists development, and we've always had a model or like, I guess, a formula that we've gone by with each of our artists, and it's really coming down to storytelling, making sure that the artist knows what their own story is so that we can share that with the fans. And sometimes that does require some soul searching and figuring out like beyond the music beyond the cohesive artwork, like Music is simply just the platform. But with that platform, what are you going to say? And a lot of these artists, they don't know what to say. So having them dig deep, being in the trenches with them during that process, guiding them, that's a key component. I would say, secondly, like I said before, building industry awareness. I'm not telling people, hey, you need to support this. What I am doing is saying, hey, these people exist. And I think they would work well in your space. Just know about it. If you want to follow it, great. I just want to let you know they exist. I'm very passionate about them and I think you'll be passionate about them as well. and that's across DSPs, radio influencers, other creators. Uh, and then lastly, uh, and equally as important is finding those, uh, artists cosigns. At the end of the day, it's got to come back to the culture. It's got to come back to the street credibility. You know, if you're loved by Spotify, but the artists in your space don't really respect you or put you on or play you out, you know, it's going to be noticeable at a certain point as the project scales. So as you're scaling it, making sure that the project is as dense as possible, making sure that there is as much depth as possible. I feel like that allows for longevity.

n (Detached audio): 39:20

Mm. And what do you mean by depth?

David Rishty: 39:23

Going back to the whole like soul search and digging deep, the storytelling part. So any single time we sign an artist, I send them a branding questionnaire and it really touches upon all the different senses. So it's just like, who's one of your favorite artists?

n (Detached audio): 39:40

Mine, uh, Avicii's always been my number one.

David Rishty: 39:44

So, I would ask Avicii, uh, What does Avicii look like? Smell like? Taste like? Feel like? And, some of these questions sound strange, but it helps you have a much more concrete idea of what you're trying to get out to the world. So in terms of, Uh, smell, is it sweet? Is it sour? Is it pungent? Is it citrusy? In terms of feel, is it soft? Is it hard? Is it jagged? Is it cool to the touch? This helps inform a lot of creative marketing decisions. So, there was this one artist, Jai Wolf, who years ago, he was putting out artist merch, but it wasn't a hoodie, it wasn't a hat, it wasn't a t shirt or a flag, it was a pillow. And, I was obsessed with that, because You have to think about what is the ideal way you want your fan to experience your music. And for Jai Wolf, it was much more soft, warm, cozy, safe. You just want to snuggle up with the music. And the fact that he was selling a pillow, I thought, one, it's just different. But I thought it was really smart in how intentional something like that was.

n (Detached audio): 40:58

Wow. Incredible. Incredible. And this is the stuff that I feel like a lot of artists miss, where they're just like, Oh, I made a track and now I'm going to put it out there and hopefully people listen to it. I'm going to shove it down their throat. And it's like when you really see these artists that are truly thriving and reaching a really wide audience. More likely than not, they've really sat down and thought about these deeper questions, right? Like, what kind of impact do I want to have? How do I really want to present myself? What's my deeper reason for being here? That deeper story, you know?

David Rishty: 41:38

like Beyonce is not pop music. She's not R& B. She's not hip hop. Beyonce is about female empowerment. It's exciting. It's invigorating. You feel invincible. Sort of the way like Coca Cola. It's not a soda. It's about bringing people together, communities together from all over the world. Like they're never promoting, Oh, it's like a really good flavor, great taste. It's just like, no, like father, son moment, you know, coming home, you see the family, you have a Coke. And I think. Making sure that the branding is so strong in that way, showing that there's, once again, depth to the project, I think it becomes a much more sticky project and I think it has just longer legs.

n (Detached audio): 42:23

Mhm. Mhm. Yeah. And you know, as I was looking at palm tree and just seeing the brand and same thing, you know, even with Kygo as well, it seems so clear like who the market is, you know, like even just looking at a lot of like the content and stuff it seems like you guys have a really clear idea about who the actual audiences and, and I think that's also something that a lot of artists don't really think about. You know, I, I work with a, a branding agency on the side as well. You might've maybe actually been around, uh, the cult creatives. We did some stuff with, uh, Kygo and some golf. I think it was like a Puma golf, uh, campaign that, that, that we helped out with. but that's one of the questions that we ask, you know, the clients is like, well, who's, who's your audience, who's your target market, you know? And it is a very businessy question. But have you actually thought about that, you know, and, and most artists are just like, well, I'm going to just make some shit, put it out there and, and the right people will find it, you know, but when you actually have some strategy to it, it's like, when I look at Palm Tree and I look at Kygo and I'm like, Oh yeah, they, these guys know exactly who the fuck they're going after. Like there is a very particular sort of segment within, you know, out of all of the EDM fans and all of the music fans out there, uh, there's a very clear idea of it. These, this is who we're going after, you know, it's like, even looking at like the fashion, there's like, you know, polos and short shorts and golf culture and palm trees. It's like, okay, I'm getting a vibe. Like you said, you know, there's, there's, there's a vibe check, right? Like what's the vibe of your audience and do you actually really understand who your people are?

David Rishty: 44:01

I think that's why the Palm Tree brand has just scaled as quickly as it has, just because out of the gate they were very intentional about growth and strategy and the Palm Tree festivals, you know, even the destinations from. The Hamptons, to Cabo, to Aspen. These are very specific markets that have specific demographics. And, like, if you build it, they will come. And they have been coming, you

n (Detached audio): 44:30

yeah, yeah, no, that was exactly that was exactly what made it click when I was like, these guys are throwing a party in the Hamptons, even just like, even just hearing that you're like, you automatically conjure up, there's a certain type of demographic, you know, they're not the rail riders that are going to like lost lands and banging their fucking head against the wall. You know, they're not the kids that are going to like, Underground LA techno parties, you know, um, like you said, yeah, the Cabo, the Hamptons, it's like more of a sort of, you know, luxury kind of, you know, demographic and brand and lifestyle. And it's like, cool, you know who your people are, you know, figure that out.

David Rishty: 45:05

Yeah. 100%.

n (Detached audio): 45:07

Yeah. That's super cool. Now back to the artist Forrester that you were talking about, uh, something I've heard. A lot of artists question and I've had many of these conversations is, you know, should I just put out singles or should I put out an album, you know, and I've heard really big artists, uh, that have put out, And then afterwards actually regretted it where they were like, damn, you know, like we put all this work into building this album, but we feel like it just kind of cannibalized itself. And only half of it really got listened to, you know, if we had just put these out as singles, you know, there's a lot of, there's obviously no one right or wrong way, but I think that there are certain artists that. Want to be album artists, but like you said, our culture and our scene isn't really, really big on storytelling and isn't really big on, on putting out albums, so I'm curious about what was it about that act that, like, you've been able to actually put out albums with, cause it is different and it is rare, you know, comparing it to the sort of traditional, like EDM singles driven. Market, right?

David Rishty: 46:18

Yeah. I think when putting out, whether it's a single, an EP, an album, um, That's an artistic choice. They need to feel like it's the right thing to do and then my job is to support it and, you know, bring that to fruition to the highest degree. when we put out their first album, it definitely did better than our expectations. That being said, there were a few album tracks that initially did not get love. It didn't get a certain playlist, whereas if we serviced it as a single, We probably had a higher likelihood of getting that type of support. That being said, I'm also a big believer in if you build it, they will come. And we noticed that a lot of their streams on that album that we first did with them, we had higher streams in year two than we had in year one. So even there's, there's always going to be, uh, an obsessiveness over week one, day one support, and it could, you know, fall off after that. Like Ideally, we're growing a fan base here. We're building an audience that's going to be here for the long run. So as your audience scales, like, ideally, they're going back to the OG stuff too. And we noticed that with Forrester. And I think there's a way you could do it from like a strategic standpoint, whether it's doing like waterfall release strategy, or making sure like, okay, There's a good chance this isn't going to get editorial support because it's not the focus track on the album. That being said, I feel like this song best fits this radio station. Let's meet the goal for this song to be on this radio station. Let's use this song to be the, the teaser for the tour announcement and hopefully we get Off platform social media activity going there. So if the focus track doesn't end up being that hit, ideally we have some off platform data that we can then share with the DSPs. And then they start supporting this other song. And, uh, I mean, that happened with their latest release. We had a focus track and it got playlisting, but we saw, uh, one of their album tracks, just simply outperforming from an organic standpoint. And so my job as the label is simply communicating that data to the DSPs, to radio, and what do you know, we started getting new support. I think a lot of it just comes down to making these people aware of what's going on, because tens of thousands of tracks are coming into their inbox on a weekly basis, so it's part of my job to let people know that, hey, something's going on, you should be aware about it.

n (Detached audio): 48:52

Yeah, and I love that piece about how the previous album started getting more plays like You have content, you have music that you're really giving to your fan base. And as more people discover you, yeah, they're going to go back into your catalog. So for them to go back and not just see like, Oh, you have like a couple of singles out, but be like, yo, they have a whole album. And now I'm discovering this past album or these past two albums. Uh, I think that's something really special because it's almost like it makes it more about what you're giving to the fans rather than like what you're getting out of your marketing strategy and all that side of it, you know? So that's, uh, it's pretty cool. It's pretty cool to, to see that. And I think exactly like you said as well, you're the artist at the end of the day. And as much as the label is always going to probably, you know, know the best strategy and how to market things is like, I think the artist has to come first. Your creative decisions, your creative impulse has to come first. If an, if an, Album wants to be born through you. It is your job as an artist to obey that calling and create that album. Right. And then once, once your art is made, okay, now let's figure out how to get it out to the world. Oftentimes we really have it backwards though, right? Oh, how do we get it out to the world? What do I need to create to implement the best marketing strategy? And it's like, no, no, no. Create the thing first and then figure out how to market it.

David Rishty: 50:16

Yeah, I think every label has a responsibility to be a megaphone for the artist. Like, when I reach out to an artist and I'm looking to sign, I'm very clear with them. I'm like, I like what you're doing. I don't want to mess that up. I don't want to change that up. I don't want you to be making music thinking like, oh, is Dave going to like this? As soon as you get into that headspace, like, we're all screwed. You got to make music for you. This is your art. This is your project. I'm honored that you're open to sharing that with me. Uh, but it's precious. So I take that responsibility very seriously, which is another thing. And I don't know if labels are as aware of this as they should be, but the reality is a label could have many, many artists, but an artist usually only has one label. And that, that's a major sign of trust that you need to put into someone with your own career. and, I don't know, I don't take it lightly. I think that's a major decision for any artist to, to make, and I think it's part of the label's job to make sure that they earn that trust, earn that respect, protect that relationship, make sure that the artist feels like they're in a safe space, where we create a dynamic of we and us, as opposed to you versus me. You hear too many horror stories of an artist being frustrated with that label. And a lot of it is just because there's a lack of communication. Maybe there's smoke and mirrors. Maybe people aren't being totally honest with each other. And that could be because both of the label and the artist, everyone needs to take accountability. Um, but I think it's, it's a precious

n (Detached audio): 51:59

Yeah. Yeah. It is. It is a relationship. It is a, a marriage, a partnership, you know, and, and ideally like you are, approaching it from that perspective. A lot of times I think artists are in the mindset of, you know, how is this label going to help me rather than, you know, are we going to work together? How are we going to form a mutually beneficial partnership? Same thing. If you're getting into a relationship with a person, you really shouldn't be coming into it with like, Hey, what can I get out of this person? It should be like, how can we form a really great team together? How can I give to this person? Right? Like we're on the same page. And I think so much of that also really does fall on the artist. Back to this idea of just knowing who you are, knowing what your story is, knowing what your vision is. Obviously you can team up with a label and they can help you with that or teaming up with the right manager and kind of guide you in that. Um, but also coming from a label background myself, I feel like I did see. A lot of artists that would get signed that didn't necessarily have a really clear idea of like who they were and what their vision was, and the label would take a really big role in that and be like, okay, well, we're gonna, we're gonna create you, right? And, you know, sometimes it works, but more often than not, if like the label is doing, you know, Too much of that work. Then there's oftentimes going to be this disconnect and it isn't really authentic to the artist. They didn't really have that strong vision at some point. It kind of catches up with them. Whereas. On the other side of it, you know, you have like a, like a lady Gaga that just comes in and she's like, yo, I know who the fuck I am. I got a vision. I got ideas. Like, I just need, I need someone to get on my train and help me make this shit happen. You know, I feel like that's always the best. It's like when the label is there to, to, to, to help execute on the vision, but when the artist really knows, like, this is my authentic creativity, this is my authentic vision. I know what my story is. I've done, I've done that. You know, vision quest to get real clear on who I am. Like that's where I've seen the most home runs.

David Rishty: 54:05

No, definitely. And if that artist needs to do that soul searching and the partnership is already intact, making sure that you are leading them to the water where they need to come up with their own answers. Because yeah, as you said, if you start feeding answers to them and start putting it out, like, yeah, eventually it's just not going to make sense.

n (Detached audio): 54:27

And it's, it's fun. You know, it's like, I, I get to do a little bit of that with my coaching, you know, it's like the nature of coaching or is really just asking questions. I'm like, I don't have the answers. I'm going to ask you the questions. I hope you come up with your own answers, you know, and, and that's a really fun process to get people to start thinking about these things that maybe they haven't really been thinking about. It's like, yeah, like, what are you all about? You know, what, what do you stand for? What do you believe in? Like what I, you know, I like to say like the, the music is just the soundtrack to the movie. Right. What's the whole movie about? What are

David Rishty: 54:58

nice. I

n (Detached audio): 54:58

Right? What are you, what are you trying to say? You know? So, that's cool, man. It seems like, you know, you guys are really doing that with your artists as well, in terms of like proper artist development. You guys aren't just like putting out songs randomly, hoping that shit sticks, but you guys are really investing in the, in the actual, uh, yeah, story and career of the artists over there.

David Rishty: 55:20

Yeah, I think it's necessary. I think it's healthy for the industry and Yeah, just happy to be a voice in that

n (Detached audio): 55:28

That's rad, man. Well, I love what you guys are doing. I really appreciate you reaching out and taking the time to hop on and share. You know, I feel like we could probably do three more hours. I feel like we barely just scratched the surface, but, um, maybe we'll do another, uh, we'll do a round two down the road, man. But I really, I really appreciate you reaching out. Thank you for contributing to the conversation and to the community. And, uh, yeah, you're the man.

David Rishty: 55:51

Likewise. Appreciate you having me on