An Interview with Burnhill Union Records’ Randy Kertz
October 14, 2009 by Editor
Filed under Interviews
Type 3 Media: You started Burnhill Union Records in 2008. What led you to join forces with Kym Affinito and Shaun Glass to form a new label, especially in this day and age?
Randy Kertz: Yeah, especially in this day and age. Kym and I became involved in a project which was to work with some friends who were getting a band together. The band was trying to get a label deal and they were in a position where they running into people with MySpace pages and things like that, who had intentions, but nothing else to back them up. After a lot of dead ends, and problems, I suggested ‘hey, why don’t we do our own label.’ We have the means to do it, we have some experience, we can find out the rest.
I have known Shaun for a couple of decades, from hanging out and going to shows when we were younger, and just kept in touch with him over the years. That’s how he got on board with Kym and myself.
Randy Kertz
T3M: It’s interesting that MySpace and other avenues on the Web have given some small labels a reach they may not have previously been able to obtain. What are your goals for Burnhill Union Records?
RK: Our goals are to put out quality music that we like, and get it to the masses. Quite frankly, the situation we find ourselves in is, again with these MySpace pages, some of them were for real, some of them weren’t. We grew up loving music in different ways. We want to put out music that we like. We grew up listening to hard rock music, and some heavy metal music. I grew up listening to British heavy metal stuff in the early 80′s and followed that along to a certain point. Then went back and got into the music of the 70′s. So I have a real long history and love affair with rock music. A lot of the bands I hear today sound good, and a lot of them don’t. The thing with the music business changing as it has, is there are no rules anymore. The majors don’t run the day. Someone who has vision and who has experience can combine forces with other people to get the music they like heard. That’s what we’re doing.
T3M: What do each of you contribute to the partnership?
RK: We have different perspectives on the business itself. Kym has experience in the real world with marketing.
I have experience in the music business in many different forms, but most of it goes back to the 80′s and the 90′s, everything from retail to tour managing. So, I have different viewpoints of things, and all these things have changed as time goes on. But it’s nice to have that old-school perspective because I remember a lot of things as they were when they were a little more pure. I can get together with people who have been in the business and go and talk about those old days like nothing ever changed.
Shaun is a professional musician. He’s out there in the field, so he really has his finger on the pulse of what’s happening, and is able guide us in that way. We all have pretty similar tastes in music. While some of us may listen to more classic rock and some of us may listen to more death metal, we all recognize a quality and a sound that we like when we hear it. We rarely disagree on the kind of music that we wan to put out.
T3M: You have an interesting musical background.
RK: I am also a bassist. I have been since I was a teenager. I went to L.A. to become a musician in my early 20′s. I worked with Megadeth, Jane’s Addiction, and Manowar… probably my biggest, most interesting career choices in that field. I was brought on to assist Megadeth at a time when they were going through some changes right before the Rust In Peace record. I tour managed Manowar, and went to Europe with them a couple times… also Japan and South America, which was fantastic. That’s the short version.
T3M: Do you play a four or five string?
RK: Four string. I can play a five-string, I just don’t really get off on it as much. Five-strings are cool, and sometimes when I need that note I’m glad to have it, but I just don’t need it as much.
T3M: Finger-style or pick?
RK: Mostly finger. I can play with a pick, but I don’t do much of it.
T3M: When did you become a chiropractor and acupuncturist?
RK: I became a chiropractor and acupuncturist after all of these things. After tour managing Manowar, years ago.
T3M: You’ve also written a book titled The Bassist’s Guide to Injury Management, Prevention and Better Health. I’ve noticed a lot of bands have massage therapists, or something like that to help them while out on the road. Is that something you do as well?
RK: I treat a lot of musicians, especially in the area. I have musicians come here to see me and I’ve flown out to see musicians on occasion. I used to do a lot of work at the venues. I would see bands when they come in, then I would go down there, they’d give me a dressing room and I’d end up taking care of one, or some of the band members and their crew in that capacity. But I haven’t toured with anybody, and I don’t do much of it anymore because I have a busy enough practice where it would really take me away from it. Most of the musicians who want to come see me will come to the office.
I dig it. I like going down to the venue and hanging out, but times have changed. They want you to get to there little earlier, like around sound check time. That’s really when I’m in my office treating patients, so I don’t do too much of that anymore, but I have in the past.
T3M: Do you have a chapter on how to catch a bass after you toss it into the air?
RK: I don’t but that’s something for the updated version for sure. I think the best advice would be ‘don’t do it.’ Bassists don’t do that kind of stuff. Bassists are pretty much the solid stand in the background guys. It’s the guys who are the ex-guitar players and current guitar players who are throwing the stuff around. Bass players remember what the bass cost. If you get hit by a bass, even by accident, you’re less likely to be tossing the thing around.
T3M: Especially if it’s a P-bass or something like that.
RK: Think about it. You never see a guitar player tossing a Les Paul around, it’s usually something like a Fender. Even Ritchie Blackmore, he wasn’t smashing the Fenders, he was smashing the Squires. It’s always the light guitar that everybody wants to toss around, or the break-away guitars. The last band that was really doing it was like The Who, and it wasn’t Les Pauls, it was Rickenbackers, or Fenders. The Rickenbakers were hollow, and the Fenders snap easy at the neck.
T3M: The first act signed to Burnhill Union Records is AM Conspiracy featuring ex-Drowning Pool front-man Jason “Gong” Jones. Tell me about why you’re excited to have them on your label.
RK: AM Conspiracy is a band that has a lot of depth to them, and that’s personally what I like about them. They make really great sounds. They make stuff that sounds like classic metal all they way out to thrash. They can really turn it on to make it sound as heavy as they want to, and they can lay down a nice melody on the next one but still have it be heavy and reminiscent of classic metal bands that we listened to in the early 80′s. Each song has its own individual imprint and style to it. It all comes together nicely. These guys have done a beautiful job in making the music sync and not all sound the same. They made a great record and we’re proud to be putting it out.
T3M: Have they finished recording?
RK: The record is done. It’s going to be pressed and then we’re going to have it out anywhere between a month and a half to three months from now.
T3M: Are there other acts you’re developing?
RK: We have other acts which are pending… literally the ink needs to dry. Real good bands as well. Bands with great musical style and presence. The thing that is really exciting about all this is we get to put out music we love. If something comes along that we don’t like then we’re not going to put it out. Simple as that. This is music that we can get behind and really push and really go out on the street and say ‘yeah I’m proud to have put this out because it represents something of me as well.’
T3M: Where will people be able to find Burnhill Union Records to purchase?
RK: We are signing a distribution deal which will mean that you’re going to be able get it everywhere.
T3M: Anything you’d like to add before we finish?
RK: We’re having a ball with this. The principals involved with this label love music and are thrilled to be doing this. This is a lot of fun. We want to be music and artist friendly and we believe in being fair with people. It’s a real nice situation to be in and we’re looking forward to the future.
