What have been some of the highlights of your career as a plugger?
BM - The highlight for me would probably be the development of a band called IKO. Unknown in the UK when I started working with them (fresh out of the rehearsal studio, three years ago) over the last few years of working with the band, I've seen them start to gather their first set of (glowing!) reviews, get their first radio and MTV plays etc and they are currently recording their album - to be a close part of that process and work so closely with the band to get this project off the ground is something that has given me a great deal of pride and satisfaction. The buzz of seeing this project develop week by week - that's what I got into this work for in the first place...
TH – For me one of the greatest buzzes has been getting a record or an act that no one else thought would get played, airplay and getting it on the playlist and seeing it climb the charts, knowing that record wouldn't have happened if you didn't believe in it. I've done that 3 times in my career and I'm proud of each one! There's nothing like hearing a band that you have put in the studio and paid to press up their records getting played on day time radio for the first time, or seeing your act on prime time TV and knowing that you where instrumental in their campaign. Or finally getting the call back with a YES from that producer who you had been chasing for weeks.
And the low points?
BM - I wouldn't say there any such thing as a low, I have genuinely loved every second of the work that I continue to do, there are moments of disappointment when months of hard work don't deliver the kind of results you'd like but these are few and far between, there are always positives to draw on...
TH - Finally realizing that playlist have more to do with chart positions than good music! Getting an act away and them moving on to a bigger company (it breaks your heart!). Getting slagged by the act/manager/label when you have done everything you can on a record and it's still not happening. I can remember one act saying to me "I'm not happy you have only got 15 daytime plays on Radio 1 this week!!"
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