Meet Portia Sabin, she’s a busy lady as president of the independent record label Kill Rock Stars and host of the music business podcast ‘The Future of What’.

Kill Rock Stars (KRS) has a great inclusive mission to: “…put out exceptional records by important artists, and our tradition of being queer-positive, feminist, and artist-friendly…”  They are one of the few female-run indie labels, and at KRS they believe in doing it yourself, and challenging mediocrity on a regular basis.

When she’s not talking about or putting out music, she enjoys horseback riding, dog training, and serving on various boards and panels.

How did you get into your industry / What motivated you?

“I played in bands for years and then began managing artists”. She found that she really loved the business side and evolved her career in that direction.

What is a day in the life like?

In short, answering a lot of emails, planning our release schedule, talking to artists, managing staff, traveling to conventions… 

What has been your favorite / the coolest thing you’ve worked on?

Starting the Libera Awards for A2IM (The American Association of Independent Music) and watching it grow to a 1000+ person event over 9 years… very fulfilling!

For those that don’t know the Libera Awards celebrate the successes of the independent music community both artists and labels, furthering the artists’ careers and rewarding fans with the diverse music that they love.

What has been / is the most difficult part of your job?

Dealing with people who don’t understand how the music business works.

What advice do you have for someone wanting to get into pursuing what you’re doing?

Start interning in some facet of the music business so that you can learn how things work.  People love interns!

I was in my 20s, but I haven’t done serious collecting in years.  When I do get an album I get it on vinyl though!

What types of things are happening in your industry / with vinyl that you’re excited or worried about? i.e. innovation, or trends you’re seeing.

Vinyl is getting more expensive to manufacture, and it’s made of non-renewable resources, so I worry that it’s not sustainable forever.

What are you listening to right now?

I love pop-punk!

Find Portia:

Instagram:

Portia @drporkchop71

Kill Rock Stars: @killrockstarsofficial

Twitter: @drporkchop

Website: 

Kill Rock Stars: http://www.killrockstars.com/

The Future of What: https://soundcloud.com/thefutureofwhat