Adam Mardel
Hi Adam and thanks for taking the time out to speak with us at Musicology.
You are the director of record label E2A, can you give us a little background to the inception of E2A and some of the artists on your roster?
E2A Music Group was founded in 2013 after I opened for Aaron Carter on his After Party Tour. During the tour, I spoke with Vince Tomas, who was also opening. Vince was a former member of the multi-platinum boy band Us5 and told me about his experience. After that conversation, I decided to start my own company and the Ohio Boy Band Search which lead to Second Alibi. Over the years we have signed and collaborated with some amazingly talented artists including Kody Goens and it’s definitely been an experience I’ll never forget. Because of the variety of genres on my roster I was exposed to so many different scenes.
Clearly a passion for music is the primarily ingredient required in creating and running a successful label but what additional skill sets have you acquired in your time as director that has sustained the labels on going accomplishments?
The key to our continued success as a company has been the team behind the scenes from Rick Zeller to Rich Powlick, teamwork is the reason why we reached the level that we have. We have since experienced some recent issues behind the scenes, but we are continuing to do what we’ve always done. Keep going.
Not content with just running a label, you have also just completed your first book. Can you elaborate a little on what the book explores?
I am so thrilled to finally announce this book that I’ve been working on for a few months now. The book will cover my experience in the music industry and it will also touch on my private life during those tremendous highs and unbelievable lows. The goal of this book is to tell my truth and hopefully get some laughs along the way.
In addition to this you have been working on your own LP? In terms of the writing and lyrical content, was there an overarching narrative tying the album together or an assortment of topics and inspirations that zig zag throughout the record?
This album will be the most personal and revealing record I’ve ever been a part of. The title of the record is “323” because that was the street address of the house that I grew up in. In many ways this record has the same meaning for me. During some of the drama that went on behind the scenes last year, I fell out of love with music for a while. This record is the journey of me reconnecting to music. After a while, the music industry was overshadowing the actual art itself. I’m collaborating with so many amazing producers and writers on this release and I can’t wait for the fans to hear it.
Having spent years within the music industry and as an insider looking out, how has the music industry changed over the years that you have been working in the field?
The music industry has basically become an indie artist’s dream. A release use to be filtered through numerous people, companies, and more. Now artists can get their music directly to the consumer. In some ways it’s great but in others many of the releases don’t look or sound as polished as they should to compete in the market.
What approaches have you taken from your working life that you have incorporated into your personal life that have only come through lessons learned within the music industry?
Over the years, I’ve learned to take moments for myself. For a while I was so consumed with music and moving forward that I wasn’t looking out for my health. I was simply running myself into the ground. Now, I make sure to find a balance between my personal life and the craziness of the industry.
When you are considering new artists to bring into the E2A fold, what qualities do you look for in a band that are key indicators that make a certain artist a cut above the rest?
I used to simply look for talent but I’ve since learned the truth about certain artists and their so called “work ethic.” So I’ve now made sure to work with fewer artists and really focus on what I want to do. I’m more focused on pop these days because it’s my guilty pleasure.
Working in the music industry isn’t all blue eyes and blue skies, what difficult situations have you encountered and what measures did you have to take to avoid potential disasters?
At the moment I’m currently in the process of filing a lawsuit against multiple former collaborators. It has been something that has hardened my personality and in the end, made me stronger. I will no longer just work with artists who are simply chasing a dream. They will need to prove their commitment and drive first. The time of my team and those we work with outside of the label is valuable and we need to be more careful. This industry is ugly enough without having issues within our own company.
What is your current musical outlook, not just E2A but the music industry and where it is headed in America?
I think that the current direction of the music industry here in the states is limitless. Many artists will finally have the chance to be heard and appreciated. As long as an artist builds a supportive team of trustworthy, talented people behind them… the sky’s the limit. Hard work will pay off.
