Ever wonder who’s behind your favorite Yep Roc releases? Every month we’ll introduce one Yep Roc employee with a personal Spotify playlist and a quirky caricature from our creative designer, Nathan Golub.
This month, we’re profiling Madden Meiners, Yep Roc’s Interactive Content Producer. Below, is a Spotify playlist that Madden has made with some of his favorite songs and artists. Enjoy!
What’s your current job title and what does your job entail?
I am the interactive content producer. My job entails creating content for our artists whether that is producing / directing / editing original music videos, live performances, interviews, album trailers, or other content used to market albums, song releases and tours.
Where are you from?
North Potomac, MD.
What school did you attend and what did you study?
I started off at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but ended up graduating from UNC-Wilmington where I earned my BFA in Communication Studies. From there I started working in the film industry first as a basketball double, then in the camera and video departments before eventually transitioning into producing and directing my own short films and documentaries.
What was the first music video that impacted you?
Beastie Boys “Sabotage.” I’ve always admired Spike Jonze’s work and “Sabotage” not only captured the energy of the song but also felt like a short film on its own with all the characters and action scenes throughout. Cochese!
What has been your favorite project that you have worked on at Yep Roc?
Directing and helping to produce the Sawyer Sessions series.
How would you gauge the importance of videos and visual content in the music industry today?
I think it’s incredibly important to have a strong visual presence within the music industry today. With so many different social media platforms and press outlets to feature content, artists need more than just an original music video to reach their fans and potential listeners. The way people consume media and content only leaves us wanting more, and with access and availability no longer an issue, it’s essential to fill those feeds.
Do you have any favorite Yep Roc Spotify playlists?
Do you have a favorite interaction with a Yep Roc artist?
Filming Jonah Tolchin’s Sawyer Session at the Moorefield Mansion in Hillsborough. The venue seemed like a perfect fit for Jonah and his band, and that seemed to translate in their performance–they were all on-point and super excited after each song / take. You could tell they were having a great time, and to share that experience with them by doing something that I also love makes everything feel less like a job and more like a passion.
What do you most enjoy doing in your free time?
Hanging out with my family around Durham and enjoying all the good food and beverages that the city is known for, and then running it off around Duke Forest or cheering the Bulls on downtown at the DBAP.
How would you describe your music tastes?
Eclectic. I was born in the 80’s and was exposed to a lot of that music early on, and then I grew-up listening to Nirvana and the grunge scene in the 90’s, then fell into Napster in the 00’s and now I’m all over Spotify. I’ve been listening to a lot of Daptone stuff lately, in particular Charles Bradley’s latest album.
How would you describe your taste in films?
HBO, Netflix, Prime, Carolina Theater. Whatever is streaming or playing, I’m there.
What director would you choose to direct a biopic about you?
David Gordon Green.
If you were going to be stuck in an elevator for 24 hours and could take one Yep Roc artist or group with you, who would you take and why?
First of all I hope that never happens, but if I have to pick a band I’d say Born Ruffians because they have a good sense of humor. How big is this elevator though? Maybe I should stick with Jonah.
Tags: Aoife O'Donovan, born ruffians, Faces Behind Yep Roc, Jonah Tolchin, music video, Sawyer Session, travel tunes