The time has come to introduce you to one of our partners: The Metallist PR. Davide Pulito, presents his work as a boss of The Metallist PR as well as a drummer of Italian band Revolutio.
Hi! How are you? How do you spend your days regarding the whole Corona madness?
Hi Ivona and thanks for guesting me on Abaddon Magazine! I’m fine, thanks This is a tough period because I’m commuting between home and office. I have two daughters, but the schools are closed, so me and my wife have to commute in order to help our daughters with distanced learning. It’s not easy, but for now it’s working.
I think we can say that corona brought you some good things. While in quarantine, you started a new job, established The Metallist PR. How did you decide to swim in these waters?
I always had this idea in a “corner” of my mind, but with the lockdown I gave it free rein. Honestly, I haven’t thought about it much, since I am a very instinctive person. If I feel that I like something, that it can give me satisfaction and that I can manage it, I do it.
What is the mission you want to accomplish through The Metallist PR?
I am a musician too, I have released records and, like many others, I have been scammed. There is a huge need for honesty in our industry. Speaking and working with bands I realized that, from a PR agency, they expect clarity and ability to keep the word. Bands make huge sacrifices to release one record, play their “cards” and hope to become somebody in the future.Bands need to rely on someone to become their “added member”. That’s why my agency exists.
What areas The Metallist PR cover, only the promotion or even something more?
The Metallist operates in two different fields, PR and marketing. In the PR field, we work to increase the visibility and reputation of a band through the publication of press releases, reviews, interviews and radio shows. We also offer the possibility to include songs in relevant independent playlists on Spotify – a hugely coveted achievement for many bands.
In the marketing field, on the other hand, we take care of building a coordinated and functional brand identity for the band. A set of colors, messages, keywords, graphic signs that communicate the identity of the band and its musical proposal. Consequently, the brand is disclosed online, through websites and social profiles that we can develop and manage. Through e-mail marketing campaigns we go to reap the “fruit” of this work, which is the creation and maintenance of a fanbase.
How hard is to get the new clients, although, as we see, metal has never had so many sub-genres and so many young bands?
Finding new clients isn’t easy, but that’s not the thing that worries me the most because thinking about the result without caring about how to reach it would be a big mistake. The most important thing is to maintain a high quality of your work, and to be a precise and kind person. Only then the bands will return to work with you.
What were the first bands you signed with?
The first bands I signed one year ago were the female fronted rock band Secret Rule (with whom I am now promoting the new single “Black Swan”), the thrash-death band H8teball and the instrumental psych rockers Mothers of the Land. Those bands are from Italy, UK and Austria. I speak five languages (besides English and German, I also speak French, Russian and Polish), so looking outside my country – Italy – is something normal for me.
What is the most important for you when it comes to signing deal with the bands?
Absolutely making a plan of when and how the promotion will be done and make sure you have all the necessary materials. Once this is done, half of the work has already been done.
What genres are you focused on?
We promote all genres of metal and rock, without distinctions.
How can the bands reach you?
We are on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/themetallistpr and on the official website http://www.themetallistpr.com. For those wishing to write to us, you can send an email to themetallistpr@gmail.com
What is your working policy?
For me it is important to work in an atmosphere of mutual trust. It leads to work with clarity and serenity and allows me to do a good job.
Can you already see the results of your work? What goals have you achieved so far?
Yeah, sure! Last year I promoted fifteen bands and with some of them I’m already working (or about to work) on new materials to promote. This is what makes me happy at most – seeing that an artist satisfied of my work, comes back to me. It allows me to work in that atmosphere of mutual trust that I was saying before. For me these are the real goals.
Of course, you need a support of media, so tell me something about the partnerships with medias that support The Metallist PR?In addition to Abaddon, we have three other partners. The first is Dargedik, a Peruvian-based rock and metal webzine that works in an incredible way. They make interviews to the biggest metal bands worldwide, they are very professional and talented. The other partners are Radio Normandie Rock, a huge French underground radio station, and Soundmagnet, a nice Austrian webzine working pretty well.
I would not like to single out anyone, but as I see your cooperation with Planet K is priority.
Planet K Records is an important customer. They are working hard to develop their label so there is a lot of work to do with them. But for me every customer is important, this is what I believe in.
Recently you updated your website. Here we can see what some of the bands you work with think about you, about their experiences. What is, under your opinion, the most important approach in working with people?
As said, being honest, friendly, and showing to the bands that facts follow words. This is what bands need, at least according to my experience.
If I asked you what are the advantages of working with The Metallist PR, what would you say?
I don’t want to repeat myself, but the things I just said are the same things the bands have judged me positively about.
We became partners in November 2020, so I have to ask you how are you satisfied with cooperation between Abaddon Magazine and The Metallist PR?
I’m very satisfied, Ivona. You and your team are very nice and friendly people, and you really keep to the word partnership. It’s nice to see you publishing our press releases or reviews in such a short time since you get our EPK’s.
Besides bossing around in The Metallist PR, you are also a drummer in the band Revolutio. In one of our private conversations you told me there are no band activities during the corona, even rehearsals. Once, when we back to normal, what are your plans for the band?
Between the first and second lockdown, two members of the band left us. I do not deny that we have had difficult times. They were people with whom we had been playing for a long time, and in an already difficult moment due to Covid-19, they decided to leave the ship. We now have many musicians to rehearse, but unfortunately we are stopped due to the restrictions caused by the pandemic. Our priority is definitely to find a stable line-up.
To go back to the past a bit… The band was formed in 2011. By now you released one album in 2018. Are you already working on new songs?
Our 2018 album, named “Vagrant”, is our second album and our first full-length. Our debut album was “Lead the Way & The Old Days Remastered”, released in 2013. We started writing new music, but without rushing, because we prefer to integrate the new members and, with them, giving the songs a definitive shape.
So, at the end to round this interview with the question about both PR and the band. As a drummer of a metal band, what are the most important references to choose your PR team?
We take care of a new release (album, EP, or single) at 360 °. We inform the bands in real time about the results of the campaign. We do not hide behind an email, but we are always available for any need. After being promoted by us, the bands have a greater visibility and reputation than when we met. For any information do not hesitate to contact us, we would be happy to work with you.
Thank you so much for this interview. In front of Abaddon Magazine, I wish you a lot of success, new bands, new opportunities to promote metal…
Thanks again for the cooperation! It’s nice to promote great metal bands all around the world with your support!
