Interview with the Publicity Director , Arielle Aslanyan
Beginning her career in artist management, she joined Azoff Music working with Velvet Revolver and Stone Temple Pilots. She then mastered the world of brand partnerships working on campaigns for Slash, Linkin Park, Avenged Sevenfold and brands such as Squarespace, TOMS Shoes, LG, Monster Energy and more. She also played an instrumental role in the launch of Direct TV’s Guitar Center Sessions and Lollapalooza International. After making the move from Los Angeles to New York to join the Sony Music family, Arielle worked on album campaigns for Travis Scott, Ciara, and Future as well as publicity and partnership directives for The Lone Bellow, Lord Huron, Lucius, Courtney Barnett, and Ingrid Michaelson. Most recently she handled publicity for rock legends Mötley Crüe, In Flames, Papa Roach and Hellyeah. Over her career, Arielle has proven to be an expert in publicity, brand partnerships and leading creative endeavors for all her clients. She is currently the Publicity Director at The Syndicate.
How did you get your start in the music industry?
I was 18 and studying at Musicians Institute in Hollywood for my recording engineering degree. My start in music was an engineering internship at Scott Weiland’s (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver) recording studio, Lavish. The internship led me to work with his management team at Azoff Music Management where I learned how to navigate the industry.
What have you been working on lately?
I’ve been working with many emerging artists at The Syndicate such as Bones UK, Marem Ladson, and The Gooms to name a few. It’s my all-time joy to build their narrative.
What is your ultimate goal and how are you working to accomplish it?
My ultimate goal is to continuously pursue new opportunities and to always remain curious. Right now, I’m practicing guitar again and I’m interested in taking an online interior design course this year.
How has the current pandemic/crisis affected your work day-to-day, and what have you done to shift gears? What has been the greatest challenge? What has been the silver lining, if any?
I’m so grateful that I’m able to work remotely from anywhere so my day-to-day is the same, if not busier. I realized that I work more hours naturally without having to commute. At the start of the city shutting down in March, the greatest challenge was anticipating show cancellations during mid-album campaigns when a tour press is imperative. Our team was quick about supplementing tour press by creating new storylines and angles, connecting closely with journalists, exploring livestream opportunities, focusing on hometown stories etc.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would teach myself about the tremendous value of work/life balance early on, which I just learned a few years ago and totally loving it!
What advice do you have for women entering your field?
The key to PR is mastering excellent writing skills, having an eye for detail, perfecting email etiquette and being an avid blog reader. I would suggest studying and learning these few tools as a start-off point.
Success is such a personal concept — we all define it differently. How do you personally define success?
To me, success is taking the first step, it can be as simple as starting a conversation and keep moving forward. I learned that business is not personal, the process of elimination and great conversations gained are still considered successes to me.
What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned being a part of the entertainment/music industries?
The music industry is constantly influenced by new music-related platforms. It’s important to be versatile, forward thinking and to keep up with industry news. The most valuable lesson is to spend time reading the trades every morning with your tea or coffee before the day begins.
What do you look forward to accomplishing at your company or with your artistic project in the next year?
We’re continuing to grow our PR team at The Syndicate as we take on more projects. I’d love for us to work with more non-profit music organizations.
Last but not least, where can we find you online?
