We’re back after taking a few busy weeks off of podcasting! In this episode we cover how to handle a last minute tour announcement with all hands on deck re: Lorna Shore, fun new content releases, new music releases from the label starting with Night Argent’s new single “Dreamcatcher” which dropped today off of their upcoming EP The Fear out July 14. Also, Ice Nine Kills is up for an AMPA award, Darkest Hour and DC Brau are re-releasing Savor the Swill, and hear updates about Mike’s Sixty Days To Signable course via Outerloop Coaching!

Our latest inspirations: Suzie’s reading The Moth’s “All These Wonders” book. Mike is continuing to meet new and interesting people. Lance has been going to a ton of shows and found all the pop-punk kids in Austin!

Check out the Lorna Shore commercial featuring Megosh as actors: https://youtu.be/VdQZpNNbxY4

Listen/Pre-order Night Argent’s new EP The Fear: https://NightArgent.lnk.to/TF

O Marks The Spot is part of the Jabberjaw Media Network. Learn more at www.jabberjawmedia.com 

Mike and Nikhil recap their time at Launch Music Conference in Lancaster, PA last weekend where they were both panelists. The intimate setting of the conference allows for participants and industry professionals alike to mingle without constraints. Having been to many major conferences himself Nikhil covers ground on how to keep panels interesting and attendees excited and passes on some knowledge to Lance on how to network effectively in the conference setting. How did the industry work before email? We can’t even imagine! But the documentary Inventing David Geffen might answer that question.

Weekly Inspiration:

Lance says the new Kendrick Lamar album Damn is “straight fire”

Suzie is obsessed with Lore the podcast

Nikhil is revisiting Coloring Book by Chance the Rapper

We're feeling the pressure as it is the, somewhat, calm before the storm but ask Mike says, we are armed for battle! The battle that is our impending summer schedule. Affiance have announced their farewell tour Say Goodbye-Ance for April-May. Ice Nine Kills launched their third music video for "The Nature of The Beast", a unique take on George Orwell's Animal Farm, which premiered on Alternative Press . The Law of Diminishing Returns in relation to music videos - is it too much to have a music video for every song on an album? Today we released the new single "Dead" from New Jersey band VANISH! Head over to AllInMerch.com to pick up the shirt and get a free digital download of the new song or download/stream via iTunes and Spotify. 

Outside of work, Suzie is listening to The Black Tapes podcast, Lance is listening to the new Drake album and Mike is too busy to listen to Drake but is enjoy the podcast Promoter 101 hosted by an agent and a manager about the music world. 

Like what you hear? Don't forget to rate us and leave a review! 

Get $30 off your next order at ArtistFlags.com using the code: omarksflag 

Mike and Lance recap their SXSW experience. We do a quick rundown of the Vans Warped Tour lineup. And for the main course, Chef Brian Tsao joins the show to talk food and metal. Brian tells the serendipitous story of how he met Nikhil and subsequently became involved with Outerloop. Did you know he beat Bobby Flay on the show Beat Bobby Flay? Mike was able to sample a vegetarian version of the dish Brian created to win the battle. Make sure you check out Taste of Metal on Metal Injection, a heavy metal cooking show featuring Brian and a guest metal musician. http://www.metalinjection.net/channels/taste-of-metal

Looking to get new banners, backdrops, or flags for your band? Use the code: OMARKSFLAG at ArtistFlags.com for $30 off your next order! 

For the first time ever, Mike is opening up his knowledge base of the business to aspiring musicians through the webinar "Sixty Days To Signable" available now at signup.outerloopcoaching.com 

Follow us online: 

Mike on Instagram and Twitter: @mikeoloop

Lance on Instagram and Twitter: @lancedontdance 

Suzie on Instagram: ms.suzielee 

After about a year of working on Darkest Hour's new release, starting with their Indiegogo campaign, the album is out today (March 10th) licensed exclusively through Southern Lord. This podcast joined the Jabberjaw Media Network (also a sister company of Outerloop) along with 5 other new shows The Ex Man with Doc Coyle, Pour Taste, Too Old to Date, The Future of What, and The Metal Podcast! NPR's All Things Considered did a segment on Bad Christian. Mike found himself blown away by Ghostbath's live show. If you're at SXSW next week make sure to check out the panel The Role of Podcasts in the Music Industry in 2017. A little scoop on Good Tiger.  And if you're in DC check out the Yayoi Kusama exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum.

Mike recaps his recent trip to Chicago, speaking at Columbia College, visiting Dark Matter Coffee HQ, and catching Darkest Hour on tour. Outerloop Records released of A Wake In Providence's single "A Darkened Gospel" last week on 2/24 and Lorna Shore and Youth In Revolt both charted on Billboard, respectively. New Ghost Bath album and tours. What is the new "it" sound? How do bands grow musically and retain their fanbase? Plus: You need to hear the hidden Megosh track "Bill Murry 5".

Use the coupon code: OMARKSFLAG to get $30 your next order from ArtistFlags.com 

We are joined by Lorna Shore guitarist and writer Adam Di Micco. The band is currently on tour with Carnifex and Despised Icon and have just released their second full-length album Flesh Coffin on February 17th. We discuss the writing and recording process for Flesh Coffin, what it's like for the band to work with Outerloop as management and label, and the New Jersey "Get out of my way" attitude that comes across in their music. Mentions: Chef Brian Tsao's Metal Injection series "Taste of Metal" featuring Bill Kelliher of Mastadon, Lance went to see Every Time I Die and encounters a guest list fail, Suzie gets a parking ticket, and working with Terry Bezer of That's Not Metal Podcast. 

Music in this episode: Lorna Shore - FVNERAL MOON, from the album Flesh Coffin, available now.

Darkest Hour drops a new song "Those Who Survived" which kind of snuck up on everyone. For the main event, we are joined by long time Outerloop Management client Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills. We learn about how Spencer approaches music, his vision for storytelling, the mentality that helped the band become who they wanted to be, and should Spencer start his own podcast? Also, we learn the depth of Mike and Spencer's sarcasm. 

Notables: Mike's friend Mike Ziemer, promoter of So What Fest, curates the playlist Unsigned Spotlight on Spotify that is worth a listen. Lance is going to see the new ring movie Rings and Spencer notes the great pranks promoting the movie. Suzie plays a character based off of The Ring in a commercial for the horror-themed board game Mixtape Massacre. Spencer met Randy from Finch and Haunted Houses at a bar and ended up recording some music together.  

We've joined the Jabberjaw Media Network! www.jabberjawmedia.com. 

Mike is on the eve of his annual charity 5k, Leo's Run. That time we launched VIPs at the wrong time. Our client Cover Your Tracks goes up against Mastodon on SiriusXM Octane's Test Drive with their song "Striking Matches". And for the main event, our good friend Mike Schleibaum of Darkest Hour joins the show to discuss the DC Brau Brew, how Schleibaum and Mowery's relationship pre-dates Myspace, the band's new album Godless Prophets and the Migrant Flora, and Darkest Hour Radio. 

Music in this episode:

Cover Your Tracks - Striking Matches 

Darkest Hour - Knife In The Safe Room 

Lance's life comes full circle with Ice Nine Kills. How do you win a game of ceelo with Good Tiger? Toothgrinder are gearing up for a new album. And we dive into the voice of content with Nikhil's Instagram takeover from NAMM. 

Suzie's currently listening to Anna of the North. Mike revisited Top 40 Metal Albums of 2016 in Managemental and volumeforever.com. Lance is still browsing on Spotify for new music. 

Music in this episode: 

Ice Nine Kills - The People Under The Stairs, 

Youth In Revolt - Don't Wait For Me, 

Darkest Hour - Timeless Numbers

Outerloop Creative Director Nikhil Potdar joins the podcast this week as he prepares for the National Association of Music Merchants show this weekend. With 8 years of NAMM experience, Nikhil shares some tips and advice on how to navigate and survive the weekend-long show full of music merchants and musicians. 

Plus, Outerloop's latest music video releases for Lorna Shore and Youth In Revolt, Darkest Hour reveal their new brew collaboration with DC Brau. Lance is currently listening to Tiny Moving Parts. Mike launched a new podcast Managemental. And Suzie is building stuff while listening to political speeches. 

Music from this episode: 

Megosh - Checkerboards and Cigarettes,

Lorna Shore - FVNERAL MOON,

Youth In Revolt - The Broken,

Darkest Hour - Timeless Numbers,

Everyone is back from the holiday break and starting 2017 with some exciting news: 

Mike and CJ welcomed baby Lyle into their lives in December. 

Lance ran a 5K with the bib #666 and completed it with a new personal record. 

Suzie got engaged. 

In this episode, we discuss Darkest Hour's new beer with DC Brau and new record Godless Prophets and the Migrant Flora, crowdfunding and Kenny of Chasing Safety joins the podcast for a quick chat while on tour with Ice Nine Kills to celebrate the release of Chasing Safety's new album Nomad (via Outerloop Records) and Ice Nine Kills' self-released Safe Is Just A Shadow (Re-Shadowed and Re-Recorded). 

What we're currently listening to:

Lance: Darkest Hour - "Knife In The Safe Room" & "Timeless Numbers"  

Suzie: Ed Sheeran - "Castle on the Hill" & "Shape of You" 

Mike sneaks out of his own company holiday party. Josh Grosscup of Megosh joins the show to celebrate the release of their album Apostasy. How Darkest Hour's new album Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora came together from a crowdfunding campaign. Fellow podcast Lead Singer Syndrome's awesome new All Access Club. Shout out to BIG FREEDIA! 

Check out: volumeforever.com 

Launching a pre-order. Apple Music vs Spotify. How do we stay on top of emails, texts, and phone calls? Who knows?! Pros and cons of crowdsourcing (remember Boaty McBoatface?). Our interest in true crime podcasts. And band reunions. 

Music in this week's podcast:

Megosh - "Checkerboards & Cigarettes" 

Chasing Safety - "Erase Me" 

Lorna Shore - "Denounce The Light"

Refused - "Elektra" 

What we are currently listening to:

Lance: Touché Amoré - Stage Four  

Suzie: Zane Lowe on Beats 1 Radio

Pulling off independent releases on the management side. Trying to make music video deadlines and a lyric video mishap on the label side. Maintaining communication internally from different parts of the country and weekly phone calls with our artists. It was a trying week for everyone at Outerloop but we managed to make a lot of good things happen! 

Check out some of the things we've mentioned in this week's podcast: 

Ice Nine Kills - Safe Is Just A Shadow (Re-Shadowed and Re-Recorded)

Youth In Revolt - Not Giving Up 

Chasing Safety - Nomad Studio Webisode 2

Leo's Run 

What we are currently listening to:

Mike: Tillie - Lost Boy EP 

Lance: Childish Gambino - Awaken, My Love! 

Suzie: The Hamilton Mixtape  & Charlie Simpson

In this pilot episode of The Outerloop Podcast host Mike Mowery introduces Outerloop staff and weekly podcast contributors Lance Rowe, graphic designer and Suzie Lee, project coordinator. Fresh off the heels of the Outerloop Showcase at The Studio at Webster Hall in New York City, the trio discuss the highlights of the show and dig into to what it takes to run a label from every aspect.