If you’re a music publicist who wanted to work with the Arcade Fire, this has likely not been your week: After weeks (months?) of trying to find a new press flack, the band’s management began phoning prospective suitors this week to tell them they hadn’t gotten the job (word on the street is that the gig went to Radiohead/Beastie Boys firm Nasty Little Man, but there’s nothing on it about their website; can anyone confirm?). At a time when so few up-and-coming bands are worthy of a big-name cover story, the Canadian outfit is definitely a “get”: Funeral may not have gone gold, but it’s hard to think of an indie-label debut in the last few years that garnered more attention.
Here’s the weird part: Just this morning, we noticed that the website for Press Here Publicity–a boutique firm that represents the likes of the White Stripes, Bloc Party, Arctic Monkeys, and Franz Ferdinand–had updated its roster to include such decidedly non-Pitchforkian acts as Def Leppard, Bob Marley, and, uh, Disturbed. Aside from the fact that this roster would lead to one of the most bizarre holiday parties of all time, we can’t help but wonder how long Disturbed and Co. have been with the company, and whether they were deliberately kept off the site’s roster to maintain that indie cred during the courting period? We’re guessing that Winn Butler probably didn’t want to be in same stable as Lenny Kravitz.
Press Here Publicity [Official Site]
Press Here now has those artists because they hired a publicist who formerly represented them at KSA. When she joined Press Here, she brought those acts with her. Pretty simple.
I have to agree. Besides, all PR firms, with the exception of 5W PR, tend to wait until the ink is dry on the contract before they start gloating about their clients or advertising.
And the less tacky firms also do not really put out press releases to Media Week etc about their companies new acquisitions and hirings.