WigPR takes its name from the spirit of the brilliant “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” John Cameron Mitchell’s story of fabulous creativity against cruel adversity. We’re a coupla publicists lead by Ashley Graham, a Seattle-via-Los Angeles-via-Spokane force-ta-be-reckoned-with who, due to her love of great music and great writing, has been able to move unique bands forward that may have otherwise not seen their due (beyond those fervent fanbases!).
Recently, ex-Light In The Attic publicist and fellow scribe Chris Estey (The Black Angels, Betty Davis) came on board at WigPR, starting with Aviation Records’ new band See Me River, which has gotten rich approval from Seattle alt-weekly luminaries Eric Grandy and Hannah Levin. Ashley and Chris met last year while working for The Blakes together for Light in the Attic--a band they both still love to bits!
For further examples of WigPR’s fine accomplishments, as this is written, roster-dominators Team Gina have been sparking adoration from national media as they tour across the country. And new client Athens Boys Choir is getting love from Dan Savage of the Stranger and elsewhere. But it all started with a Spokane roots-rock band called Seaweed Jack, and that is where we begin our…
Frequently Asked Questions
(questions by Chris Estey, responses by Ashley Graham)
1.) What was it about Seaweed Jack that attracted you?
Seaweed Jack had something onstage I'd never known (let alone locally, let alone locally in Spokane). When I met them, their domination of Spokane was already in the works and I was to interview them for local rag, The Finger. It was a hot June day as only Eastern Washington can provide, and they were sprawled out all over the porch of their shared home near Gonzaga University. Geoff was in a hammock off the front of the house, Anthony was stretched out on a couch, Brian and Jack were sitting on the railing (and another fella, who’s turned out to be one of the best people I’ve ever met, Pete Murray, was on a porch swing). They were shirtless, scruffy college dudes (perhaps my least favorite breed of human), but full of high hopes and incredible talent, and they turned into family (…even Jack and Brian). I helped Seaweed Jack for a couple of years and one of the most magical nights of my life thusfar was their final show here in July ‘07 at the Comet, when it was obvious the response they’d gotten, the ground they’d covered, and the potential that still followed them up, up, up into that little band heaven in the sky. I miss them… oh, so much. Seaweed Jack was my best friend in band form. But, from great things come other great things, and now Hockey is in my life and I couldn’t feel more fortunate for that (both for the music, and for those Anthony Stassi hugs, I woulda missed those...).
2.) Why is the roster so... roots-based singer-songwriter?
Is it?
3.) And/or queer?
Well, but…
4.) And/or Shim?
What the hell IS going on with this roster?! Well, this makes a nice point. My favorite thing about the roster is that it’s crazy diverse. I don’t want to pitch the same thing twenty times a day, so maybe it’s mostly structured to keep me interested in what I’m doing. In any given hour of my day I can go from talking about See Me River to Athens Boys Choir to Kaylee Cole to TacocaT to Hockey to Team Gina. AND I LOVE IT.
5.) Brag a little, Ash. Three biggest PR accomplishments you think you've had.
Two words: TEAM GINA. Team Gina profiled in the Advocate. Team Gina on the Venus Zine website. Team Gina featured in a full-page spread in the Athens Banner-Herald. Number 1 = Team Gina’s general takeover of the world (and it’s just begun!). Other highlights: Seaweed Jack’s Haunt being “Album of the Month” in Performer magazine (total shock); Shim in print in Seattle for the first time ever thanks to Ms. Hannah Levin (felt amazing); getting Pitchfork and Filter love for the Blakes at Sasquatch ’07; meeting Kaylee Cole after my diatribe in the Spokesman-Review (and, let’s say, her subsequent successes). I’m very fortunate to have so many talented and wonderful people in my life, and to have been able to share them with talented and wonderful people who have gotten behind their music and helped get the word out.
--Bonus Question: Who can take credit for you meeting Kaylee Cole?
(question and its response by Ashley Graham)
Kaylee!!! Kaylee emailed me and introduced herself. Following that, we could say that Luke Baumgarten and Som Jordan supported the idea of us working together, and my personal, always-to-be-trusted, tastemaker Patrick Kendrick’s strong endorsement sealed the deal. Now, Luke, Som and Patrick, let’s put this issue to rest!
6.) Think of your favorite publicist and tell me why you respect them so much.
Anybody who handles the big shots without bein’ a d-baaaaag! Just kidding (but seriously…). I had the good fortune of working with Ever Kipp while interning at Barsuk Records and I must say that Ever is my favorite publicist in the world. He’s a class act, not to mention one heck of a support-supplier and has had my back and rallied behind me on multiple much-needed occasions. Honorary mention to all the publicists I’ve worked with in any capacity: Tim Plumley, Juliana Plotkin, Frank Nieto, Dana Erickson, Brendan Bourke, Joan Hiller, etc, etc.
7.) What do Kaylee Cole and Kerry Zettel (of Aviation Records) have in common?
A publicist. A pulse. The letter “K.”
8.) Why are you in Seattle?
Let me start this by saying that I have lived in LA twice, for about a year and a half collectively, each time leaving and each time moving to Seattle. The first time I returned to Seattle, I began college again (let’s say, following a craptastic year at Loyola Marymount) and started The Wig Fits All Heads. I interned for House of Blues, met the amazing Ever Kipp (and Wes Howerton-holler!) while interning at Barsuk Records and started freelancing for some magazines, namely Chord Magazine (LA) and Out There Monthly (Spokane). I saw the Blakes for the first time (March ‘05), Shim (April ‘05), Casy & Brian (April ‘05), etc and started putting on shows (the first being in December ‘05 w/ Seaweed Jack). Then I graduated and moved to LA to be a publicist. I worked with the AMAZING Juliana Plotkin and Tim Plumley at Ink Tank PR at the task of tour press for acts like Silversun Pickups, The Casualties, Peter Walker and Flogging Molly, and after two months decided, while ever-appreciative of the opportunity (still today!), that it wasn’t the right match. I taught preschool for the next five months, and during that time (November 2006) started WigPR. In my farewell letter to my students and their parents, I explained how it felt to have my life in Seattle continuing without my physical presence, and indeed it had: The Wig was thriving, and so were my new bands. I moved back to Seattle in February 2007 and haven’t looked back. Since my return, I’ve built an amazing family of people I love and trust and who love and trust me--a family of Ginas and Shims and Llamas and Casys and Brians and Blakes and Kaylees and Anthony, Benny & Jerms and Katzs and Kendricks and Nickys and Clicks and Blushes, etc and etc, on and on… and I couldn’t be happier.
9.) How did your relationships with both Don't Stop Believin' and Aviation come about?
Kerry and I got off to a rough start. Back when the Wig was a-presentin’ shows, we (as everyone does, I hope…) had some serious stinkers. Now, while Kerry’s band Das Llamas was involved in a couple good ones (actually, that was back in the stabmasterarson days), they got stuck on a bill that just, I’ll admit it, totally sucked. We had an ill-fated monthly showcase at the Mars Bar that was trying its damndest to work out its (insurmountable) kinks, and DLL were going to play the first show of the series. I won’t name names but there were three other bands on the bill and two of them never showed up and the third one didn’t end up playing. It was awful. DLL, as any self-respecting band would be, were quite upset, and there was a period of months there when that got back to me (or, god, poor Katie-I’m still so sorry) on a couple of occasions. To his credit, though, Mr. Zettel later accepted my offer to do PR for Das Llamas (after some time had passed and some wounds had healed) and now we have a life-long contract between WigPR & Aviation Records (I swear, he even signed it!). Yay for renewed trust!
As for Megan Birdsall and her Don’t Stop Believin’ empire… When I started WigPR, I wanted to work the Pharmacy and approached Megan. Pieces fell into place and I was given the opportunity to work a whole slew of her bands, one of which turned out to be the amazing Team Gina, and the rest is history…
10.) Name a few of your favorite music magazines.
WigPR specializes in press so we are always deep into the writ. We’re big fans of The Fader, Paste, Skyscraper, Filter, Magnet, Interview, BUST, Venus Zine, Under The Radar, among so many more.
And we love Mark Baumgarten!
