Justin Kibbel and Rosalind Greiert.
For many young bands, making music is the easy part. What is daunting is getting the music out into the world. Justin Kibbel, who works as a booker at the High Noon Saloon, has seen the struggle from the other side.
“I always hated turning away bands because either the High Noon was too big for them, or they didn’t have a really good press kit, or they didn’t have the history in Madison,” he says.
To help these young talents, Kibbel and Rosalind Greiert founded This Means War, a management and promotion company, in 2015. Greiert already had a working knowledge of how to handle some of the nitty-gritty of promotion. Since 2013, she’s been the frontwoman and manager for Madison power-poppers Heavy Looks.
“I asked Justin if I could shadow him at the High Noon, and we got talking and realized that we both have this desire to help music grow in the community and elsewhere,” says Greiert.
With their combined connections and experience, the pair have been able to put together a network of small, inexpensive venues that are willing to book shows with early-career artists who need exposure. “We can help bands out in marketing, whether it’s [learning] how to craft a good email to a venue or how to book a tour,” says Kibbel.
This Means War currently has three artists on its roster: Heavy Looks, Madison folk-pop duo Seasaw and Appleton-based troubadour Christopher Gold. According to Gold, working with Kibbel and Greiert has been “terrific.”
“Their shared passion for music and helping musicians they believe in is inspiring,” says Gold, whose self-released album, Whichever Way Home, Kibbel and Greiert helped promote. Gold says This Means War helped expand his digital presence.
“I’m a caveman,” he says. “They’ve helped get the record to digital distributors that I’ve all but ignored in the past.”
Although the business calls itself a “record label” on its Facebook page, there are no immediate plans to produce albums, and Kibbel says he is content to let This Means War grow at its own pace. Future plans may include releasing records and hosting panel discussions and workshops with industry professionals for musicians who want to learn more about promotion.
