Ever wonder who’s behind your favorite Yep Roc releases? Every month we’ll introduce one Yep Roc employee with a personal Spotify playlist and a quirky caricature from our creative designer, Nathan Golub.

This month, we’re profiling Walt Lilly, Yep Roc’s Streaming Promotions Coordinator. Walt’s job is to organize all of the digital and streaming information for all of Yep Roc and Yep Roc’s associated label releases. Below, is a Spotify playlist Walt has curated with some of his favorite songs and artists. Enjoy!

Where are you from?

I grew up in North Wilkesboro, NC, in the foothills, about an hour out of Boone. It’s actually where Merlefest takes place. I skipped prom to see Steve Martin do his banjo thing there.

Streaming is the fastest growing mode of music consumption. As Streaming Promotions Coordinator, how do you deal with and manage an area that is constantly growing and changing?

You have to do your best to stay ahead of the curve. I go through a lot of new platforms to try to predict what’s next. You have to apply science to an area where you can’t exactly apply science. It’s a lot about knowing and understanding each individual streaming or digital service, seeing how they do things and how they all fit into the broader landscape.

Are there any specific streaming projects that you are working on right now?

We’re pulling together some exciting stuff for Grant-Lee Phillips’ new album The Narrows that I think people are really gonna like.

Do you have any favorite Yep Roc Spotify Playlists?

Dave Alvin’s Van Tapes is pretty good. Working on that and seeing how Dave is keeping his old mixtape tradition alive via ones and zeroes is nice.

What’s your favorite part about working at Yep Roc?

You get to have your fingers in a lot of different pies. Getting to touch all these different projects is what it’s all about.

If you didn’t work in the music industry, what would you be doing?

Probably something else in media. I like working with video-type stuff, but I’m not sure what I’d do specifically in the video space. I do some video stuff on the side for funsies.

What do you most enjoy doing outside of work?

I do some music videos. I have a lot of friends in “the scene,” and still work on stuff with old pals from my college radio days.

How would you describe your music tastes?

Whatever’s fresh.

What was the first live show you ever saw?

2006. I was at Carowinds, I saw Weird Al on the Straight Outta Lynwood Tour. I remember it like it was yesterday, he did something like 30 costume changes and it was a two and a half hour set. He closed with “Albuquerque” and my 8th grade heart was just aflutter.

What’s your favorite Yep Roc release?

I really liked RUFF by Born Ruffians and working with that release. I liked all the milestones on the release, all of the music videos and everything that came along with that. That was a fun one.

What actor would play you in a movie about your life?

(Pauses) If this was a Ghostbusters reboot gender-swap version, probably Glenn Close. That’s the best answer I have for that.

Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions?

Cook more. I don’t ever cook, but when I do, I love it. I just hate going to the grocery store.

If you could be stranded on a desert island with any Yep Roc artist or band, who would it be with and why?

Probably Robyn Hitchcock because I feel like he’d be pretty good at waxing poetic about the situation. I’ve never met him in person, but his tweets make him seem like he’d be good at that.

 

Tags: born ruffians, Dave Alvin, Grant-Lee Phillips, Van Tapes