Q108 is a very cool licensed internet radio in Kingston, Ontario, Canada (not Jamaica!) supporting indie music with ongoing streaming and specialized shows. Music Talks asked Randy Skaggs, founder and owner of the station to tell us more about his radio and his day to day work.
Q: Hi Randy, could you tell our readers about you and what you do?
A: I’m just your average Canuck who digs hockey, good friends and music, especially rock. I work full time at a conferencing center, share a lovely home with my wife, Shelley and our cat, Jinx. Without Shelley’s undying support, there would be no Q108 Kingston.
Q: When did you start Q108 Kingston and what motivated you to do it?
A: It started back in January 2014 as a concept developed over a few brewskies with a good friend. We both loved music, we both loved comedy and thought it would be fun to share both with friends over the Internet. We hammered out ideas and came up with what was then called R & J’s Classic Mix. We developed newsroom and street characters and played only mainstream music. The true motivation came when we began getting submissions from indie artists. Having no idea at the time what indie meant, we just ignored those. After a few weeks we decided to check them out – and lo and behold, we were hooked. We started adding indie tracks of all genres to the rotation. Within 6 months we were predominately indie and changed the station name to Q108 Kingston. My buddy moved on and I have been carrying on ever since.
Q: Did you have prior experience in radio before that?
A: Yes, midnight on air host at CISS 1140 AM in Calgary as well as over 20 years of being a DJ at weddings, parties and bars.
Q: What is your first radio-related memory?
A: The first time I heard She Loves You by the Beatles. I was hooked and just had to find out who they were. I would hang around the radio for hours, hoping to hear anything by these guys.
Q: Do you do live shows, or do you pre-record?
A: For the most part, I pre-record. So much fun adding the special sound effects and stuff. I will do LIVE ‘shows’ Saturday nights for friends that request music for parties and such but the talking is limited.
Q: Do you have live acts during your shows?
A: Not at this time. That will come when I can afford and set up the proper equipment.
Q: Do you do artists interviews?
A: Yes. When the chance arises. Been lucky to chat with some very unique and personable artists. Past interviews are posted on the ‘ON DEMAND’ page at our website at www.q108kingstonindie.com
Q: Is your radio purely internet or do you also air on FM/AM? Where can we find you?
A: Purely internet. You can access our station at www.q108kingstonindie.com. There are links for our popup app and the ‘TuneIn’ app there as well.
Q: Are you alone running the radio, or do you have people helping?
A: For the most part, it’s just me running the station. I do have artists who chip in by sending me drops, promos, etc. I look after the web site, promoting, producing and music on my own.
Q: Is the radio in a special studio or are you running it from home?
A: My ‘studio’ is actually in the den of our home.
Q: How much time do you spend preparing your shows/running the radio?
A: I average anywhere from 20 – 40 hours a week on the station.
Q: Do you play unsigned music only or also commercial music?
A: 90 % independent. We added mainstream rock from the 80’s and 90’s because it fits in so well with our format – you can’t tell the difference because the indie music coming out is just as good if not better in some cases.
Q: What kind of music do you play?
A: Indie rock, metal, alternative and pop rock.
Q: What kind of music do you like?
A: I like just about every genre out there. EDM is my second favorite style of music.
Q: How do you find the music you play?
A: 90 % comes through submissions from the artists themselves. Other sources include MixTrade, iPluggers and YouTube.
Q: Do you have sponsors? How is the radio funded?
A: No sponsors yet but hopefully one day. All expenses come from our own pockets. Again, I thank my lovely wife for her continued support and allowing me to pursue this.
Q: Could you tell us about your typical radio day?
A: First thing I do when I get home from work is go through the submissions. If I like the music, I will add it to the rotation and send the artists a welcome e-mail. Next is updating the web site and getting syndicated shows ready for the week. Then I will work on any promotions, editing and producing that needs to be done. I will often work on station in the morning before heading to work as well.
Q: What is your feeling about streaming platforms, like Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube, etc.?
A: While they are needed for the artists to promote and get their music out there, I feel the artists deserve to be paid a lot more from these services, especially from Spotify.
Q: How much presence do you have on social media? Do you think it's important to be there and what do you do to promote your radio?
A: I currently run 2 pages on Facebook, a Q108 page and a group page called Q108 ROCKERS. I also use twitter and an automated service that posts what’s currently playing every 15 minutes to my Twitter page. I definitely believe social media is needed to spread the word for anyone.
Q: What advice would you give to unsigned artists who would like to submit to your radio?
A: Be patient. Promote, promote, promote. And when sending out submissions, make sure the files you send are high quality, preferably mastered and properly tagged (usually mp3 format as that is what most stations support). Also provide as much band info as you can, along with pics and social media links. Too many artists just send out tracks with poor sound quality that isn’t fit for airplay or with no band info. I will automatically delete those. Also check out the stations you are submitting to make sure your music fits their format. Don’t get discouraged if your songs don’t get picked up or you don’t hear back from the station. You need to learn to thrive on rejection. Also, stay in touch with the stations(s) that do pick you up and support them when you can. Now, you may have a lot of stations that you submitted to, so keep track. They deserve support as well. Too many times do I run across artists who have been played and then you never hear from unless it’s to suit their needs. We are all one big team and the best way to have all this work is to support one another.
Q: What advice would you give to unsigned artists for their career?
A: First and foremost, do it for the love of music. Don’t get side tracked or think you need to change to make it into mainstream or you need to make it onto the stations TOP 10 (or whatever) charts to be successful. Be true to yourselves and your music. Somewhere out there someone will pick you up.
Q: Do you have any issues with the world of unsigned music, or the world of internet radios, things that bugs you and/or you'd like to talk about?
A: There seems to be a definite lack of support for one another. Rarely do I see other artists posting comments on songs/artists I promote in Facebook or anywhere else. Except in the country genre – they really seem to stick together. I also find there is a huge saturation of online indie stations, so it is tough to make your station stand out. You really have to try and be unique.
Q: Do you think you get enough support from your listeners and the artists you play?
A: Of course, I want more…I strive to be #1…lol. I would say Yes and no. I have a dedicated group of followers who give support on a daily basis. However, I also realize it’s tough for the artists to tune in or promote – especially on the weekends when they are out (hopefully) doing gigs or locked away in the recording studio. There used to be a time when I got caught up in the numbers and very discouraged by the poor turnout of listeners. But you can’t let that get to you or get you down. All you can do is keep plugging away. I get satisfaction knowing I am doing my part to get the artists music out there and promote. I can’t force people to tune in but when they do, it’s my job to give them the best listening experience I can.
Q: Any band/artist that has impressed you last year that you would like people to know about?
A: That’s a difficult question because I get so many fantastic submissions. But if I had to choose one band/artist it would be Toronto’s Lyric Dubee. This young artist has come a long way in a short time, and you feel his growth and maturity in each new song he releases. I respect artists that experiment or try diversity in the music they put out. Honourable mention would go to Griffin Tucker, a young Texas rocker doing the exact same thing.
Q: Any plans for Q108 Kingston in 2019? Or beyond?
A: Play it day by day and continue to do things to improve the station. I will be working with a successful artist on a new comedy skit featuring 2 characters that will soon debut on my weekly EYE ON INDIE show. We have a good concept and excited about seeing how that turns out.
Q: Anything else you'd want to add?
A: Just to thank you for this opportunity. It’s kinda humbling to be talking about Q108 and my passion. I hope people find it interesting and of course, will tune in!
Links to Q108
Website: https://q108kingstonindie.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaestroRandy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Q108Kingston/