“This is the kind of question that I love to start conversations around,” says KROQ’s Midday Host Nicole Alverez. “I think the state of Alternative is always strong. I think Alternative has a different kind of backbone and a different purpose. Is it the prom queen at the moment? No, but there will never be a world without Alternative music. I truly believe that this genre captures the depth and complexities of the human experience better than any other. I am so excited about the great artists emerging from it every single day.”
Alvarez has been with “The World Famous KROQ” for the last 21 years. “I started in Jacksonville, FL, at a station called Planet Radio 93.3 after suffering the first break-up of my life,” she explains. “I was devastated, and I figured that the only way to survive that ordeal was to get into radio and go to as many concerts as possible. It worked, and to this day, that guy says I am the one that got away. I had a brief stint on a station I grew up listening to in Miami called Zeta 94.9 before getting the call to audition for KROQ. I’ve been there ever since, so that went well.”
“I love what I do,” says Alvarez. “Additionally, I am working with several mentors to learn all the aspects of the music business, and I am writing something special. My main passion is music, and I spend a lot of time traveling to shows and festivals and learning all that I can while still remaining a huge fan.”
“I wanted to get into radio when I was about 10. It was my hometown rock station. I would listen to it and hear all the cool interviews with musicians and hear about all the shows that all the hosts would go to, and because I could not imagine a life where that was not what I was supposed to be doing, it was not a matter of ‘If,’ it was just ‘when.’”
“The most exciting thing I’ve experienced in my career IS my career,” says Alvarez. “It would be completely unfair to pinpoint one moment out of so many because they have all meant something to me. I would say that the day my boss hired me at KROQ was one I will never forget. Being given a Metallica interview pretty early on, standing in front of thousands of people and introing bands I love, interviewing my heroes, being able to take my friends along for the ride, having people say they have grown up listening to me, having a community, going on tour with a band I love, knowing that I have helped make some dreams come true, all of it. My entire career is the highlight. I am blessed, and my highlight is that I know gratitude on the ground floor. Interviewing my hero, Eddie Vedder is something I have not yet wrapped my head around. That might be top of the list.”
“I would say that my biggest challenge over the years has always been me. I am never satisfied with the way things are, so I’m always rocking a boat. I rock all the boats. I wouldn’t say I have overcome that, but I’ve certainly learned how to manage my whims better.”
So how goes the Alternative battle in LA? “Oh, the battle. My first instinct is to ask, ‘What battle?’. All of us love music, and we help push it out to the masses. I think we are all winning when the music gets to the people, and the people are all accounted for.”
LA is such a unique market, especially when it comes to strategizing a winning formula for both LA and Orange Counties, which are two completely different worlds. It’s a tough putt for talent and programmers, but Alvarez doesn’t obsess over it. “Aaaaaah, that strategy is something I leave to my boss,” she says. “I don’t ever want to think about anything except being myself and making sure that the audience is entertained and well-informed. I just want to be a conduit for the human experience. The way I go about it is that I make sure I know what is going on in both areas, and my job then becomes to authentically blend those worlds in a way that pays off for the listener.”
Is there enough new music out there to keep the format vibrant? “Hell, Yes!” says Alvarez. “I don’t think the problem is a lack of talent; I believe that too many people stay complacent in what they’re listening to, and anything unfamiliar is outside of their comfort zone, so they stay with what they know, hence the lack of more rapid growth in the genre. New artists really have to fight for it. I wish people were more explorative with music these days instead of letting the algorithms do a lot of the work.”
What role do you and KROQ play in the community? “I play the smallest role,” insists Alvarez. “KROQ is really such a huge part of history. Those four little letters mean so much to people. There are so many untouchable moments and so many memories attached to this brand. So many artists first and legendary relationships. I am really honored to be woven into the story, but KROQ is the big player. It means Los Angeles to so many, and even more so, it means home.”
What’s Alvarez into these days? “I listen to so much music. I honestly can’t think of a better way to spend or enrich time. Currently, I am very devoted to IDLES, Fontaines DC, and another UK band that I’m obsessed with, which is called Soft Play. I also very much dig The Lambrini Girls.”
“As far as preparing for my show? I consume music, I make sure I’m up on all my music news, and I live my life in a way that inspires my job.”
“My favorite musical collab most recently has been Zack Bryan with The Lumineers, and Jaime XX just released a collab with The Avalanches called ‘All You Children’ that blows my mind. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhAEk-j-FGo) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dILtgyQEXRA)
“I want Jaime XX to collab with Trent Reznor,” adds Alvarez. “I think they are both elite sound architects in their fields and have some DNA that I think is similar and they could both offer each other another layer of gravitas and playfulness. I pray every single day for that collab.”
So, how does Alvarez feel about the Aerosmith Announcement and Steven Tyler’s vocal injuries? “It’s heartbreaking because, after such a long ride and such a legendary career, you would hope that an artist gets to say a proper goodbye and really soak in what it’s all meant, along with the adoration and gratitude from fans all over the world. That abrupt finality would leave me feeling so incomplete.”
What would she say to young Talent who aspire to work for “The World Famous KROQ?” “I would tell them about my experiences, and I would try to help in any way I could.”
Follow Nicole Alvarez on Instagram
Charese Fruge’ is an award-winning Content, Broadcast, and Marketing executive with over 20 years of experience in markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, San Diego, and Las Vegas. As the owner of MC Media, she works with radio brands and individual talent, especially young women, helping them grow their brands and negotiate on their own behalf. She is also a Voice Actor and Voice Over Talent as well as a Freelance Writer for International Broadcast Outlets. Find her at @MCMediaOnline or www.mcmediaonline.com.
