Thank you for checking out ‘The Industry According To’. This series runs each Tuesday, and features radio and record industry executives, managers, programmers, talent, artists, and professionals from all areas of the business world. To be considered as a future guest, email me at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com.
The music industry is massive. Thousands of jobs, companies, brands, and artists, all chasing different goals. Today we look into the record label side of the business with Heather Luke.
Heather has become one of the more powerful voices in music. She has worn hats in promotion, marketing, management, signing acts, being at the ground levels for some of the industry’s biggest artists, and recently she orchestrated the launch of Big Machine Rock with Gebbia Media.
The New Playbook
Keith: You’ve held major roles at multiple labels. Compared to how labels operated 10-15 years ago, what’s been the biggest structural or strategic change? How have you and your team had to adapt?
Heather: The biggest shift is that gut instinct isn’t enough anymore. That’s tough since I’ve trusted my gut my entire career. We’re more data driven now than ever, especially around superfans. I’ve focused on fan engagement for years, but now it’s the North Star. Everything we do from A&R, promotion, marketing, and release strategy needs to hit that superfan that will ride with that artist for years, not just that viral moment.
Birth of Big Machine Rock
Keith: You’ve long been a catalyst for Rock and Alternative, working artists like Linkin Park and Red Hot Chili Peppers, but launching a Rock label in 2025 is very bold. What did you and Big Machine Rock see that told you this is the right time to go all-in on Rock? What’s the long game?
Heather: There’s a new generation of artists cracking the genre wide open. Look at the some of the biggest artists in pop culture right now. Most of them have rock in their DNA. I love to see artists like Yungblud, Halsey, boygenius, and Wetleg pave the way for new rock.
The long game is to create a real home for career artists, not just “projects”. Artist development, lifestyle, identity and community is our focus. We’re building roots and not chasing trends.
What’s the Real Label Value
Keith: Many newer artists have been indoctrinated to think all they need is social media to develop an audience. When you sit down with a young artist you might sign, what’s the label value you emphasize to get them to understand that having a label partner is important and there’s more to building a career than having a moment on TikTok?
Heather: At Big Machine Rock we say, “Be the Movement not the Moment”. Moments come and go while movements stick. Artists can build momentum on their own and they should. Our role is to create the plan, build the team, a brand, and a long-term career. We’re here to amplify the artist’s vision and creativity by building strategy that can move them forward. We all know that it takes a village but the right village matters.
Artist Development in the TikTok Era
Keith: Pros like you used to discover artists in clubs and bars and patiently build them from the ground up. These days, artists can explode overnight without any label help. How has artist development evolved and what’s the key role of today’s label?
Heather: Artist development is my passion. Many believe that it went away but it just looks different now. You can go viral overnight but it doesn’t set you up to headline a club, tour, or festival. The label’s job is to help build something that survives over time. We help strategize with identity, touring, song writing, and build real relationships with fans.
Rock Labels & Radio
Keith: Radio may not be breaking new artists or records like it once did, but you’ve always been a big supporter. What should the relationship between Rock Radio and Rock Labels look like in 2026 and beyond?
Heather: Radio isn’t the gate keeper anymore, but it’s still a powerful amplifier. It builds tour markets, reaches real communities, gives artists credibility that you can’t get loading up on playlists. Last I checked, the industry still watches the the radio charts and they move the needle with agents, promoters and press.
All of our artists want to hear their song on the radio. They equate that with success. Making it! So yes, we’ll keep showing up for radio in 2026 and beyond. Our strategy and targets will just be different.
Metrics Mania
Keith: First week spins, streams and playlists adds are still important, but we also know that game can be gamed. With today’s tech, there are endless metrics. What data do you trust most when you’re evaluating an artist’s potential for the long-haul?
Heather: I trust the metrics that you can’t fake. Are the fans saving and sharing the song? Are they listening all the way through and more than once? Are fans buying tickets, merchandise, and coming back? We evaluate fan behavior and passion to help us predict longevity. Are the numbers holding when the push slows down? Are people still listening on day 10, day 30, and day 90? That tells me if the music actually stuck.
From there, is the audience growing organically? Not just paid boosts or algorithm luck. Are new listeners finding the artist on their own, saving the music, sharing it, making content with it? That’s real momentum. If those behaviors are there and they’re consistent, that’s what tells me an artist has long-term potential. Anyone can create a moment. We’re looking for signs they can sustain a movement.
Is it the Music or the Money
Keith: Let’s excuse Big Machine Rock from this question because I know you’ve always been about music first, but given all your experience, what do most labels really care about — the music or the money?
Heather: It’s both. Great music builds great business. The labels that win are the ones that believe and invest in their artists for the long term and don’t take the shortcut. I’m thrilled to see artists thriving that have been at it for years. In some cases artists are having their biggest moments decades later.
Next For Big Machine Rock
Keith: I’m sure you love all your label’s artists like they’re your kids, but which band or artist on Big Machine Rock is the one we’ll soon be hearing a lot more about?
Heather: We’re building a killer roster at Big Machine Rock for 2026 that will be a diverse one. Wes Parker is our newest signing. We just released his new EP, ‘fantom’ on 10/31. He’s the real deal and I’m excited to see him go the distance. It’s refreshing to hear how people react when they see his show. The music is infectious. I saw Wes Parker at the Basement in Nashville and I was all in on the first song. He’s definitely going to be on the “Ones to Watch” lists top of 2026.
The One Story
Keith: Before you go, what’s your best story: success, nightmare, or pure madness or hilarity.
Heather: My whole career started by accident. I was answering phones for KJEE Santa Barbara, and trying to save money in college to go backpack in Europe. Maybe some of you reading this remember calling on me when I didn’t know that the PD meant program director or what an add was on the radio station. Mortifying. I had no idea what I was doing, but I learned to thrive in the chaos, energy, and discovery of new music. I’m forever grateful to the people who helped me find my path and have supported me along the way.
To learn more about Big Machine Rock, click here.
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Keith Cunningham is a music industry and Rock/Alternative columnist for Barrett Media and the founder of Black Box Group, a modern-modeled creative & strategic consultancy built for brands that need strategies with teeth. He’s the former Master of Mayhem at 95.5 KLOS-FM in Los Angeles for over a decade, a nationwide consultant, and has been repeatedly voted one of America’s top Program Directors and strategic thinkers. Keith has built his career by taking multi-million-dollar brands from worst to first and leading Marconi & Gracie award winners along the way. A data nerd with a rock-and-roll heart, he is an advisory council member for St. Jude fundraising, a fantasy football champion, and lover of his daughters & dogs. Reach him at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com or on LinkedIn or X.
