ITS - So what influenced you to start up XOXO Entertainment?
Adam - "I've been in the music business most of my life and it felt like a natural progression to start my own label. I had a meeting with the President of Universal Music Canada, Randy Lennox, and 15 minutes into the meeting he looked at me and said "wait a minute, we don't have a label deal with you?" Then he buzzed his assistant and said, start the paperwork and let's marry this guy… I've been very fortunate to be surrounded by the amazing team at Universal Music, and love that XOXO has the opportunity to work so close with such exceptional people. I also am blessed to have the team I have at XOXO… my right hand person, Jackie Sonegra is literally our Swiss army knife… she has so many talents and puts her heart and soul into everything she does… so from the very heart of it all XOXO had to happen!"
ITS - Why the name XOXO entertainment?
Adam - "I love everything Asian… I love the various cultures, I love the style, the cities in Asia, and somehow when trying to brainstorm a name for the label, XOXO jumped out and instantly felt like the perfect name for us. For some reason, it reminds me so much of Tokyo… the vibrance and warmth that Tokyo exudes. XOXO also means hugs and kisses, so it's part tongue and cheek, but it's also loving and positive. Our company is all about positivity. It's also about teamwork, and we truly appreciate all of the support we get so the hugs and kisses are definitely in order for all of our supporters!"
ITS - Now a lot of record labels have a certain type of music they want to be associated with, what style of music do you prefer as a producer?
Adam - "Personally I love radio. I love the excitement of it. I love the ever-changing new music, so that is really the kind of music I like to produce. As a fan of music, I love all genres… I am a massive old-school fan, and I love early R&B… from the 60's to the 90's, I love it all! As a Producer, I like to challenge myself. I've been fortunate enough throughout my career to learn from some pretty exceptional Producers and Writers, so I really just try to make them proud and keep the bar held as high as my mentors set it."
ITS - When you are working on a song how long from start to finish does it take you for that song.
Adam - "It really depends. I'm a perfectionist with a little bit of OCD so some songs take longer than others. I'm not the kind of person to sit back and love the first carnation of a song… as a writer, I like to dissect the lyric so it really pays off in the song… and when it comes to composing the music i tend to take a long time… so generally throughout the course of writing and producing a song, I work it, re-work it, and re-work some more it until I am happy with it… and often that takes a week or longer… and generally until the song is released, I am probably exploring ways to try and better it.
That being said, some songs just work and they come together almost effortlessly, but once we start mixing everything changes and I tend to get over-picky again! Remember when I mentioned I have a bit of OCD?!?!"
ITS - Tell us what it's like to work with artists like Elise Estrada, Celeb and Desirae
Adam - "All three of these artists are special to me. When I work with an artist, they become family. If they fall, I fall with them… if they soar, we all fly… so there is definitely love that goes into each project. Obviously I have been working with Elise Estrada since the very beginning and I am so proud of what we have accomplished together. She is the queen of XOXO and she really sets the standard on how an artist should be. The girl is driven, focussed, and exceptional in every way. With all of her talent and success, Elise always stayed grounded. I know a lot of people say that about artists, but it's 100% real with Elise. Both of her feet are on the ground and she is the most humble, appreciative artist you could ever meet.
I remember doing concerts in front of sold out arenas with The Backstreet Boys, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Etc… thousands of people singing the words to our songs at the top of their lungs… stadiums electrified by her, and as soon as she would get off the stage, she would immediately want to lock the dressing room door and critique what she could improve on. She never got caught up in the fandemonium, she just continues to work harder and harder to be the best person she can be… not just the best artist, but the best person… and that is the greatest trait an artist can have in my humble opinion.
Celeb reminds me a lot of me… he is intense and always keeps his eye on the prize. He wants to learn everything he can about the business and he's hungry… and he's a team player as well and will do anything for the team. He's awesome!
And Desirae is a little firecracker! I started working with her when she was 11 years old… we had no idea what would happen, but we tried a song called "Crushin'". The video got added right away into heavy Rotation, and before we knew it, she was performing in front of a packed stadium in the U.S. with a bunch of other little Disney pop stars! She had never really performed in that capacity before and naturally she was very nervous… sick to her stomach if I remember correctly! But that little firecracker ran out on stage and had the arena screaming for more!
All three of these artists amaze me. They are family and we are all in this together, so naturally I am so proud of them all!"
ITS - Having a label based in Vancouver with 604 records in the mix who have some well established bands, do you find it difficult to get the word out on your label?
Adam - "Not really… The Music Industry is pretty tight knit and when you are making noise, people notice. I've been doing this for a lot of years so I've been receiving tons of demos for years. When a song is on the radio and people like it, they research it and they find us… I also try and be very approachable because I remember how many doors slammed in my face along the way… I'm the kind of person that tries to encourage not discourage others. Anyone can succeed if they work hard enough and I try and let the up and comers know that. Regardless if my company signs an artist or not, we will always show love and support.
…And as far as having other labels in the mix is a good thing not a bad thing. The more avenues artists have to succeed, the better. When hits come out of Vancouver, and Canada for that matter, I am proud. It doesn't matter who puts that record out, I am just happy that it's out and doing well. I love a lot of the 604 bands. They are a very smart label and have done some monumental things, so I think that is very good for our city and our country."
ITS - Final question- what advice do you have for upcoming bands and artists that are trying to work towards getting signed to a label.
Adam - "Don't get discouraged. Getting a Record Deal in this day and age is harder than it ever has been… but that doesn't mean you can't make it. Learn as many aspects of the business as you can. With today's technology you don't always even need a record deal. Look at Macklemore, he made the noise without a deal and is now an international superstar. anything is possible if you work hard enough for it… this isn't rocket science.
But that being said, don't expect it to work out over night… that only happens in movies. It takes a ton of work and preparation, so work for it and prepare yourself for that moment when luck comes your way. The luck will happen, eventually so you need to be ready for it. Make music because you love to make music… if you take that approach you will never be disappointed. :-)"
if you want to contact Adam you can follow him on social media
Twitter - @Adamhxoxo
Facebook - Adam H.Hurstfield
Instagram - Adam Hurstfield
Check out his most recent work with Elise Estrada with her new hit U Don't Need 2 Know - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7OQRyPWWFA
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