Report: Rock Music Poised For A Revival

BY Nate Rau, Nashville Tennessean

Scott Borchetta, John Varvatos

Scott Borchetta made his fortune in the country music world. John Varvatos spent the last three decades carving out a career as a fashion industry magnate.

These are not the likeliest of professional backgrounds for co-heads of a Nashville-based rock 'n' roll label. And yet, Borchetta and Varvatos have a vision for their rock 'n' roll partnership that is equally as grandiose as it is unlikely: to revive rock 'n' roll.

Fifteen months into the joint venture, Big Machine/John Varvatos Records has scored a No. 1 song with badflower’s "Ghost."

badflower

“We’re both so passionate about music in general, but for sure the genre,” Varvatos said, lamenting how rock’s status has slipped compared with its peer genres. “It’s really been kind of kicked to the side of the road a bit.

Varvatos and Borchetta said the most important skill for which bands they ink to record deals is quality of songwriting.

"It may sound cliche to say this in Nashville, but it really is all about the song," said Borchetta, alluding to Nashville's status as a songwriting town first and foremost.

Borchetta said he believes the time is right for a rock revival after a couple of decades of pop, hip-hop and electronic music winning over young people.

"We’re seeing for the first time in 20-plus years kids who are angry picking up guitars and they have something to say," Borchetta said.

Borchetta added that the rock format is too fragmented. Radio stations brand themselves as alternative or active rock. There are multiple rock charts on Billboard's chart lists.

To address that issue, Borchetta and Varvatos partnered with Cumulus for the Next2Rock competition to find the next great rock band. Newly signed to their label, Chicago-based Friday Pilots Club won this year's competition.

Troy Hanson, vice president of rock programming for Cumulus, said he appreciates the ambitious nature of the Big Machine/Varvatos partnership. Hanson said there are few examples of rock producing bands that achieve massive commercial success, which is a common occurrence with other genres.

Varvatos and Borchetta made clear they are not hunting for bands to headline small rock clubs. Even though the next great band might be performing tremendous shows at their local clubs, Varvatos and Borchetta are looking for bands that can fill the world's largest and most prominent venues.