Peter Jesperson On Music: “Aim For Your Audience’s Pockets And You’ll Miss Their Hearts By A Mile”

Peter Jesperson, noted record store maestro, music executive, DJ, manager, tour manager, label founder, and life-long music hound, has issued his memoir, Euphoric Recall (Minnesota Historical Society Press.)

Since its release, Euphoric Recall has received glowing reviews from readers and media outlets. Additionally, musicians such as Jody Stephens (Big Star), Peter Buck (R.E.M.) and Craig Finn (The Hold Steady) have praised the book for its behind-the-scenes tales; for Jesperson’s music-obsessed background, his own experiences living a rock-n-roll life, and evangelizing & supporting artists he believed in.

He answered a few questions from The Daily World Reporter about long his career.

DWR: You came up through the world of record stores and radio, now both on the wane. How will that affect what we hear in the future?

PETER JESPERSON: While I lament the waning, more music is available to more people now than ever before … so, in some ways, that’s a good thing. But on the other hand, I think we’ve lost much of the authority that the best radio and record store people provided to the audience. When I say “the best … people,” I mean the ones who took their jobs seriously, had done their homework and were essentially students of the field. They were the folks we trusted to guide us in our music choices, be it new or old. Of course, there are lots of good, informed people in the streaming business, and at the digital service providers (DSPs) too. But my sense is that we now have too many ‘influencers’ who don’t have any sort of broad knowledge or sense of history running those companies, and I think that has become a problem. Sort of ‘the blind leading the blind,’ if you will.

DWR: What makes someone a real music person?

PJ: Someone who cares deeply about music, has been at it for a reasonable amount of time, and is well-versed in the field, present and past.

DWR: A lot of bands seem to be building their careers in short vids on TikTok and Facebook and other social. What’s your take on how that will make a difference in their careers?

PJ: Like with any new music trend, there are people who are actual artists with talent who use social media to their advantage, and others who are amateurs doing it just for fun. Both are capable of making some great music, and both are valid. But most amateurs don’t stick with it and/or won’t be consistent enough to hold an audience’s attention in the long run, while the true artists will use TikTok (and the like) as a springboard or an adjunct to a career in music.

DWR: What year was peak music industry, in your view?

PJ: There wasn’t just one. There have been, and there will continue to be, many peaks. Though I will say the mid-’60s, when you could turn on the radio and hear a new song by The Beatles, followed by a new one by The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, The Beach Boys, The Supremes, Dusty Springfield, Curtis Mayfield, or The Kinks is tough to beat. These artists were giants in their field, and they were all going on at the same time. That much high art coming together simultaneously doesn’t happen very often.

DWR: You worked with several artists who had substance abuse issues. If you had to do it again, what would your tolerance for that be?

PJ: First off, if I had it to do again, I would try to curb my own use better than I did. Other than that, I would do what I did in the past – navigate working with artists who were partaking to the best of my ability.

DWR: What are the elements of a strong regional/local music scene? Can any city have one?

PJ: Yes, any city can have one. It requires certain ingredients: a talented pool of artists, smartly run live music venues, hopefully some well-curated record stores, and an enthusiastic audience that supports them all.

DWR: Everyone recognized Athens, Minnesota, and Seattle as music scenes. What are some cities that don’t get that level of recognition that have a strong scene?

PJ: Philadelphia, Austin, Chapel Hill, Portland, Melbourne & Brisbane (Australia).

DWR: What music from your career will we still be listening to 100 years from now? Not looking for the Beatles or Stones, but bands you’ve worked with.

PJ: Among others, The Replacements, The Jayhawks, Big Star, NRBQ, Jack Logan, The Leatherwoods, Daniel Romano, Gold Star, American Music Club/Mark Eitzel.

DWR: What’s your opinion of the K-pop approach to making music?

PJ: I’d say some great songs have come out of K-Pop, but I’m not sure there have been any great albums. It’s too formulaic, and driven by making money. As a wise man once said, “Aim for your audience’s pockets and you’ll miss their hearts by a mile.”

DWR: We’re staging a Kennedy Center Honors for you. Who would be your presenter and artist that performs for you?

PJ:  Presenter: Tommy Stinson. Artist: The Replacements.