Founding an internationally renowned record label and making your podcast a hit – Be On Air Podcast
I had a chance to sit down with my dear friend, amazing musician, educator, and entrepreneur, Keli Marks. Keli was in a band called Bassline Drift which released several albums and songs on Gravitas. We also went on to found Gravitas Create and he was a seminal force in Gravitas for many years.When I was managing Beats Antique, I was able to help Bassline Drift open for them during one of their runs through Colorado.
After his band broke up, he started Podcast Farm and his own podcast, Be On Air.
Show Notes:
1. On What He Looks for in Artists
Jesse emphasizes authenticity and work ethic over just raw numbers.
• Unique Voice: He looks for artists who have moved past emulating others to find their own sound. “I want to hear people that have their own take on it… If you sound like someone… there’s no problem with that, but I want to hear people that have their own style.”
• Behavior & Attitude: He checks social media to ensure potential signees aren’t polarizing or negative. “We want to be very positive. We want to be very uplifting. We want to be future forward, progressive problem solving, inspirational people.”
• Work Ethic: He values a desire to collaborate and follow directions. “I really look for a work ethic… desire to sort of collaborate on the process.”
2. On the Origin of Gravitas Recordings
Jesse discusses how his background in computer science and the Austin music scene merged.
• The Spark: After attending Burning Man in 2008 and seeing artists like The Glitch Mob, he was inspired by the “freedom of expression” and participation culture.
• The Name: He chose the name “Gravitas” after the word resonated with him, signifying “integrity or weight or meaning.”
• Early Success: The first release by artist Cryptex became a breakout hit on CD Baby and YouTube, validating his “pay what you want” model combined with email collection. “Quality music plus emails really kind of means something.”
3. On Gravitas Create & Community
• Concept: Originally envisioned as a pillar for education, it allows the label to “repackage” content (like stems and samples) to get more mileage out of releases.
• Naming: There was internal debate about calling it “Gravitas Studio,” but Jesse fought for “Create” because it was a verb that called people to action. “I couldn’t feel more validated… I still say it, and I feel compelled for myself to create.”
4. On Consciousness & Psychedelics
Jesse and K.Lee discuss the role of psychedelics in creativity and trauma recovery.
• Perspective Shift: Jesse describes the experience as seeing the world “in a whole new light,” similar to how a child sees things for the first time.
• Problem Solving: He compares the creative breakthroughs on psychedelics to the “aha” moments that happen after sleep, where the brain overlays different ideas to form new neural pathways.
5. Recommendations (Rapid Fire)
• Book: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell or Own the Day, Own Your Life by Aubrey Marcus.
• Podcast: The Tim Ferriss Show.
• Music: The Emergence compilation curated by CloZee.
