Music has an odd way of taking hold of
This much can be said of 22-year-old Eitan Schorr aka Ox, owner of
Ox has made a lot of decisive moves in the last handful of years that have paved out a serious lane for him. He’s been on a daring journey from working with rising hip-hop acts, to interning at Atlantic, to being Mike Posner’s assistant, to founding a label and management team. All within the last two to three years.
I had the chance to speak with Ox about the roller coaster ride he’s been on, and what led him down the path he’s currently on. We also spoke about what his plans are with the artists he’s now representing and nurturing with F.A.M. The Label.
Plug In The Ox (Exclusive Interview)
Where Did You Start With Music?
Ox regaled me with a tale that only further exhumed his dedication to leaving an indelible mark on the music industry, as well as honestly helping others succeed. He told me he was going to the University of Oregon a few years back, with his mind more on making beats and rapping than it was on academia.
While working with his fraternity brother,
Once Zavy was on board, everything fell into place a lot more. Ox said they made a few tracks together, and then “I realized I’m stronger in other areas, and my friends needed a manager, so I became that.” It was from here that Ox knew that the music industry was his path to chase, and left U of O.
What Happened After You Left School?
Ox said he dove headfirst into the music industry after leaving college, applying to every internship in Los Angeles that he could find. He finally got one, doing an A&R (artist and repertoire) internship at Atlantic Records for a semester. This led to one of the most influential experiences in the music industry.
How Did The Mike Posner Gig Happen?
Shortly after his internship, his former intern boss hit him up out of the blue to ask the randomest favor—drive Mike Posner’s van through the Rockies back to Burbank. Immediately accepting the mission, Ox made the trip through the Rockies for Mike. Less than two weeks go by and his same former boss rings him asking if he’d have interest in a job as Posner’s assistant. The following sequence of events went by fast as Ox was told which hotel to meet Posner at for an interview.
Ox arrives at the hotel to see Posner exiting and gesturing for him to hop into an Uber with him. During this 30 minute ride to a new hotel Ox said he was interviewing him, asking him “are you ok with doing this and that, what’s your schedule, what are your habits…” Ox then got out of the Uber and met with Posner’s day-to-day manager, who said “Mike likes you, you start this day, it pays this much.” Ox cryptically said to me in reference to taking the odd job driving the van for Posner, “that’s what it takes to get on their radar.” He went on to work for Mike for around five months while he was preparing for his Walk Across America.
How Did The Label Form?
After soaking up tons of game doing A&R internships and working with Mike Posner, Ox really knew how to approach supporting Watr Cup and Zavy. He then began doing what any other person playing every role of artist management would—he got to work. Ox then underwent growth expanding his management services, taking on other artists, booking shows, getting features on blogs, the works.
When enough traction was being made, creating the label made sense. Ox said that F.A.M. was made with creatives and business minds alike, “creating something in the same vision of an independent artist rivaling a major label.” They began the label just before February of 2018. This was the real rise and reckoning of “Plug In The Ox.” He’s currently attending the Berklee College of Music online for Music Business amidst all of this.
How Did You Find Your Other Artists?
Aside from knowing Watr Cup and Zavy from University of Oregon, Ox has been finding artists from everywhere. One of his two other artists, Sly, he found through a homie at Elevator connecting them. His other artist, PRZNT, sent an email to him way back wanting to collaborate on music. As soon as he went full force with his management, he began working with PRZNT to grow his career.
How Do You Go About Releasing Content With Your Artists In The Digital Age?
“Don’t put out an EP or album until there’s demand,” Ox curtly said. “It’s important to kind of like, throw darts, and one might hit the bullseye.” He went on to say “that’s kind of what we’re doing right now. And it all of the darts are high quality and you put them all over, then likely someone’s going to like it and
What Can We Expect From The Label In 2019?
Having previously sold out WOW Hall in Eugene (600+ attendees,) Ox told me he’s bringing the whole label onto the bill again this coming June 1st to the Lane Center. The headliner this time around will be none other than Lil Mosey. Grab your tickets here.
Other than throwing the big show in Eugene, Ox said to expect “a lot of music videos this summer, and a lot of singles right now.” Sly and PRZNT specifically will be releasing EP’s this year. Funding is unsurprisingly the issue with a lot of F.A.M.’s endeavors at present, so the goal is to keep their heads down and grind, while often collaborating. At the rate they’re at, and with the numbers they’re putting up, something is bound to pop off sooner than later.
How Would You Describe Artist Management? What Advice Can You Give?
When he dove into it, Ox said he found himself wondering “what is artist management?” He eventually found out through trial and error that it’s a ever-growing mixture of everything. “It’s all of it, the more you can contribute to helping the artist starting out the better.” He went on to say that music is successful when 40% is solid content, while “60% of it you need to know where to put it.”
Ox said if he had one piece of advice it’d be that “if you’re not a crazy hard
