Looking Stupid: Hey! Sorry for the delay, are you still available?
Briana Cheng: omg Jesse
LS: Sorry about the lag, that was definitely my bad
BC: i was like… did i have the wrong time???
i can do now, i might have to pause and go dj in an hr
LS: That’s fully part of the deal, all good.
How are you? What’s been up? How’s Planet B4 these days?
BC: i am good, i just started taking wellbutrin so things can be better lmao
b4 is so busy
restarting it as a label again on top of management is a lot!
LS: It’s not for everyone, but Wellbutrin made my life so much easier
How has the process of restarting been? Can you tell new readers about about what it was…before?
BC: b4 started when 4ad poached me to help them focus on “the youth” and compete with distributors at the time so I got hired as an a&r at 4ad and started an imprint thru the beggars system called b4 .. the b was for my name bri and 4 like 4ad but that has evolved
now i say the b stands for bitch jk
and the 4 is just 4 like before
LS: B4 was a thing before you got involved with AD though, wasn’t it? How did you first start putting together this idea and make it an entity?
BC: i mean i was doing a&r work at indie labels for so long starting from being a scout to consultant, etc. i had this idea of more artist friendly deals esp for the kids when i was working at downtown records and i launched downtown singles club for them which was all singles only so yes i always wanted my own little label lol
LS: I remember the first time we met you were working at 285 Kent, what made you look at that scene and go “these people need help” rather than wanting to perform yourself?
BC: whoa 285!
that was my home after running away from my jehovahs witness parents the week before i turned 18 and i was already going to diy shows and blogging on tumblr about new music and my indie outfits so i was always a fan of music
and i watched almost famous once
and thought i could be this
i was also working for an airline at LGA at the time because i thought the way to go up is to start at the ticketing counter
then flight attendant lol
LS: What sort of a&r work were you doing? It feels like you had a pretty classic outsiders entry into music, is a version how you got in still possible to get into the business that way?
BC: i had a pretty popular tumblr account that got deleted but i started reaching out to music blogs with that background and eventually got a unpaid editors job for earmilk LOL and working at 285 kent when i was 18 got me where i am now. a girl who was also working there couldnt do her XL scouting internship anymore and recommended me so thats how a&r began. i like to think a&r and music blogging is kinda similar except you’re more hands on. i do not think my experience to the industry was normal in any way
LS: Where were you running/moving from? Geographically, I mean
BC: so my parents moved around every year and they lived in queens at the time where i got my airport job and i had this old lady coworker there help me plan the runaway (i tried this so many times in the past and it never worked) to live on a couch of another music writer that i was friends in clinton hill
geographically not impressive
LS: Geographically achievable though
And in one of the only cities left where you can leave and start over again without leaving the state
BC: omg the fear of them finding me and bringing me back to be a jehovahs witness i barely used my phone for 2 yrs
LS: As you re-start certain elements of the label as a solo entity what are the biggest things that have stuck out to you?
BC: UMMMM
where do i begin
i was pushed out of my dream job for being too difficult lol
so all i knew about a label was thru this certain eco system for 6 years
it really sucks when the people you look up to fail u so maybe it was best that i didnt have my parents around? idk its kinda crazy to think that someone (s/o to bryan at ADA) is funding my label on my own terms with garrie who lives in LA (an ex intern when i was label managing dylan bradys JV dog show records) is my mini me and an army of interns so the biggest things are honestly not having someone tell me what im doing is wrong and i am too old to be following scenes and chasing clout
to be ur own support system and not project it into ur personal life lol
shit i have to go to that dj set and cant text in a car lol do u think we can pick back up soon?
LS: NP!
Is there a time tmrw that would be good to finish up the interview?
BC: im pretty free tomorrow before therapy at 4pm et lol
(3pm the next day)
LS: Power hour “B4” therapy? If yes:
What’s your approach to developing artists through B4 in its new iteration?
BC: omg lol
i usually start with getting really to know the artist on a human level and have a questionnaire that i like to share thats about their goals/ambitions, communities, needs, strengths, and why they make music, etc and then i try my best to connect the dots for them from a&ring to figuring out the narrative for the project to the rest of the world
LS: What are some of the important points you look for in an artists’ answers? Are there aspects of their goals/needs/etc you value more than others?
BC: the q+a is kind of an artist self awareness check for me lol but i also have heard that they help the artist think deeper about their projects and it helps with managing expectations and a way for me to see if what they want is something i can provide. I look for how clear and authentic their vision is and if we share similar ethos
LS: What, to your mind, is missing from artist development right now? Is it just time allowed after being afforded budget?
BC: ugh
so much lmao
no one cares about the development process anymore
its not about the time and budget its about the right kind of time and development now is drugs, everyone wants an instant rush to feel something
LS: What do you mean by the right kind of time?
BC: the time that takes the artist to fully feel confident about what they are making and their own identity
LS: What is the identity of B4 at present?
BC: haha the identity of b4 is just freak it
be urself and dont be scared to freak it
LS: It can’t just be that though, you just told me about your intake questionnaire, that’s so intentional
BC: idk how to answer it, i like to think b4 is a safe space for artists to create whatever they believe in and i guess if u were to label it, we are a very tiny record label that serves as a stepping stone to new artists and we’re very sensitive and silly
~you have to laugh~
LS: Sounds good to me
What are you plans for the rest of the year? What do you see on the horizon? What (if anything) are you hopeful for/excited about?
BC: we have so many records coming out from tama gucci, flirty800, faux real (LP2!!!), and some exciting new girlies that i cant mention yet ( :