Project Description

Bird's Eye View

Interview with 

Tour Manager: Sam Pauly

(Haim, Hozier and Kings of Leon)

Interviewer: Jemma Bird

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Sam Pauly

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In the past, AMNplify has spoken to an array of incredible artists that bring us our favourite music, play our favourite shows and headline our favourite festivals.  All of this wouldn’t be possible without the copious amounts of work that goes on behind the scenes.

Amnplify Interviewer Jemma Bird had the chance to speak to some of the hardest working individuals we know and gain a BIRD’S EYE VIEW of what their role in the industry is really like.

 

Tour Manager, Sam Pauly grew up in Mississippi before moving to Nashville for College. After graduating from college she was hired as a Production Assistant for the Kings of Leon Tour. She has since been hired as a Tour Assistant for Hozier, Tour Manager for Maddie and Tae, Assistant Tour Manager for Kings of Leon and most recently Tour Manager for Haim.  Check out our chat with Sam below we she discusses the specifics of her different roles and what it takes to be a Tour Manager.

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What made you pursue a career in the music industry, specifically in touring?

I originally went to college to become an entertainment attorney, however, when I moved to Nashville, I realized that I really enjoyed working in the live music setting, and from there I interned and volunteered around many events and discovered that working in touring production would most likely be a good fit.

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Your first tour after you graduated college was working as a Production Assistant for Kings of Leon. That’s a pretty sweet first gig! How did you come to work with them and what did your role as a production assistant include?

I was very fortunate to receive that opportunity! I got asked to join their team after interning in their manager’s office for a few semesters. We got along and they saw that my work ethic had potential to do well in touring and I was very lucky to be invited to begin my touring career with them.

As Production Assistant, I was responsible for setting up the production office and putting signs around the venue, coordinating the local runners, and making sure the crew had everything they needed to ensure a successful work day.

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Proceeding the first KOL tour, you worked as a Tour Assistant for Hozier and then as a TM for country duo Maddie and Tae and back to Kings of Leon again as an Assistant Tour Manager/ Tour Accountant. How did your roles differ between tours? How were you feeling going into your first tour as a TM?

Each tour is different and each position on each tour is different. At the end of the day, all touring positions are about being a team player and making sure that everyone on the team has the tools and conditions to work with that will lead to a successful show for the artist and audience. If you are putting up signs or handling finances, at the end of the day it is all just being organized and approachable.

When I took my first job as TM, I was nervous, of course! But I was very lucky to have (and still have!) mentors who I could always call and by that time, I had been watching the TMs I had toured with closely and had a good idea of what the job entailed and how I wanted to behave as a Tour Manager.

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You’ve just come off tour with Haim as their TM – which I can only imagine would’ve been a lot of fun! Does your role differ much between artists who have different sized audiences or different budgets for crew?

For sure! Tour Managing a country duo is much different than tour managing Haim, however, at the end of the day it all boils down to taking care of people, anticipating problems, and creating a work environment that allows everyone to perform at their highest level.

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How did you find work proceeding your first tour? Was it through word of mouth or are you employed by a touring company?

I am a freelance touring professional. There are some companies that staff tours, however, all the work I have gotten in my career has been referrals from friends and colleagues. There is always a gig to be done. If you work hard and people think you are generally nice to be around, there is touring work to be had!

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Sam with Haim and crew

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What does a typical work day on tour look like for you?

There is no such thing as a typical day on tour. Each day is different. That’s what keeps it interesting!

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What does a typical work day off tour look like for you? How long do you start preparing before a tour?

Generally, when I am home, I am not working on a tour. Advancing tours can begin a month before rehearsals, three months before rehearsals, it all depends on the production and staffing situation. Each tour is different.

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Top 5 essential items for any tour manager to take on the road?

Sharpies. Flashlight. Advil. Extra battery for the cell phone. Vitamins.

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Being on tour is not your typical 9-5 job. How do you go about balancing your career and personal life?

Being on tour can be all-consuming at times. It is really important to put effort into remaining an active member of friend groups/ family so there is something to go home to. I always call my family on Sundays no matter where I am in the world. Only if I have ten minutes, my family knows they will hear from me on Sundays. I always send little trinkets to my friends if I think of them, I send flowers on special occasions. Leaving for months at a time creates an opportunity to be forgotten about so I always make sure to not let that happen! I like to come home from tour and pick up where I left off with my relationships and home routine. I go to the same pub each Monday I’m home. I go to the same Pilates studio. I have found that having a routine to jump back into makes it much easier to maintain a home life.

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Being on tour, you spend A LOT of time with the band and the crew. Is it sometimes hard to separate friendship from business?

I don’t struggle with that because I am quite good at making very clear what the boundaries are in my relationships with people.

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What has been your biggest career highlight so far?

Oh gosh! I don’t think I can pick just one! I have been very fortunate to work with some top-notch bands who are always doing cool things. Being with Haim as they performed at Coachella right before Beyoncé was a good time. That is probably my most recent “oh wow!” moment.

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What has been your biggest career blunder and how did you deal with/ overcome that?

Nothing super miserable comes to mind. Perhaps I blacked it out!! Mistakes are made all the time but the best way to deal with them all is to be humble and say, “I fucked up, how can we fix it immediately.” I have found that the best way to deal with most problems is to admit fault and to be straight away working on the solution. Nine times out of ten, you can rebound before  anyone knows things were amiss!

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What’s something that people would be surprised to know about your job?

 

The best thing about it are the relationships you leave with.

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What advice would you give to someone who wanted your gig? Unexpected pros, cons, etc?

If you want to be a tour manager, you have to have a very intense work ethic, great people skills, patience, and a thick skin! It is great to see the world (if you get lucky with a day off! Very rare!), it is great to make friends, but work is work and touring folk work extremely hard. Touring is not for everyone and can be very isolating and exhausting.

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What’s your favourite part about your job?

The people!

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Lastly, just for fun – what’s the most memorable tour story you can tell us about?

I had a runner in Amsterdam forget to pick up the crew’s laundry so nobody had clean clothes for a few days…. It was quite a drama over a few black t-shirts!

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BIRD’S EYE VIEW

My name is Jemma Bird. As a reviewer and interviewer, I want to place some light or focus on a different part of the music machine. Everyone focuses on the artist, and rightly so, but most of the time, nothing would happen unless the people behind the scenes get the job done. So my feature ‘Bird’s Eye View’ will be doing just that. I want to talk to the people who make the music industry tick. Experienced or just starting out, heavy hitters or even the people who get the coffee. Without publicists, artist and tour managers, booking agents, merchandise managers, personal assistants, sound technicians, stage managers and many others the music industry just simply wouldn’t exist. Our mission is to create honest, informative and entertaining pieces, revealing stories from people whose stories aren’t usually shared.

Want to be featured here on Bird’s Eye View? You can be. All you have to do is contact me here, at Amnplify – [email protected]. I want to break new ground, something Amnplify has been doing for years now. Let’s break it together.