The Man Behind the Music: Neils Schroeter talks business, music, and guidelines for newcomers on breaking into the scene

There are countless jobs in the music industry, ranging from being an artist, to packaging cd’s at a warehouse, but few people help the flow of the industry as much as Neils Shroeter does. Working with Dave Kaplan, Neils has helped several bands go from house parties to arenas, as well as sifting through the talent and the trash. Just by walking into his office, you already get a feel for the type of person he really is. The walls are adorned with Brian Setzer posters, pictures of his family, and a few personally signed pictures from artists. All these items show that Neils truly is a family man with a sharp business game, and it seems like this approach has gotten him pretty far in life. From my experiences, Neils seems to be one of those people that really has a grasp on his career, and actually enjoys what he’s doing. As I sat down to begin the interview, I wasn’t really sure what to expect because at the time, I didn’t know Neils very well. From what I had heard about him, he seemed to be one of the older employees that was really a key asset to the label. Sitting behind his desk, he looked like a true businessman, from his button up shirt to his cluttered desktop. I felt nervous at first, fiddling with my iphone to find the recording application that I had purchased earlier to conduct the interview with. Soon after I started asking questions, I became absorbed in his story, and found myself even making up questions on the spot in order to lengthen the interview and give it for depth. After the interview, I walked out of his office feeling like I had just talked to a close friend about life, and I felt as though I had a much better understanding about Neils as a person, and as a businessman.


A box sits amidst an empty hallway in an Encinitas storage unit. Hundreds of boxes just like this are filled with cd's and put in storage until distribution.



What kind of music were you into as a kid?

Hmm, well I was basically into hard rock. Kiss was the first band that I became obsessed with, but my first album was the hair soundtrack when I was 4 years old in 1969. Starting then, I became obsessed with music and then I got obsessed with Bob Dylan. Then came Elton John, and then Kiss… I just went crazy.


Was there a certain person or event that inspired you to be in the music business?

Yeah there actually was. The day I decided to be in the music business, I had been hospitalized for a pretty serious illness and I went home, and when I did, I just felt really depressed. Then I put on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s second helping and I just kind of felt the power of music and what it could do to people, and I just decided that this was what I wanted to do.

What led you to Surfdog?

Well, I was a product manager at Metal Blade records, and then I was an A&R at Capitol. I was an intern at Capitol, and then the day after I graduated from UCLA I got hired. I worked there for a year doing distribution with Metal Blade. The way I got hired at Surfdog was that I knew Dave’s wife from when I worked at Capitol, and he was looking to bring someone into the label, and she said I would be a good guy, and we started talking, and that was it.

What kind of jobs are out there in the music business besides being a musician.

Uuum, managers, agents, publicists, tour managers, guitar techs, producers, engineers, t-shirt manufacturers… there’s just tons. The only thing is that more traditional jobs at traditional companies are getting harder to get these days because everybody’s downsizing.


What’s some advice for someone trying to find a way into the music business?

I think the best way to break into the scene today is to go out there and find a band you like, and tell them you want to help them, and be there “manager”