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Vancouver is arguably the most beautiful and expensive city in the world to live in. For most, the goal is simply to live IN it. We all have to work, and work hard to keep up with Our Lady of VanCity, but there are a select few who know the score. Why not live in the world's most liveable city and hold down one of the raddest jobs she has to offer? We all know somebody who goes to work smiling. What are these jobs and how do people get them? More importantly, are they as awesome as they sound... |
photo: Christine McAvoy
Laurie Logan greets me for an afternoon patio at Chill Winston. By the time she walks from the sidewalk to the table she's been recognized by a passerby and sidetracked over to talk.
Last time we saw each other, she was extroing BC band Redgy Blackout off stage toward a lights-and-camera rig and an interview for the 100.5 The Peak PEAK Performance Project concert series. I had left the Red Room with two bands still to play, all competing for the Jim Pattison sponsored $100.5K prize and Logan had been right in the thick of the guitar smashing, mask and mustachioed, sweaty t-shirted, unavoidably delayed mix as a smiling veteran presence. Eyes scanning the industry-heavy crowd, her blonde hair stylishly short and not a lock out of place, she turned to me as I was making my exit, "Tired?"
"Mmmm," I replied. "Have to work in the morning."
"Ohhhh..... Yeah, this is gonna go for a while."
photos: Kelsey Klassen
How did you get into being a radio host?
I graduated from Radio & Television Arts at NAIT in Edmonton in 99ish. But I haven't been working in radio the entire time - I did some radio and then some TV.
Which do you prefer?
They're both awesome but radio is so much fun because it's all about music and you can wear whatever you want! The hours are the best.
Do you have to earn the good hours?
Oh yeah.
It's just the least amount of hours. When I was working in television it would be 10 hr days minimum and working in film is even more. Whereas radio - the morning show does 4 hours shifts. I do a 5 hour shift. You have to prep before and after and there are events and things, but having a shorter shift is a big draw.
With a short work day, do you look to fill your time with other things?
At our radio station, because there's always a lot going on as far as concerts and events, you can always work more. Make that extra effort and stay longer or go to an event or MC something. If you need to take a step back though, and say I'm just going to do my 5 hour shift today and then go take a hike you can do that too.
What is a typical day?
5 hours daily talking about current events, community events, music, and trying to be a little bit entertaining.
What's it like working for the most diverse radio station in the city?
When we first started (it's almost our 3 year anniversary, and I've been there since the beginning) there would be nights where we'd be like "Okay, we're giving away tickets to... The Killers!!..." and nobody would call. There was nobody listening, especially in the evenings. I did all evenings when I first started, and...
You were just talking to yourself?
Yeah.
It's weird because you can tell, and I don't know how you can tell, but you can tell when there is a lot of people listening and when there isn't. Sometimes you can tell by the phones, but when there's a major event, you know everybody is watching it and it really feels like nobody is listening. When we first started we would joke about it like, "Alright, we're up to 15 listeners." [laughs]
How does a radio station get approval in Canada, I hear it's hard?
I wasn't a part of the approval process then, but I don't think it's the easiest process in the world. Which is why a lot of the time you'll see stations flipping their formats. We had to apply to the CRTC to get a license and quite often when you're applying they say "Yes, okay, this format sounds good, this is what Vancouver needs, there's a market for that." But that was the pitch they used to get the license - a year later the radio station will switch to doing what they want. It's easier to switch than start out how you want.
How did you get on with The Peak?
Oh, I harassed The Peak! I'd say stage 1 stalker. I was the last DJ to get hired, I was working in television production at the time. Then I saw that The Peak had popped up and thought, "That sounds really cool." They were listing off the music they were going to play: Metric, and random things like Gomez, Portishead ...like what?! Nobody plays that. I had to work for these guys!
And I actually hadn't been in radio for 3 years, let alone on air, even on camera. I hadn't been doing anything like that for a couple years so it was kind of a long shot but I just kept applying. Send in one thing to Tamara Stanners, then a couple days later I'd send a few more things. I just made sure I was really nice, and not annoying. And she's so sweet - she said that's how I got the job.
It was me and a friend of mine that applied and my friend got hired before me and I was like, Oh my God, am I gonna get it? Oh my God. And that actually motivated me to pick up the slack a little bit and keep bugging them.
Why do you love your job?
The people there are amazing. My boss is amazing [Tamara Stanners], she's someone that I've worked with really closely. She's kind of a mentor. She's so positive and that is a big reason. Not to mention I LOVE the music. And when you're working in radio, you're lucky if you work at a station where you actually like the music. Sometimes you have to take a job wherever. I've worked at country music radio stations (in Edmonton at CISN FM) when I was going to school for TV.
And you just have to suck it up?
Yep.
So when I also found out it was the music I loved...also too, Jimmy Pattison. I thought that would be really cool because there are some pretty major media monopolies out there like Chorus and Rogers and others and I had worked for a few of them before. I just liked Jimmy, his morals and his story.
It's insane what he's doing for the music industry in BC. When we launched we got to go to his office and meet him and go through orientation. And there's pictures on the wall of him and Oprah, and him and Bill Clinton. He's a big deal.
How do you wind down?
I have to turn the radio off. I generally don't listen to any music, I just need silence. When I'm at work I'm cranking the tunes. I'm known for playing the tunes the loudest. People are starting to complain, but whatever [laughs] Although there's production studios nearby and it's starting to seep in while they're trying to read commercials.
Are you known for a quirk around the office?
Blaring the tunes is one of them. I won't say I'm a germaphobe, I like to call myself clean... whereas other people in the studio are not as much. I'll always make sure I get a fresh mic cover that hasn't been used, on a mic that hasn't been used in a couple days. We all share the same keyboard and board, 5 people a day rotating through, so every morning before my shift I wipe down everything. People think I'm a little bit anal. Almost to the point where, we have these posters on the wall and I'll think they have to be organized. I'm always like, "Messy bed, messy head." And everyone is like...What are you talking about? And I'm like, "You're a product of your environment." And they're like... No... you're crazy.
Our studio is just insane. There's a foam noodle in one corner. And some plants in another. A dumpster plant that someone saved...they found it in a dumpster! There's a pile of dirt in a bag over here. Some palm tree lights. It gets pretty chaotic so I try to keep it clean. It's embarrassing if bands come in and it's really really messy. But that's just me.
Favourite...
- Local band: Can it be a singer/songwriter? I'd have to say Hannah Georgas. I just love the sound of her voice. I have a little bit of a soft spot for female vocalists that are kind of around the same age as me. When I've interviewed her as well, she's really down to earth. Quiet. And I like some of the things that she's done - bicycle tours around the island and stuff like that. She has a different way of singing, her voice is so distinct.
- Band all time: Again, kind of have a soft spot for the girls. I love Metric, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Joy Formidable kind of got me the other day. Also, I like Mumford & Sons. Oh, but my favourite male (we don't even play him that much right now) is Yoav. He is mindblowingly good. Just look him up. I have a huge band crush on him.
- Charity: Surfrider Foundation
- Drink: I'm a beer and a wine girl. I know it's boring but I like to keep it simple. Otherwise cocktails. I stay away from the whiskey. It's crazy juice! You hear the stories the next day about what you did and you're like...oooh.
- Venue: Everybody says the Commodore, and the Commodore IS great, but if they don't do something about that sticky floor soon.... [laughs] To be honest, I was blown away by the Rickshaw. I've only been there once, to see the Joy Formidable. I like the finer things in life but I love going to the grungy part of town and drinking a $5 beer. The Rickshaw is cool. Even the Red Room is really good too. I think it's just when I go there I'm always in work mode.
Do you enjoy MCing?
To be honest, I find that stuff way harder than being on the air. Going on stage, I'm used to it now, but if you have to go on stage at the Commodore and MC something I find it really nerve wracking. Whereas when you're on air and there are ten times that number of people listening, you don't see them, you're in your little room in your casual clothes.
Have you ever had an embarrassing moment on air?
Oh, God. A million. Are you kidding?? So many. Many many many. Every day.
- Movie about radio: I can't even answer that. I am such a music and radio nerd I don't even own a TV right now. I grew up in the boonies with 3 channels until I was 16 years old. I had probably only seen 2 movies by the time I was twenty.
How did you discover media was your thing then?
Radio was my escape. My parents bought me a walkman when I was ten years old and like, Corey Hart. I listened to that for a while and thought it was ok. But then I was like, "What's this thing?" and I was playing with the radio stations and thought "Oh my God, I can find all these people talking all the way from Edmonton!" (We were about an hour and a half away)
And then I actually found the station I ended up working at years later, there was a guy doing a report from a mountain with his ski team. "We're here, we're partying it up at Marmot Basin and it's awesome!" and I thought, I want. that job. And I ended up getting the job at the exact same station - Chorus Edmonton, at the time it was 630 CHED and then it changed to Power 92 and its called Joe FM now.
Did you do the mountain reports?
Yes, I did!
Is Laurie Logan your real name?
I knew you were going to ask that!! It's very close. It's a bit for the privacy and it sounds better.
Best career advice?
Not necessarily the best, but something that really stuck with me - Matthew McBride, he is a guy in town who launches radio stations, told me that if you haven't been fired from radio at least once in your life, you haven't made it. And I was like, okay! Because at that point, I had already been fired...[laughs]
Actually I had been laid off from The Fox (a long time ago) and he was launching The Beat and I wanted to work there. So, I was harassing him, as I do, and trying to get a job, and he asked me what happened at The Fox. I told him a bunch of us had been laid off due to cut backs and he said don't worry about it, if you haven't been fired.... you know. And then he never ended up hiring me.
But it was the best thing that ever happened because I ended up going back to school for television and I'm so glad that I did. I had wanted that extra education behind me.
Is Vancouver a good city for radio or would you prefer to move to a bigger market one day?
At the end of the day I've always made my professional decisions based on almost emotion. I'm not money driven. It's more about living in a city that I love surrounded by people that I love because the thing that makes you happiest is relationships. My family isn't here, they're in Alberta still, I have one or two cousins here, so for me, I've built up such a great network of friends. I would never leave that to go to Toronto for a better paying job. It's invaluable - those people around you. And this is still close enough to my family, that I think Vancouver is where it's at for me.
How do you find new music?
DJ friends. I know Hype Machine is a great outlet for finding things, but for me I'd rather just go to my friends that are the experts and borrow from them. Or they make me CDs.
Biggest perk of the job?
Probably the free tickets. That's a pretty sweet perk. Having your entertainment paid for. And just being able to listen to music all day is amazing too.
Do you get sick of some songs?
Sometimes, but overall it's pretty good. We have a music meeting once a week, and one of the first questions we ask is what are you sick of, and we try to... [makes chucking motion] Know what I mean?
Also I love being able to wear sweats to work. Working in television would be so much more stressful because you have to look good. In radio, people don't judge you by your looks, but on what you're saying. And maybe the sound of your voice sometimes, people can be harsh.
Have you gotten critcism like that?
No, never. People have called in and complained about things I've said, but the last thing I've ever wanted to be judged on is my looks for my job.
Any misconceptions people have about you because they only know you through the radio?
I can never tell if people take me literally when I make jokes about my physical appearance. But if I can make a joke, I'll make a joke. And somebody did call in asking what I actually look like, and I said, "What do you think I look like...?" And they NEVER guess blonde. It's always brunette.
If you were cast in an indie RomCom being filmed here in Vancouver, who would your leading man be? Maybe it's someone you work with....
Cory Ashworth! Haha no, that is NOT gonna work. We would never be able to pull that off, ever. Who's that guy from Battlestar Galactica...I think his name starts with a T? He's local. Ahh, this is tough because I'm so not into the TV/film thing.
Gotcha, name may or may not start with a T, but he's local...
Oh, Ryan Gosling. But the Battlestar Galactica guy I've had a crush on forever.
Maybe they could be rival love interests.
Yeah!
Do you have any "Desert Island" skills?
Ooh! I can start a fire. I'm pretty outdoorsy actually. OK starting a fire without matches would be tough. But I think I could build a freakin' shelter. And a spear.
So...you'd be fine.
Oh yeah. I grew up in the boonies. I've gone ice fishing. I know how to fillet a fish. That would be my skill - filleting fish.
We enjoyed the patio for while longer, chit chatting about advertising and some of my other projects before she sat straight up. "Do you mind if I tweet about this?" Ten minutes and an intensive Twitter education for yours truly later, she was off to do some damage at Army & Navy.
On Wednesday October 26th, the Top 5 PEAK Performance Project artists will be announced live on air at 100.5 The PEAK. Then, in November, the winning order of the Top 3 will be revealed at a Finale Concert at the Commodore - and Ms. Logan will be there, looking all blonde and on and avoiding the sticky floor.
