Substack Writer Profile - Kevin Alexander - On Repeat
A Newsletter About Listening to Great Music
๐ I highly recommend subscribing to Kevin Alexander's On Repeat Newsletter!
Itโs all about the Music. Mixtapes. New Music. Old Music. Making the musical experience better through playlists and discoverability. As Kevin describes his newsletter:
Playlists are my love language.
Remember that kid that was always making mixtapes? That was me. Later, I was the one burning CDs for everyone. Today, I bring a world of music right to you.
I couldnโt find a place to share music I love so I built it.
How do I do that? Music straight to your inbox 3 times a week.
Maybe itโs an old favorite. Maybe itโs a new discovery. Either way, itโll be something I know will brighten your day.
If youโve been looking for an engaged community of people who share your love of music, youโre in the right spot.
Give me two weeks, and Iโll give you a new favorite song.
There are both free and paid options available.
All subscribers receive 3 weekly posts delivered by email. Paying supporters receive additional exclusive content such as longer-form deep dives, interviews, record reviews, and access to playlists for any occasion. All of that and good karma for directly supporting this project for less than $1 a week.
My goal is to consistently deliver high-quality content, and that means this newsletter takes a lot of work/resources. It simply isnโt possible without financial support.
Take a look at all of the back posts to see more of what you can expect.
I have gotten to know Kevin in a personal zoom setting over the past month or so. He is a fascinating guy and a real quality type of individual. Iโd like you to get to know him too.
Interview with Questions AND Answers
In the beginning. Can you tell us about your early years.
I was a happy child growing up in Beaverton, Oregon. Near where Nikeโs Head Quarters is. My mom and my stepdad ran a construction company.
I had perfect attendance in grade school.
High school not so much. My favorite subject was Commercial Art. To be fair, I was terrible at it. But our teacher had managed to create this little haven where all of us could just sort of exhale and be ourselves.ย
I also studied World Lit and Philosophy in high school.
I then went to college and took Sociology and another subject that taught about how to organize work teams.
After a year in college, I headed out on the open road. Yes, in my car.
First jobs
The first job that got me a pay-check was manning booths at trade fairs for a vacuum cleaner company (on behalf of my friendโs mother).
Then I was working as a dishwasher at an IHOP-ish place. I worked as a grocery clerk in an upscale store. Also I worked at a Camelot music store in the local mall.ย
Music
Mostly what weโd now call โalternative.โ The Replacements, Jawbreaker, Nirvana, Pixies. But also bands like Throwing Muses and New Order. My friends & I were all music nerds and would constantly pass around mixtapes and/or new finds. The music scene in Portland was exploding at the time, and there was no shortage of local bands, either.
Current Work
I have spent most of my adult life working in commercial aviation. I work for one of the โBig 4โ US airlines in a line station. I spend most of my work week running our Operations desk.
I start my shift at 4 AM. You know those early flights people love to hate? Iโm one of the people making those happen. From 4-7ish, itโs a blitz of activity, then it slows down to a steady pace.
I work full time from Sunday to Thursday, and have Friday and Saturdays off. At least I can spend some weekend time with my wife and 2 sons (A senior in HS and a 14 year old.)
What is your wife like?
Extroverted, funny. Loves dealing with people as part of her career. Opposites attract.
What do you do when youโre not working?
Spinning records, watching soccer on TV or my kidsโ games and relaxing. I enjoy playing soccer (more or less) and travelling. Working for an airline gets you some perks!
Your Newsletter - On Repeat
Whatโs the newsletter all about? Where did the title come from? Why did you start it? Who reads On Repeat?
Itโs about music โ old favorites for new ears, getting new artists onto peopleโs radar, interviews, recommendations and more.
I started it about 2 years ago, but its current iteration turned 1 this past September. When my kids had to shift to online learning during the pandemic, I took a class too.
Setting up a WordPress site was part of the class - which I did - but then started writing on Medium and Substack shortly after that.ย
The original newsletter was the usual โ5 things Iโm interested inโ sort of deal and evolved into a shortened form focusing on one thing I was interested in at a time. It was called โEpistemic,โ which made sense for a letter about knowledge & wonder. For a music site? Not so much.ย
A friend in a writing cohort suggested the name. I loved it and it stuck.ย
On Repeat is for people who miss making mixtapes and those looking to liven up their playlists. If youโre someone who loves talking about & sharing music, youโre in the right place!
How did you get your first subscribers?
Easy! I subscribed my wife & kids.ย Lol. I was also writing on Medium and a few readers and writers followed me to Substack.
How do you get subscribers now?
Substackโs recommendation feature has been a game-changer. Itโs writer driven, so thereโs a LOT of social-proof built in. That really helps.ย
Crossposting/collaborating with other writers also helps - and itโs a blast!
Aggregators like The Sample & Inboxreads also send a steady drip of new readers my way.ย
Social media platforms Twitter & Instagram drive a few here and there.ย
How do you write the newsletter?ย
So for context, I have Friday/Sat off from work:
I intentionally donโt write on Thursdays (other than to participate in Substackโs Office Hours forum).
Fridays are the day I tend to do a lot of ideating/outlining for the week.
Sunday & Monday are the days I do the bulk of the writing
Tuesday I edit.
Wednesday tends to be a โlight editingโ day.
I donโt write much on Saturdays.ย Family time.
What apps do you use to organize your writing?
I write a bit using the Notes app on my phone and interview questions/notes using Google Docs, but most of my notes are handwritten scribbles taken down on used teletype paper from the printer next to my desk.
I also do editing work and Grammarly Pro proves its value every day.
Can you pass on some tips and advice for other writers?
Write like you talk. (Not with your mouth, silly)
Online writing is VERY different from analog writing.ย
Donโt โfindโ time to write, โmake it.โ Put it on your calendar, and honor it the way you might another date, trip to the gym, etc.ย
Make sure youโre writing for the reader. Otherwise, itโs really just a diary, isnโt it?
Make a diagram of what you love and know a good deal about. The overlap? Thatโs your niche.
The narrower you go subject-wise, the better.ย
Be patient - do good work and growth will come.
Treat your newsletter like a startup.
Most importantly, just start! Like, today.ย
Personal Stuff
Some Favorite Things:
Artist: Jackson Pollack
Movie genre: Rock Documentary
TV shows: I honestly don't watch much TV. Iย did just binge Slow Horses though. I guess I can add 60 Minutes to the list.
Book genre: Aviation History
Book: Hard Landingsย
Morning Habit: Coffee before everything!
Life hacks:
Keep your keys, wallet, phone in one place.
Make your lunch the night before
Throw a bulldog clip in your bag when you travel. Itโll come in handy if youโre ever n a hotel where the curtains donโt quite close all the way.
Advice: Life goes fast!
Vacation place: Anguilla
Things to do when on vacation: Chase the sun, go to sleep when itโs dark/get up when itโs light (instead of the other way around)
What do you worry about when you wake up in the middle of the night? If Iโm late for work or not.
How do you deal with that? Look at my phone.
What is your greatest concern about the future of the world? That weโre leaving the next generation some sort of dystopian hellscapeโฆ
What is the Most important thing in your life right now? My wife/kids/dog.
Recommend another Substack:ย
For music/sound:ย
For โnot musicโ :ย
3 Things youโd like to be known for: Best dad, best husband, and being a โgo-toโ person at work or when it comes to music recommendations.
Here are some of Kevinโs Popular Newsletters:
Where else you can find Kevin:
Comment, like and share if you enjoyed this. If youโd like me to review your newsletter, just let me know in the comments. Peace!
I love your interview style! And, thanks Kevin, for such great tips.
Awesome interview questions and style by Paul and epic interview by Kevin. Thanks both of you. Very entertaining and enjoyable read ๐๐๐